Birthday Fun

Our birthday songs that we sing each week were starting to feel a little tired, so I made a little cake to help us learn "Your Happy Birthday" (CS 283). Each line is supposed to look like a layer of frosted cake. The candle wicks are just pieces of yarn I taped to the strips of paper.

On the back of each candle I wrote a way for us to sing (found here). The youngest birthday child will get to choose the candle we sing from.

WHADDALYATCHIE
While singing the Birthday song (songs on pages 283, 284 of CS work well for this), do the actions to whaddalyatchie; slap your lap with both hands twice, clap hands twice, then cross hands over each other twice. Repeat these actions through the song. When you reach the end where you sing, "Happy Birthday to You", change the motion to: slap thighs, clap hands then point to the birthday person(s) and SMILE and sing Happy Birthday to you! (idea adapted from Primary Music Workshop)

MAKE A BIRTHDAY CAKE
Select children to represent the number of years the birthday child is old. (For example, if the child is turning 8, select 8 children to stand up.) Instruct those children to put their palms together (like praying), raise them up above their heads and wiggle their fingers to make the actions of a flame. They are the candles on the primary cake and they are flickering (with their fingers). Invite the rest of the primary to stand. Instruct them to pay attention. When we get to the part of the song where we sing, "Happy Birthday", they are all to sit down, leaving the candle children standing, flickering. This will represent a birthday cake. At the end of the song, everyone repeats, "Happy Birthday!" and the Birthday child takes a deep breath in and "blows" his/her candles out. The children put their hands down to their side when they are "blown" out. (idea adapted from Primary Music Workshop)

WHISPER SING
Start out the birthday song by singing it in a whisper, clapping to the rhythm of the song. As you sing, increase the volume and melodic sound until at last you belt out with enthusiasm, "Happy Birthday to You!" (idea adapted from Primary Music Workshop)