"Hello Song" flags and stand

Hello, I welcome you today to this post!  

 Here is not a new idea for the

"Hello Song" (cs 260),

 but this is my take on it.

I have done the idea with flags from different countries for years. The gist of it is that you have different ways to say 'hello' in different languages.  Each flag represents their country and when the visitor chooses a flag, you sing that way in place of the 'hellos' in the song.

I recently decided to buy better quality flags and then I started thinking... I need something to display them.  The display stands online were too expensive, so I dug around the house and came up with a few pieces of wood and some tools, then got to work... 

This is how I made mine:

 I found the semi-circle piece of wood and then cut a board to match the same length of the base.  Then I drilled holes and drove screws to attach the wood together.

 Next I measured where I wanted to put the holes for the flags.  I ended up with 18 flags, but if I were to do it all again, I would get an odd number... it just looks more eye pleasing.  So instead I have one empty hole that I will need to fill with another flag someday. :)

 Next came the staining.  I used "Dark Walnut"... one of my favs...

 After the stain dried I cut vinyl lettering.  I used the vinyl as a stencil and painted these words onto the stand.

 For each flag I printed a label which then I wrapped around the flags' poles.  I reinforced the labels with clear packing tape so they won't peel off easily.
Here is a list of the countries and "hello" from each:

Australia good day (mate)		France bonjour  (bohn-zhoor)		Brazil bom dia  (bohn DEE-ah)		Germany guten tag  (gootan tag)
Israel shalom  (shuh-lohm)		Mexico hola   (OH-lah)		Denmark hej   (Hey)		South Korea anyoung  (ahn-YUNG)
Sweden god dag   (goo dahg)		Finland päivää   (PIE-vah)		Belgium hoi (hoy)		Netherlands hallo   (ha-lo)
China ni hao   (Nee HaOW)		United States hello/howdy/aloha		Czech Republic dobrý den  (dob-ree den)		Kenya Jambo  (jam-bo)
Japan konichi wa (Koh-NEE-cheewah)		India namaste (nuh-must-stay)

 And here is the finished product!  

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!

"Our Primary Colors"

As a welcome song in Primary I love to use the song, 

"Our Primary Colors" (cs 258)

It is a song I grew up singing and I feel it's one I want the children to learn before leaving Primary! :)  

Here is what I use to sing the song...

 These flags in red, yellow, and blue are BIG!  They are made out of a rayon type material and the letters are felt.  This project was completely hot glued, but could be sewn as well.

The visitor (and sometimes other helpers if their are not enough visitors) hold up each of the flags.  And we sing the song.  

If the primary children don't know the song well enough yet, I print and attach the words found below to the pole of the corresponding colored flag.  

Feel free to print them and use them as well!

Another little fun thing I like to do is bring in a triangle to play.  If you listen to the song you will hear a triangle played every time a color is sung.  So every time we sing "red", "yellow", or "blue" I ring the triangle.  Fun and engaging for the children... I hope your primaries have a chance to learn this song as well!

Primary Visitor Kazoos

When we have visitors, I like to give them a little something after we sing the welcome song.  It isn't anything fancy, just a little musical memento.  

 I have done this two ways.  Sometimes I have given the kazoo to the visitor only, and other times I have invited the person with whom they are visiting with to come up as well when we sing and they get one too.  The second way helps promote inviting their friends to Primary!

The little kazoos I bought from Oriental Trading here.  

"Fun To Do"~ a welcome song!

This is a fun way to sing the song "FUN TO DO" cs 253

I came up with this idea 9-10 years ago.  That is actually when I made this pinwheel. :)  It has worked and has held up so well that I am still using it today! :)

Instructions on how to make:

1. Buy a pinwheel:  I got mine from the Dollar Tree. They usually carry them around the spring time.

                  *A little tip- buy one that is not a nylon material.  This is a plastic material and the vinyl adheres  so much better to this than nylon... learned this by experience :)

2. Cut vinyl lettering for each petal and adhere.

3. Buy a small bucket and using Plaster of Paris insert the pinwheel into the bucket. Let completely dry.

4. Cut vinyl again for the lettering on the bucket and adhere.

Instructions on how to use:

Have the child(ren) visiting come to the front of the primary.  Hold the pinwheel on its side so that the flower lays flat. (I do this so that if the pinwheel is a little uneven, it won't always land on the same petal.)  Have one of the visiting children spin the wheel and where it lands is how you sing the song!  Simple and easy!

I have them do different actions for each petal while they sing:

*saying 'hello'- wave at our neighbors and friends

*singing a song- wave our hands back and forth as if conducting

*shaking your hand- shake the hands of your neighbors

 *whistling a tune- sing the first line and whistle the second

*giving high 5's- give neighbors high 5's

*spin again- the visitor re-spins or if multiple visitors, have another one spin