Reverence is often the bane of any Primary's existence. Some Sundays are definitely better than others. One Sunday you go home proclaiming that you have the greatest calling in the world! The next Sunday, you can't get home to your Dr. Pepper and your bed fast enough...
I thought I would post just a couple of tricks that have worked more often than not in our primary.
I remind the kids that I only pick reverent helpers, so if I am using popsicle sticks to choose my helpers that day, I secretly look at the name on the popsicle stick and say: "Man, I really hope this child is reverent while we sing this song, otherwise someone else will get a chance..."
Another trick is the "POWER SNAP"...This is exactly like the 'power clap' used in business meetings, but I figured that would be WAY TOO LOUD. basically with the power clap, if you can get the entire room to clap once at the same time it creates a really cool sort of sonic boom. Same thing with the snap, the kids love the challenge of everyone trying to snap at the same time. So, if things start getting rowdy I begin my little chant:
'Everybody snap on 1 (snap)
'Everybody snap on 1 (snap)
Everybody snap with 2 (snap, snap)
Everybody snap with 2 (snap, snap)
How about 3 (snap, snap, snap) etc.
Usually by the 2nd 'everybody snap on 1, we are all in sync and quiet...I don't move on to 2 and 3 snaps until everyone is quiet and snapping. When I first started it, I got my peanut gallery saying "what if I don't know how to snap?" I said, "You'll quickly learn" and sure enough everyone is snapping! haha! In Senior Primary we've even gotten up to 5 & 6 snaps just to challenge ourselves!
One more thing that I found works like magic before we begin primary is that I am already singing when the kids are walking into the primary room. Without saying anything they are singing right along with me, we usually get about 5-6 reverent songs in and the spirit has already entered the room...
...Good Luck & May The Reverent Force Be With You...
