I created a wiggle worm jar that’s multi-functional! I love it! We use it during the last 5 minutes of transition time each Sunday. I also occasionally pull it out to break up the monotony of learning a program song during singing time.
To use my wiggle worm jar, I simply tell the kids I need my best wigglers to pick our wiggle songs. They know the drill, stand up go to town wiggling!
I then get to pick the wiggliest one (haha, so fun)! They come and choose a wiggle worm and we sing the song (with actions if it applies or a prop found in my music bag).
My original plan was to only do this in Jr. Primary but I have found that Sr. Primary enjoys it just as much. My 11 year old boys crack me up wiggling!!
We sing about 3-4 songs from the jar each week. I like it because we get to sing other songs that we otherwise would never, ever get to sing!
It’s also a great tool for a last minute substitute or if your singing time wasn’t long enough and you need to kill a little time. I keep the jar in our primary closet so it’s always available (and it’s one less thing to tote to church)!!
I’ve tried to pick “classic” songs that everyone SHOULD know but some of them are not very familiar still. For those really unfamiliar songs I post the words (more details HERE).
How to Make a Wiggle Worm Jar:
I made my worms using various colored card stock that I cut into strips. I then wrote out the names of Primary songs and their page numbers on the slips of paper and laminated. I then folded them accordion style.
I then got some pom poms and google eyes cheap from Walmart and hot glued on the pom poms, eyes and noses to make a head/face. Then I attached the head to the laminated paper so they somewhat resemble worms…
For my jar I just covered up a plastic jar I found around my house. Nothing fancy! My label document can be downloaded from my Resource Library. Instructions for accessing my Resource Library are at the bottom of this post.
These are my Wiggle Worm Jar songs:
- A Happy Family p. 198
- Book of Mormon Stories p. 118*
- Come With Me to Primary p. 255 (see how we sing this one HERE)
- Daddy’s Homecoming p. 210*
- Do As I’m Doing p. 276*
- Follow the Prophet p. 110*
- For Health and Strength, p. 21
- Friends Are Fun p. 262 (see how we sing this one HERE)
- Fun To Do p. 253
- “Give,” Said the Little Stream p. 236*
- Go the Second Mile p. 167
- Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes p. 275*
- Healthy Wealthy and Wise p. 280
- Here We Are Together p. 261
- Hello, Friends! p. 254 (see how we sing this one HERE)
- I Hope They Call Me on a Mission p. 169*
- If You’re Happy p. 266*
- Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam p. 60*
- My Hands p. 273
- Nephi’s Courage p. 120 (find some fun props HERE)
- Latter-day Prophets p. 134 (find my actions HERE)
- Once There Was a Snowman p. 249*
- Our Door Is Always Open p. 254
- Popcorn Popping p. 242*
- Saturday p. 196
- Smiles p. 267 (see how we sing this one HERE)
- The Church of Jesus Christ p. 77
- The Wise Man and the Foolish Man p. 281 (see how we sing this one HERE)
- We Welcome You p. 256 (see how we sing this one HERE)
- We Are Different p. 263 (see how we sing this one HERE)
- We’re All Together Again p. 259 (see how we sing this one HERE)
- When We’re Helping p. 198 (see how we sing this one HERE)
Each wiggle worm has 2 songs written on them – one song on each side. I can choose between two songs which has been a nice option.
You can download a list I created which is also available at my Resource Library. Give the list to your pianist.
*The songs marked above with a (*) have props included in my music bag. You can find more details on my music bag HERE. For instance, if I draw the song Follow the Prophet, I pull out a prophet stick and we follow the leader around the primary room while we sing. Or, we’ll simply pass all the sticks around the room as we sing.


All my printables are free and filed on my Resource Library. Filing instructions for accessing each printable on my Resource Library are below the button.
These printables are filed on my Resource Library page under Category Title > Wiggle Worm Jar.
16 thoughts on “Wiggle Worm Jar”
Great stuff 🙂
This year to help me pick volunteers, I used my mom's Cricut and cut a bunch of goldfish and labeled each one with a child's name, then I have them in an old round fishbowl. I bring this each week to help me "fairly" pick volunteers.
Great idea! And I just looked up your nursery plan and I LOVE it! If the Primary Pres okays it, we are going to start it this week! I can't wait!
Thanks so much for the great ideas!
great idea!
A cute, cute idea, Camille. I have two different cans of wiggle worms, but I like yours too! I don't think you can have enough wiggle worms. Thanks for the idea.
I am so excited to try this. Just finished up my Jar of Wiggle Worms for tomorrow. Thank you so much, I just love all of your ideas.
Seriously adorable! Thanks for the idea!!
I'm trying to figure it out but how did you attach the song to the "worm"? Thanks!
I hope I answer your question correctly…if not, let me know!
I wrote the name of the song on paper just with a pen and hot glued that paper (after I laminated it) to the pom pom (head part).
I love this thank you so much!!!
Thank you so much for your blog and all your ideas! They save me every Sunday!
One of our favorites is Roll Your Hands, p. 274, although we switch the verses so that we're rolling them swiftly, then slowly. This helps transition the kids to be reverence ready.
What about Hinges #277?
Hi Chantae!
Hinges would be another great addtion – our primary LOVES that one as we usually sing it around Halloween using a paper plate skeleton.
~Camille
I made these a few years ago after being inspired by your post! That was when I was a counselor and we were seriously lacking on the music side of things with one of us filling in most weeks. Saved us so many times. Now we are in a new ward and I am the Primary Music Leader (yay!! dream calling!) and I'm about to make a new jar because I left my old one for the other ward. Some of the songs I had that aren't here are "Stand Up" (278), "Fun to do" (253) and "I Wiggle" 271
do you sing the whole song for the wiggle jar songs or only first verse?
Hi Sara,
I usually just sing the first verse but it depends on the song – like for "The Wise Man and the Foolish Man" I always do all the verses.
~Camille