Being called as a Primary Music Leader is super overwhelming at first. I know for me, I felt completely weighed down by where to start, what do do, sorting through resources and ideas. It was easy to get lost in it all and feel overwhelmed.
After getting a few Singing Time’s under your belt, you start to settle into the calling, some, and realize how much potential for fun this calling offers! I absolutely love having this calling and making Singing Time engaging for the kids.
Here’s a list of Primary Music Leader supplies, and a dream wishlist too!
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Essential Primary Music Leader Supplies
Basic Essentials for Primary Music Leaders:
- Printer Paper
- Printer Ink — or use HP Instant Ink (Plus get a FREE month)!! It’s truly a game changer!
- Cardstock
- Binder — See how I use a Singing Time Binder
- Sticker Divider Tabs — I stick these onto sheet protectors for custom tabs! They are amazing!
- Sheet Protectors
- Scissors
- Tape
- Pocket Dividers
- Poster Board
- Magnets (tiny neodymium) – Magnets (clip magnets for the whiteboard)- and MORE magnets (hook magnets)!!
- Dry erase markers
- 24-ct box of crayons per class
- Sheet music
Music Leaders Dream Wishlist
These are ordered by category, in order of my personal favorites / top priority!
Instruments:
- Rhythm Sticks (You’ll need a set of 2 per person)
- Egg Shakers
- Jingle Bell Bracelets
- Paper Plates (You’ll need 2 plates per person)
- Hand Bells
- Sand Blocks (homemade with wood or a pool noodle)
- Egg Cartons
- Drum
- Maori Sticks
Manipulatives/Creatives:
- Dance Scarves
- Ribbon Wands
- Plastic Cups
- Big box of Markers for art projects
- Playdoh
- Finger Lights
- Yoga Cards
CD Supplies: If you plan to make an annual CD with the Primary supplies, here’s some supplies that you may want or need.
- Blank CD-R
- Paper CD-Sleeves
- Slim CD Jewel Cases
- Printable CD Labels
- Music release/rights
Other Supplies:
- Laminating Pouches
- Printable resources
- Filing box
- Laminator Machine
Tips for Buying Supplies for the
Primary Music Leader Calling
Ask for a budget – As soon as you get called as the Music Leader, don’t hesitate to ask if you have a budget to work with and if not for the Presidency to work one in for you. There can be a lot of expenses with your lesson plans from paper and printing to ink and poster boards and everything else in between.
Check end of the year budget – Make a special effort to check if the Primary has any remaining budget that can be used at the end of the year. I was the Young Women’s secretary once and did a great job budgeting and making things as frugal as possible. But then I was told at the end of the year if we didn’t use up our budget, we’d get a smaller budget next year! Don’t be afraid to use those funds. If there is leftover money at the end of the year, this is the perfect time to stock up on some of the supplies you might need going into the next year or to pickup something from the wishlist!
Personal versus Primary supplies – I didn’t even ask about a budget my first two years in this calling, so anything I purchased I did so simply knowing I’d keep it whenever I would be released. There are some things I didn’t mind one bit to purchase for my own personal use after Primary was over. I love having my own supplies of egg shakers, rhythm sticks, scarves, and more. I use them for FHE, with my toddler, for a home preschool swap, etc!
Now, starting into my 3rd year as the music leader, I’ve used the extra year-end budget to start to supply the Primary closet! This serves two different purposes. First, I’m not lugging my own supplies back and forth each week, which is really nice! The second reason is so that the Primary kids have access to these amazing resources whenever I am released. While I was able to upfront some of the supplies early in my calling, not every music leader would be able to. I love that all those resources will be readily available for the music leader, teachers, and the Primary kids for years and years to come!
Buy for half the Primary – A great way to cut back on expenses is to purchase only enough supplies for half the kids in your Primary. So, for example, if you have 20 kids in Junior Primary and 15 kids in Senior Primary, start by buying a single set of 12. Most of the supplies will come in a set of 12 and while that’s not enough for the entire Primary, you’ll be able to buy a larger variety of supplies by purchasing less of each item.
Having only enough for half your Primary builds in a natural way to do more repetition, too! So there are some great perks to this approach. Hand out any extras to the sunbeam row, as they have the hardest time sharing. Everyone else will take turns with someone else in their class or in the Primary room. One will get a turn, then switch, then repeat and you’ve just done the song 4 times through without any complaints!
What tips or supplies would you add to this list?