Egg Shaker Pass: I Know That My Savior Loves Me, Second verse - Older children

Shake six times. Pass to the left. Pick up on the right.  

It seems so simple, but sitting in a circle with ten or more other children makes it a group effort with logic, music, and movement!

Fill enough plastic Easter eggs with rice so that each child in your older Primary can have one.

Wrap them securely with duct tape (children love the colorful types).

You can also buy commercial egg shakers which are factory sealed.

Ask for seven or so children to be volunteers.  Seat them in a circle close enough that they could hand the eggs to each other. Set the boundaries. (If you use this inappropriately, I take it. No questions asked. You don't want me to take it because this is a great activity.) Show them the pattern.

• Shake, shake, shake,

• Shake, shake, shake.

• Pass (put the shaker on the floor to your left).  

• Pick up (pick up the shaker on your right).

Have them practice the pattern two or three times, then as they continue in the pattern, begin to sing. 

• Now I am here in a beautiful place (shake 6 times to the beat)

• Learning the teachings of Jesus (pass & pick up to the beat) 

At that point I ask each child find some friends and get in groups of 10 or more to sit in a circle.  Have someone help you distribute the eggs to the children and begin to sing the song.

Hints: If someone starts piling up the eggs (which often will happen with a child that needs a little more rhythmic help), just stop the song.  Redistribute the eggs.  Continue where you left off. Without knowing it, the children are practicing steady beat, moving to a phrase, and teamwork.  They are crossing the midline over and over again which helps the two sides of their brain talk to each other more successfully.  They are hearing the song while fully engaged in participating.  They are having to use their logic and kinesthetic abilities to remember the pattern and to do it.

At the end of the song, I stop them and bear a quick testimony.  The blood is pumping more vigorously in their veins, yet not in a rowdy way. They are fully listening.  The Spirit can enter the room and their hearts.