What makes being a Primary Music Leader one of the BEST callings, is you can have an incredibly fun time doing activities that might be silly and fun, but ultimately turn the experience into a faith building moment with the kids! That’s exactly how I picture this Search Ponder and Pray Scripture Hunt!
It’s a little unique, a little quirky even, but I think you’ll completely capture the kids attention and have them invested in adding to the ways they learn from the scriptures, and then you can wrap it back up to testify that the scripture help us build our testimony and feeling the Spirit!
** See all Search Ponder and Pray Singing Time Ideas here! **
Search Ponder and Pray Scripture Hunt
How to Play:
We all know and love the classic song/activity of “I’m Going on a Bear Hunt…” this is a fun spin off of that activity where you’ll repeat a line and add a new action each time as you move your way through the song!
Sing through the Search Ponder and Pray once first. You can find the Search Ponder and Pray lyrics and a flip chart here!
Then, ask the children if they’ve ever gone on a bear hunt? Today we’re going to do something like that, but we’ll call it a “scripture hunt!”
Sing: I love to read the holy scriptures, and ev’ry time I do…
Just like in the original bear hunt, you’ll alternate clapping and patting on your lap: (Love-pat, read-clap, ho-pat, ly-clap, scrip-pat, tures-clap…)
Now, ask the kids for something that happens or that they do to them when they read the scriptures. Add a fun line to the song and an action to relate!
Some fun themed ideas could include:
- I learn something new – Point repeatedly to your head
- I get a treat – Use your hands to munch on treats
- I learn about Jesus – Point to Heaven
- I feel warm inside – Give yourself a big hug
- I act out the stories – Dab or have a pretend sword fight
Sing through the first main line and add the new line and action, then start from the beginning and build up adding additional lines and actions each time!
After you add 3-5 fun actions you can add in the original last 2 lines one at a time and an action.
- I feel the Spirit start to grow within my heart – Hold your hands into the shape of a heart and thump your hands over your heart.
- A testimony that they’re true – Make a big dramatic nod of your head.
This is meant to be a fun experience, but it will also really help the kids connect with the lyrics and have a meaningful experience they can go home and share with their family about their experiences with reading the scriptures.
It also will really point out the connect between reading the scriptures and the result of feeling the Spirit and building a testimony as you relate back the fun of the activity to those two meaningful lines!
Plus, when the kids get to be involved and share their ideas they are much more invested in the activity and it becomes more meaningful and purposeful to them!
For a challenge in Senior Primary, you can do the actions and lines quickly in reverse at the end. Add a fun line like we found comfort in the scriptures, what was it we did so far? Let’s do them again backwards! (A testimony, Spirit grows, act out stories, warm inside…
Another fun twist is to have the kids hunt for short scripture passage that talk about how we learn or grow from reading the scriptures and come up with your own phrases and actions ahead of time.
For another fun singing time to use a hunt theme, see our Follow the Prophet Treasure Hunt singing time!
Search Ponder and Pray Scripture Hunt Printables
I’ve included a cute bonus printable in the monthly teaching packet when this song is the song pick of the month. There is no free in-post printable included for this activity.
You’ll find a printable lesson plan and cute bonus posters included in the INSTANT Primary Singing membership when Search, Ponder and Pray 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!
Have questions or need more help, see this FAQ page here.
Head over next for another fun way to teach this song, with our Search Ponder and Pray Melody Chart!
What other fun extension activities could you add to this Search Ponder and Pray Scripture Hunt game?
