Make your primary kids think with this engaging singing time lesson plan for the song, I Want to Be a Missionary Now. They’ll also learn about being a missionary by knocking, walking and wearing a missionary tag as they sing!
Start singing time by posting the flip chart found HERE on the board.
Missionaries are always with a companion!
Pair up everyone with a companion (triple up if needed). Have the pianist play through the song as you pair up the primary kids.
Missionaries wear a name tag!
After everyone is paired up, pass out a name tag (use a clothes pin to pin them on). Have the pianist play the song again as you and the teachers sing.
I have missionary name tags available in my Resource Library. Instructions for accessing my Resource Library are found at the bottom of this post.
The ones pictured below are from my Music Bag and are slightly different from the ones in my Resource Library. More details on my music bag can be found HERE if you are interested.
Missionaries knock on doors!
Using a hymnbook as a door (or use something else if you have it!), pass one out to each companionship. Have everyone knock on a hymnbook to the rhythm of the entire song together. Talk about the long-short-long rhythm pattern.
Sing the song again. There are also 5 notes that are even, rather than long-short-long. Ask if the primary kids can find the words on those notes [I want to share the] as you sing it again.
If you want to dress up your hymnbooks to resemble doors, tape on a cut out of a door. I created a document with 16 different doors that print 2 doors to a page. Print what you need, color, then cut out! These can also be found at my Resource Library.
Missionaries walk!
Continue knocking to the rhythm but add walking in place on the long notes that you hold. It occurs 3 times during the song on the words “now” “grown” and “own” in the 1st verse.
Missionary jar
Once you have listened to the song and sung it several times while knocking and walking, pick pieces of paper that contain the following scenarios from a jar. Ask “How can I be a missionary?” as each strip is pulled.
- in the school cafeteria
- at the park
- in the library
- at a friend’s house
- at the dinner table
- in my primary class
- in the car
- at a restaurant
Have the kids think of answers after singing the song using the knocking and walking pattern. Gradually remove pages of the flip chart after each time you sing through the song and answer the questions.
I created a document for the Missionary Jar that is also available to print in my Resource Library.
For more missionary singing time ideas, check out my singing missionaries singing time idea HERE.
Check out this quick tutorial video for accessing the Resource Library:
These printables are filed on my Resource Library page under Song Title > I Want to Be a Missionary Now.
