What are the sounds of Christmas? When I think of Christmas time, I think of the sound of jingle bells and Christmas carolers. I think of the sounds of family gathered together and classic tunes playing in the stores.
Bring this Christmas song to life with this Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus Hear the Sounds primary lesson! Share a sound to represent each line of the song with this nature and senses activity as you review Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus in singing time!
*All Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus Singing Time Ideas here*
Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus Hear the Sounds
If you are feeling a little overwhelmed about what to teach in singing time this year for Christmas, we totally get it. It’s not uncommon for primary music leaders to be asked to perform a song for a ward Christmas party or even sacrament meeting. This can feel overwhelming!
Many primary music leaders begin working on Primary Christmas songs near the end of the year for this very reason. It seems that once the primary program is finished, you’ve blinked and it’s already the holiday season!
That’s why we’ve created a list of over 100 Christmas Singing Time Ideas! Whether you are teaching a song from the Primary Songbook or teaching another beautiful Christmas song, we’re here to support you!
Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus is a great song pick that comes together fairly quickly. With a simple “Hosanna” chorus, this song teaches about the prophesies of the Savior’s birth.
The main idea behind this activity is to share a simple sound that represents each phrase of the song. Engage your senses by thinking about the sounds in this song!
You don’t need any printable materials for this activity! Just be sure to bring a quality speaker to play each sound.
At the beginning of primary, review the first verse of Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus (flip chart). Then, tell the kids to put their best listening ears on! We’re going to listen to some cool sounds in primary! See if you can guess each sound!
I recommend playing the first sound and having the children listen quietly. What do you hear? Can anyone guess what sound this is? Once the sound is guessed correctly, sing the line of the song that matches the sound.
For another fun similar activity, head over to see this The Holy Ghost Quiet Calming Sounds singing time activity!
Sound Clips:
Listen to each sound before singing the word or phrase it corresponds to. I have included free sound links below to share in singing time! Here is a list of sounds that correspond with several phrases in the song.
- Ticking Clock – “Within 5 years”
- Owl Sound + Bird Noise – “Night will be as day”
- Baby sleeping – “Baby Jesus will be born”
- Ocean – “land far, far away”
- Trumpets – “Hosanna, Hosanna”
- Choral singing – “Oh let us gladly sing”
- Royal Triumphant Song – “Let earth receive her king”
Continue listening to the sounds as you work through the entire song! This activity can be a great way to introduce or review the song! If you are using this activity to review, one fun adaptation could be to write out each phrase of the song on the board. As you listen to each sound, have the children pair the sound to the corresponding phrase.
On one side of the board, list the sounds that you will be playing. On the other side of the board, write the song lyrics. As you listen to the sounds, have the kids match the sound to the song lyric that goes with the sound! Some of the sounds will be easier to match, so feel free to give hints if needed!
What do all these sounds have to do with a Christmas song? Samuel testified about Christ’s birth, but the many of the Nephites did not believe him. However, these prophesies came true and Jesus was born. Share your testimony of Jesus Christ. Remind the children to think of the Savior as they prepare for Christmas.
Extension Activities:
- Read Samuel’s prophesy directly from the scriptures in primary! Take turns reading Helaman 14:1-8. Then, sing through Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus and have the kids point out the prophesies within the song. Circle each phrase in the song that aligns with the scripture verses.
- Listen to Samuel’s message by watching this Book of Mormon scripture stories video in singing time! In this short video, Samuel the Lamanite prophesies to the Nephites about Christ’s birth.
- After listening to the sounds associated with the song lyrics, compare these sounds to sounds associated with Christmas. Are any of the sounds similar? Which sounds are different?
For a fun way to review this Christmas song, head over to this Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus Ribbon Wands activity!
What other fun ways will you use this nature and senses singing time activity in your Primary room?
