Check out these singing time ideas for teaching the Primary song, Baptism! My favorite is using white t-shirts with question words on them! But whatever you choose, these Baptism singing time ideas are bound to accommodate your Primary’s learning style and needs!
Question Words
Baptism answers all the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW and WHY questions pertaining to baptism. This singing time lesson plan focuses on those questions using white t-shirts (either actual t-shirts or paper printable ones).
Check out more details on my post HERE.
Teach Baptism with Handbells
This simple bell chart for Baptism plays the melody of the introduction. It adds a fun dynamic when singing it in Primary or sacrament meeting!
Access my printables at my Resource Library. Instructions for accessing my Resource Library are found at the bottom of this post.
Merry Bells
A Children's Songbook Companion
A Children’s Songbook Companion contains a singing time lesson plan for every single song in the Children’s Songbook including Baptism. More details on this book can be found HERE.
Access this in my Resource Library. Instructions for accessing my Resource Library are found at the bottom of this post.
Rhythm Chart
If your Primary loves to figure out codes, they’ll LOVE this rhythm chart that was shared on the PML FB page HERE (download it at this link). It will get them clapping as they try to figure out the rhythm of the song. Jesse said:
Each color represents the speed to clap each note (green=fast, yellow=normal, red=slow)
Maracas or Egg Shakers
Kristine shared her VERY clever maraca actions that could also be done using egg shakers. Check out her video here:
ASL
Also along those same lines are teaching ASL actions. Check out this ASL video demonstration for Baptism:
Then make sure to check out my post HERE for more helpful tips for teaching sign language in singing time!
Baptism Coloring Book
Available is a coloring book for Baptism that also contains a simplified piano arrangement! Which I think a lot of us can use for playing the most difficult song in the songbook! Find more details HERE.
More Singing Time Ideas
Primary Singing has 20 various ways to teach Baptism.
LDS Primary Printables also has a few ideas.
Baptism History
This information comes from Stories from The Children’s Songbook by Sister Pat Graham (more information on that book HERE).
The original, beautiful accompaniment to “Baptism” was referred to as “the hardest song” for pianists to play in Sing With Me. A simplification had been given in the 1981 CTR A manual (page 198) and it was further simplified and fingering added for this collection.
Mabel Jones Gabbott [author] was one of nine children. She received her education at the University of Idaho and the University of Utah. She served a mission to the Northwestern States, and then became secretary to Elder LeGrand Richards. She worked on the staffs of the Church magazines and as a member of the YWMIA General Board and the General Church Music Committee, and chaired the 1985 Hymnbook Text Committee. She was a very small lady with a very large talent for writing, and her poems have been used as words for sixteen Primary songs and four hymns. Sister Gabbott lived in Bountiful, Utah, where she grew roses and cherries. She said, “I love to hear children sing.”69
Crawford Gates [composer] served as a missionary in the Eastern States, and was a member of the MIA General Board and the General Church Music Committee. He received his PhD from Eastman School of Music, and was a Brigham Young University music faculty member for sixteen years. He has been music director of the Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra and the Rockford Symphony. His music has been performed by major U.S. orchestras, and he has received a Grammy award for his album The Lord’s Prayer. Brother Gates composed “Promised Valley” for the Utah Centennial celebration, and included this beautiful “Baptism” song in his musical score for The Hill Cumorah Pageant. He is a noted and revered musical director and composer with more than 650 works.
Leave Your Baptism Singing Time Ideas
How will you teach Baptism in singing time? Leave a comment with your suggestions!
Check out this quick tutorial video for accessing the Resource Library:
These printables are filed on my Resource Library page under Song Title > Baptism.
