I’m so excited to share this O Little Town of Bethlehem Dance Scarves singing time idea with you! This activity is sure to keep everyone engaged during primary with this fun & easy dance scarves pattern with one action for each line of this favorite Christmas carol!
**See all O Little Town of Bethlehem Singing Time Ideas**
O Little Town of Bethlehem Dance Scarves
Dance Scarves are such a fun way to incorporate movement into your singing time! Both Junior & Senior kiddos will enjoy using these manipulatives as you sing O Little Town of Bethlehem (archives) together in primary.
You will just love this fun scarves pattern! For this pattern, we’ll be using one movement for each line of the song. I’ve created a dance scarves pattern with 8 actions to help you remember the lyrics as you sing this sweet song!
Before introducing this activity, sing through the first verse of O Little Town of Bethlehem (flip chart) for a quick review.
Then, bring out one dance scarf and tell the kids that you’ll be learning some movements to go along with the song!
Demonstrate the first action by wiggling your scarf while holding the top two corners with your fingers. Then, let go of the scarf and let it gently fall as you sing, “How still we see thee lie.”
Wave your scarf above your head while singing the line, “Above thy deep and dreamless sleep.” Then, draw a big star as you sing, “The silent stars go by.”
Can you try it with me? Pass out dance scarves to each class and have the children try the actions for the first 4 lines of the song with you. Post the first page of the printable pattern as you sing through these lines.
Then, post the second page of the pattern for the last 4 actions for the song. Start by dragging your scarf along the ground as you sing, “Yet in thy dark streets shineth,” and then bringing them up into a big circle while singing, “the everlasting Light.”
Draw a big heart as you sing, “The hopes and fears of all the years.” For the last line of the song, cover your face with your scarf, then uncover your face as you sing, “Are met in thee tonight.”
After trying the last four actions, try the entire pattern as you sing this Christmas song together!
Dance Scarves Pattern:
I’ve included all 8 actions in this dance scarves pattern below. Be sure to grab the printable pattern with visuals to help you remember all the movements. You can even practice along with me using the demonstration video later in this post!
- Hold Scarf Corners and Wiggle = “O little town of Bethlehem”
- Gently Float to the Floor = “How still we see thee lie”
- Overhead Arch = “Above thy deep and dreamless sleep”
- Draw a Star = “The silent stars go by”
- Drag in the Ground = “Yet in thy dark streets shineth”
- Big Circle = “The everlasting Light”
- Draw a heart = “The hopes and fears of all the years”
- Cover Face – then Reveal = “Are met in thee tonight.”
Extension Activities:
- Divide the room in half and have one side do the first 4 actions and sing the first 4 lines, then have the other side sing and do the actions for the second half of the song.
- Assign each class a few lines of the song along with a few actions for a fun “popcorn” singing effect.
- Grab our set of 24 Dance Scarves Movement Cards. Place all the cards in a hat and randomly choose 8 actions. Use one action for each line and choose 8 new actions each time you repeat the song!
- Host a mini talent show! Assign a few lines to each class and have them come up with their own movements to perform for the group.
For another fun similar activity, head over to see this Once Within a Lowly Stable Dance Scarves singing time activity!
O Little Town of Bethlehem Dance Scarves Demo Video!
Want to see this dance scarves pattern in action? I’ve created this short demonstration video to help your prep even easier! Try the pattern along with me as I sing through the first verse of the song. Hopefully, watching this video will help you feel even more confident about using this type of activity in singing time!
—> O Little Town of Bethlehem Dance Scarves Demo Video <—
O Little Town of Bethlehem Dance Scarves Printable Song Helps
This free in-post printable includes a 2-page dance scarves pattern guide with simple visuals for each action in this pattern that we’ll be using for the first verse.
Join INSTANT Primary Singing for extended printables including reusable full page dance scarves cards and actions for the additional verses. You’ll find these bonus files included when O Little Town of Bethlehem is the featured song of the month.
Get more out of singing time with the INSTANT Primary Singing membership that includes printable lesson plans, tons of extended printables and an ad-free experience for each featured song of the month, or get immediate access to the entire song list for the year!
Learn more about INSTANT Primary Singing membership options here!
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Head over to this fun O Little Town of Bethlehem Song Trivia game for a fun way to focus on the lyrics!
What other fun ways will you use this dance scarves singing time activity in your Primary room?
