Have you ever used rhythm sticks in singing time? They are so much fun! Tap along with the beat and have some fun with this I Want to Be a Missionary Now Rhythm Sticks living music activity!
This rhythm sticks pattern is super easy to catch on to and helps your primary children listen for rhythmic changes in this upbeat song!
I Want to Be a Missionary Now Rhythm Sticks
I Want to Be a Missionary Now is one of those primary songs that I just can’t sing without a smile! It’s such an upbeat, catchy tune with lyrics that inspire us all to be missionaries!
For a neat way to practice this song, focus on the rhythm & beat using rhythm sticks! I’ve created a simple pattern to follow along with as you review!
At the beginning of singing time, start by singing through I Want to Be a Missionary Now as a quick review.
Have the kids watch as you demonstrate the rhythm sticks pattern for the the first line of the song. Can you guess what the pattern is? Watch closely.
As you sing each short note, tap your rhythm sticks. Swish your sticks together as you sing the word, “grown.”
If you guessed that we tap our sticks on the short notes and we swish our sticks together for the long notes, you’re correct! Let’s try it together!
Rhythm sticks are a very versatile instrument to use in Primary and the boys especially love using them! You can pick up a set of rhythm sticks on Amazon here. To get even more use out of your set of rhythm sticks, I have this really cool set of printable Rhythm Sticks pattern cards to help you come up with varied sequences!
Pass out the rhythm sticks as you listen to the song. Start by tapping a steady beat while you sing. In this song, you’ll have 4 taps per measure.
Then, try to figure out where the long notes are. Sing through the song and identify any sustained words. Go back and tap along with the beat, this time rubbing your rhythm sticks together for those long notes.
Once you’ve tried it together, post the song lyrics on the board with the rhythm sticks pattern. You’ll notice that I’ve only included taps on the main beats of the song.
Follow along with the color coordination in the pattern for tap vs. swish as you sing along!
Rhythm Sticks Pattern:
The pattern for this song is very simple! It’s just two different rhythmic patterns that pair well with the natural flow of the song.
Steady Tap: Short Notes
You’ll be tapping along with the beat for most of the song! Since this song has some quick rhythms, I wanted to focus on the main beats in each measure. Simply tap your rhythm sticks together for words like, “Want,” “be,” “wait,” “share”
*A Note on Sixteenth Notes*
Some of the syllables are broken up into quick rhythms. For these, we’ll just tap on the main beat. For example, for the word, “Mis-sion-a-ry,” we’ll only tap on the syllables “mis-” and “a.”
Be sure to check out the printable for this post, in which I’ve written out the lyrics and broken down the pattern for you. If you wish to break down the rhythms even further and tap on every quick note (including sixteenth notes), that might be a fun extra challenge to try!
I’ve also further explained this in my demo video, so be sure to look there if you have questions about which notes to follow!
Swish: Long Notes
For notes that are held out longer in the song, swish your rhythm sticks together! You’ll use this rhythm for words like, “Now,” and “grown.”
Extension Activities:
- Try tapping on each word instead of each note. For this adaptation, longer words like “missionary,” “until,” “gospel,” and “testimony” only get 1 tap!
- For an extra challenge, have one side of the room tap on each note while the other side taps on each word!
- Add in taps for the quick sixteenth notes. See if you can catch all the quick notes in this song!
- Make it a partner pattern! Tap sticks with your partner on short notes and swish your own rhythm sticks for sustained notes.
For another fun similar activity, head over to see this Nephi’s Courage Rhythm Sticks singing time activity!
I Want to Be a Missionary Now Rhythm Sticks Demo Video
Let’s try this pattern together! In this short demo video, I’ll explain how to use the rhythm sticks pattern for this song by singing through the first verse using these two rhythms. I’ll also explain a few additional ways to break down the pattern and provide some extra ideas for this activity!
–> I Want to Be a Missionary Now Rhythm Sticks Demo Video <–
I Want to Be a Missionary Now Rhythm Sticks Printable Song Helps
This free in-post printable includes a 2-page easy-to-follow rhythm sticks pattern with lyrics for the first verse.
Join INSTANT Primary Singing for extended printables including a pattern guide and simplified chart for all 3 verses plus black and white printables. You’ll find these bonus files included when I Want to Be a Missionary Now 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!
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Head over to this I Want to Be a Missionary Now Directional Marching idea for another way to review this song!
What other fun ways will you use this rhythm sticks singing time activity in your Primary room?
