With the 4th of July approaching, try teaching My Flag, My Flag in singing time. This song helps children learn that the flag represents the brave people who fought for our liberty and the freedoms we enjoy!
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This patriotic singing time idea works well with any song(s) as well! So use this activity to review primary presentation songs or sing patriotic songs from the hymnbook!
For this activity, you need mini flags. This time of year, they should be easy to find in any department store! Depending on the activities you choose below, you will need a few flags up to one flag for each child.
Find them on Amazon here as well (Amazon affiliate link):
Scarves work well too just not as patriotic unless they are red, white and blue ;).
Flag Activity
Post the words like I do HERE.
As an attention getter, you and the teachers sing the song through and quickly discuss the meaning of the song, why we have flags, what they represent, etc.[the brave people who fought for our liberty and for the freedoms we enjoy].
Play a variation of Capture the Flag found HERE. I’ve simplified it quite a bit so let me explain:
Place several mini flags in a small container (bucket, jar, cup etc.) at the very front of the primary room on the floor. Divide the primary in half.
The goal of the activity is to retrieve a flag by walking (stepping so heel touches toe) from the back wall of the room to the bucket. The number of steps to take depends on the score the 2 judges (teachers and/or presidency members) give the team for how well they sang. Scoring is based off of this criteria:
- 1 point for everyone singing the correct words
- 1 point for everyone participating
- 1 point for reverence
- 1 point for no distractions (papers, neighbors, etc.)
- 1 point for feeling the spirit
For a total of 10 points (from 2 judges) which equals 10 steps.
The first team sings the song and is judged on a scale of 0 – 10. A child goes to the back of the room and steps the same number of steps as their team’s score (their heel must touch their toes when they step). Where they end, put down a marker such as a piece of masking tape.
The next time it’s that team’s turn, the next child begins at the marker. Then the next team goes and repeats. Each team will take turns until a team’s toe touches the bucket of flags. Once touched, that team takes a flag back to their team. The team with the most flags at the end wins.
To make the challenge gradually harder, remove the posted words throughout the song.
Variation
Do the same activity as listed above but without teams. Simply let the “best singers” come up and step from the back of the room to the bucket as the rest of the primary sings.
Flag Movement
In between stepping, as the primary sings, you can also do the following activities with flags (or omit the stepping completely!):
Simply hand a flag to each child and do various activities with the flags:
- Raise the flags when the word “flag,” “wave,” rhyming words, etc. are sung,
- “Bounce” the flags to the rhythm, then to the beat
- Listen for three things our flag represents [the brave, the free, liberty]
- Create large “rainbows” with the flags as we sing each phrase
- Pitch lead (mover the flag up as the notes go up and down as the notes go down)
- Teach leading 4/4 using a simple drawing on the board
- March around the room as you sing, following a leader
Patriotic Singing Time Ideas
Make sure to check out my other Patriotic singing time ideas HERE.
2 thoughts on “My Flag, My Flag”
Target in Orem, UT is out (you're welcome!) Dollar tree has some, but $1.00 each. Found some at Family Dollar 5 for $2.00. just an fyi :o)
Sorry I read this too late. I found 12 flags for under $2.00 at Zurchers. We also used Kazoos to make a "instant primary band."
We have a local community parade of the 4th so we used singing time to prep for the parade tomorrow. GREAT FUN!