I Will Follow God's Plan for Me: Rhythm Sticks for Younger Children
I'm holding the rhythm sticks in my hands. I ask the children,
"Can your hands follow my hands?"
I start to sing.
"My life is a gift..."
As I sing, I am doing the following pattern (or one of your own to the beat of the song.)
My life is a gift (patsch, patsch, patsch, patsch) (A patsch is a tap on your lap)
My life has a plan (click, click, click, click) (The rhythm sticks tap together four times. The children will be following the approximate movement of your hands, even though they don't have any sticks in their hands.)
My life has a purpose (patsch 4 x)In heaven it began (click 4 x)
My choice was to come (tap the left shoulder with the right hand rhythm stick 4 x)
Note: make a big deal about switching to the other shoulder when it is time.
to this lovely home on earth (tap the right shoulder with the left hand rhythm stick 4 x)
To seek for God's light (left shoulder tap 4 x)
to direct me from birth (right shoulder tap 4 x)
I will follow God's (patsch 4 x)
plan for me (click x 4)
Holding fast to his (patsch 4 x)
word and his love (click 4 x)
I will work and (left shoulder tap 4 x)
I will pray (right shoulder tap 4 x)
I will always (left shoulder tap 4 x)
walk in his way and (click the rhythm sticks over your head 4 x) (This goes with the height of the music.)
I will be happy (patsch 4 x)
on earth and (click 4x)
in my home a- (patsch 4 x)
bove (click the rhythm sticks over your head 4 x and end with one large click on beat 5)
Compliment the children who have followed you well.
Say, "I think you are ready for the rhythm sticks! We will pass them out. Do not let your sticks touch anybody else!"
Have the other adults help pass out two rhythm sticks to each child.
When even 1/2 of the children have sticks, call out
"Sticks up! Freeze!"
Then say,
"Ready? Patsch, patsch, patsch, patsch."
The children move their sticks to follow you. Sing the song doing the above patterns. I often have the children "clap" for themselves (clicking the sticks together) at the end of the song.
"Please pass your sticks to your teachers."
Then I begin to count "15, 14, 13, ..." That counting gives the children a length of time in which they are transitioning to the next activity. The children feel the beat of the song with their bodies. The flow and beat of the song carries important words that we will continue to experience and learn as we do different activities with this song. And it is fun!