Looking for some cheap, simple instruments? Look no further than your kitchen cabinets! Have some fun with this The Iron Rod Paper Plates living music singing time idea!
Grab some paper plates and try this fun, repeatable rhythm pattern as you review The Iron Rod in singing time this month!
See all The Iron Rod Singing Time Ideas here!
The Iron Rod Paper Plates
Here at Primary Singing, we love keeping things simple! Don’t have drumsticks? You can still create a fun rhythmic activity with your primary kids using ordinary objects, like paper plates! Just grab a cheap set of plates and you’ve got everything you need for a fun primary activity!
I’ve created a printable with a repeatable pattern for the entire song! Be sure to grab our printable pattern later in this post. At the beginning of singing time, review the first verse and chorus of The Iron Rod with this flipchart.
Then, pass out paper plates to each teacher and make sure that each child has 2 plates. Let’s learn a fun rhythm pattern with our paper plates!
Start with one paper plate in each hand. Raise your right hand up in the air and lower your left hand so that your paper plates are diagonal to each other.
Then, bring your plates to the center and rub them together to make a “SWISH” sound! This is easiest when you turn the plates so that the backs or bottom of plates are swishing.
Then, separate your plates again and hold them diagonally. This time, hold your left plate up high and your right plate down low. Repeat this pattern twice.
For the second part of the pattern, tap your plates on your knees. Then, clap! Repeat this pattern 3 times.
Try the entire pattern before attempting to sing the lyrics along with the pattern. Slowly add lyrics and continue repeating this pattern until you make it to the end of the song!
Paper Plates Pattern:
This repeatable pattern is super simple and can be easily adapted! I’ve roughly outlined the paper plates pattern for this song, but this pattern works really great with nearly all the song lyrics. Just work through the pattern, then repeat it until you finish the song!
For additional tips, be sure to check out my demo video to get a feel for how this pattern goes.
Verse:
RH Up, LH Down Diagonal – Tap your plates, then bring one arm down low while the other stays up high on the opposite side of your body.
To Nephi, seer of… Wherein the holy
Swish – Swish the backs of your paper plates.
Olden time… word sublime
LH Up, RH Down Diagonal – This action is the same as the first, but switch your hands!
A vision came from God… was shown an Iron rod
*Repeat 2x*
Chorus:
Lap – Tap the backs of your plates on your knees.
Clap – Clap with your plates by turning the bottom of each plate inward and quickly tapping them together!
Hold / to the / rod, the / iron rod.
Guide / us / through. /
*Repeat 3x, then start over at the beginning of the pattern!*
Extension Activities:
- Try this pattern as a partner activity! Every time you bring the plates in a diagonal pattern, clap across with a partner!
- Split the class into two groups, one for each page of the plates pattern. Have groups switch off and take turns singing and doing paper plate actions!
- See what other rhythms you can create with your paper plates! Swap out one of the patterns for your own!
For another fun similar activity, head over to see this Keep the Commandments Paper Plates singing time activity!
The Iron Rod Paper Plates Demo Video
Check out this paper plates demo video as you prepare to teach this pattern in singing time! In this video, I explain a few different ways to use this paper plates pattern and demonstrate the pattern for the first verse and chorus of the song!
–> The Iron Rod Paper Plates Demo Video <–
The Iron Rod Paper Plates Printable Song Helps
This free in-post printable includes a 1-page overview with the entire pattern, great to put on your podium to remind you and help you follow along!
Join INSTANT Primary Singing for extended printables including a 2-page and full page pattern cards. You’ll find these bonus files included when The Iron Rod is the featured song of the month.
To access the free in-post printables for this post, you’ll just need to create a free account or login with the Grow.me tool. Then, confirm by email and refresh the page and ALL my free printables will automatically unlock in every post!
For more information on why I use a content lock or how to create your account, you can see the FAQ page here.
Head over to this The Iron Rod Silent Video activity next!
What other fun ways will you use this paper plates singing time activity in your Primary room?
This song has triple meter in the verse and duple meter in the chorus. Musically it works better to do completely different actions in the verse and chorus. The primary children will pick up the actions more easily if the actions match the feel of the music.
In triple meter the music is felt in threes so you either need to do a faster action on every beat or a slower action at the beginning of each measure. For example, you could rub the plates together for three beats then raise the plates high and tap the air for three beats.
Then the chorus is felt in 2s (or 4s) so the actions need to be grouped in some multiple of 2s. For example, you could tap the plates together for a beat, put one hand high and the other low for a beat, tap, alternate which hand goes high and which is low, then pat 4 times in the lap (or pat pat hold) and repeat the group of actions until the end of the song.