If you have a wiggly Primary, try a wiggle worm singing time jar! Use it for transition time, to break up an activity or for when you have extra time in singing time! Your Primary will love being told to wiggle!
I love using a wiggle worm jar in a variety of ways in singing time! Store it in the closet so it’s always handy when you need it in a moment’s notice!
There are a variety of ways to create your own, unique wiggle worm jar! I have 2 options below including:
With a few simple craft supplies, you can easily make some wiggle worms!
To make these, Use various colored card stock that are cut into strips. Write out the names of various Primary songs and their page numbers on the slips of paper (scroll down for a list of wiggle songs I recommend!). Then laminate, cut out and fold accordion style.
Then hot glue large pompoms on the end to create a head. Glue on smaller pompoms for a nose. Lastly, glue on some google eyes.
To simplify, print this 4-page wiggle worm printable instead (it is also available in black and white):
These printables are filed on my Resource Library page under Category Title > Wiggle Worm Jar.
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Print on card stock, laminate and cut out.
If you want to edit the list of wiggle songs, you can (also available in black and white as well)! Add your own text to any of the blue areas before printing using Adobe Reader or Preview.
This option to edit is included with Singing Time To-Go PREMIUM subscriptions for 2024! But if you’re not a subscriber, keep scrolling for information to purchase it.
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The editable Wiggle worm printable (in color and black and white) is also available in my shop for $1.99.
For the jar, simply cover up a plastic container found around your house. Nothing fancy required! I created this label to cover the food packaging label:
This printable is also available to download in the Resource Library. Instructions for accessing my Resource Library are found at the bottom of this post.
Each wiggle worm has a song written on them.
This is my list of 32 wiggle songs found throughout the Children’s Songbook. Most of the songs can easily be sung by using actions or with a simple singing time prop )see the links for more details).
Download this list at my my Resource Library to give to your pianist. Instructions for accessing my Resource Library are found at the bottom of this post.
*The songs marked above with a (*) have items for children to hold that I recommend including in a singing time music bag.
For instance, if the worm for Follow the Prophet is drawn, use the prophet sticks as you sing (either pass them around the room or choose one child to be the leader and the rest of the Primary follows).
This list includes what I consider “classic” songs that everyone SHOULD know. However, some of them are not very familiar still. For those really unfamiliar songs, try posting the words using this flip chart format.
Tell the Primary you need the best wigglers to pick your wiggle songs. Then proceed to have them demonstrate their best wiggling!
Pick the wiggliest one (haha, so fun)! Have them choose a wiggle worm from the jar then sing the song.
Sing the song with actions if it applies or a prop found in your singing time music bag.
You may initially feel that this is only appropriate for Jr. Primary. But you’ll be surprised to find 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.
TIP: keep the jar in your Primary closet so it’s always available and one less thing to tote to church!!
Make sure to check out all of my singing time activities that help get wiggles out.
These printables are filed on my Resource Library page under Category Title > Wiggle Worm Jar.
Singing time just got even easier! With my Singing Time To-Go, all you have to do is print! Be prepared for the entire month – every month!
Be prepared in singing time for the entire month – every month! And all you have to do is print!
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Hundreds of printables organized by song title and category that coincide with my singing time lesson plan posts!
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Singing time just got even easier! With my Singing Time To-Go, all you have to do is print! Be prepared for the entire month – every month!
18 thoughts on “Wiggle Worm Singing Time 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
Now that singing time is only 20 minutes, I plan to use this maybe once a week, maybe 2 times! They are just needing some more fun in primary and I don’t want to deprive them of the fun primary experience I had as a kiddo. I still want to sing Popcorn Popping and Book of Mormon stories during a year we focus on other parts of scripture, for instance.
This is definitely a simple way to sing songs we may not get to sing as often! I love using it during transition time while we’re waiting to start opening exercises. That way it never takes away from actual singing time.