Being in the Primary Presidency, the primary program can be really intimidating. It’s pretty much everyone’s favorite Sunday, but it is a lot of work behind the scenes for everyone in primary to make it happen.
This year will be the fourth primary program that I’ve helped write. At first it felt like a big scary task. And while it’s still a big task, it has become one of my favorite things to prep for. There is quite a bit that needs to happen throughout the year. And while I don’t think I’m a primary expert yet, I wanted to line out several things we do to prepare. There are probably a few things I’m forgetting, so feel free to add comments including all the ways you prep. And comment below what you are doing for 2nd hour on the day of the program (IYKYK).
Write Primary Program
Kind of an obvious thing, but I highly recommend you start writing it early in the year if you can. Why? Well, when you write out the program early, you know what songs your music leader will need to teach. And they have plenty of time to teach the songs, or make changes if needed. We usually start the year with a loose idea of what songs we want to incorporate. The last couple years, we have had the program written by mid-summer. But we don’t choose who will do which part until a little closer to the program.
You will need to send the program to your bishopric for approval. They also need to approve any songs that aren’t in the Children’s Songbook, Hymn book, or included in a Friend magazine.
FREE PRIMARY PROGRAM – I wrote a blog post all about how I write the program, that includes a customizable primary program. If you are stuck, start there and you’ll be well on your way!
Choose Opening and Closing Songs and Prayers
This could change based on who picks the music for sacrament in your ward. But in our ward, they always ask us if we’d like to pick the opening and closing songs for sacrament meeting the day of the program. I highly recommend asking if you can choose the songs though.
For the opening song, I usually choose “I Am A Child of God” because almost everyone knows the song, and it is a great fit for the program. A few other great options would be:
- I Will Walk With Jesus (new to the hymnbook!!)
- Families Are Forever
- Come Follow Me
For the closing song, we have often had the kids sing one verse, and the congregation sing the rest. We have done this with “Come Follow Me,” and “Teach Me To Walk In The Light.” We pick something that fits the theme of the program and teach the hymn to the kids during the year. One reason that I really like to choose and teach the kids a song from the hymn book is because then the next time that song comes up in sacrament meeting or conference, the kids are familiar and are excited to sing along too!
As for prayers, check with your bishop for their preference. But I believe any baptized child can give a prayer in sacrament. In the past when we’ve picked a child for a prayer, we usually ask their parents first to gauge whether their child would feel comfortable with that.
Music Playlists For Home
Once the program is written and songs are decided, I create a playlists on YouTube and Spotify for the kids to listen at home. I include all the songs we are singing for the program, songs we might be singing for holidays, and any other songs we might sing during primary that year. Many of the parents in our ward love having this playlist. I would try to get this playlist put together as soon as you can. But if nothing else, send it out when you send out speaking assignments.
Sending Out Speaking Parts And Talks
About 4-6 weeks before the program, during class time, we pull aside any kids with a “fill in the blank” type talk to fill it in. We prefer to do this in primary if we can. We update the program right away with their answers.
About the same time, we send home the speaking parts and talk assignments. I print out the primary program, cut out each talk/speaking assignment, and send them home with the kids. I put them in an envelope with the child’s name on the front. You could also find parents during church that day and deliver it right to them if you are worried about them loosing it before they get home.
A few days after I’ve sent home the printed out speaking parts, I send an email to each parent. The email includes their child’s speaking part/talk to prep and practice at home, a link to the music playlists, and any extra information needed. Honestly, this is super time consuming. But worth it to make sure everyone is up to speed.
When you send out talk assignments -have them send the written talk back to you at least 2 weeks before. You will want to update your program with their written talk as soon as you receive it. I usually tell the parents that the deadline to send them back is 3 weeks before the program, so I have an extra week to collect them.
Helping The Kids With Their Talks
There are so many resources that can help the kids write their talks! It can almost be overwhelming. When you send out talk assignments, you could include a couple references to help them. Here are a few resources I LOVE that would be so helpful for the kids. I even used each of these while writing the program when I was stumped:
- Latter Day Kids YouTube channel – These are cute, easy to follow videos for kids. We watch these on Sunday mornings while I get everyone’s hair done. They really make the stories and lessons easier to understand.
- Sketch N Chat YouTube channel – My kids love the sketches she makes on each video. And there is one for just about every Book of Mormon story.
- Friend Magazines – Each month, the Friend magazine has stories, games and Family Home Evening ideas to go along with the Come Follow Me lessons that month. And all the Friend magazines can be accessed on the Church Website or the Gospel Library app.
Invitations
Invitations are so important! Sometimes it is one of the last things on your mind. But the primary kids work so hard to prepare, and they love being able to share the invites with their friends and family. It’s a really great missionary opportunity as well. It’s also great for the kids to put on their fridge to remember what day the program is.
There are tons of premade invitations on Etsy you can use, or create your own.
When you print, plan for 2-3 for each kids to take. I also like to print out a few extra for the missionaries, the bishopric, and any other members of the ward who might want to share with investigators. Last year, I did 4×6 photo prints because it ended up being the cheapest option for how many we needed.
For Your Music Leaders
We always have a binder with the music, and a Children’s songbook for our pianist. And each week, they just flip back and forth as they need to. But last year for the program, I wanted to simplify things for our sweet pianist. I put all the music for the program in the binder, in the correct order. For any songs from the songbook or hymn book, I printed out so she wouldn’t have to jump back and forth between different books in the middle of the program. In between each song, I added the primary program speaking parts, so she could follow along easily and they know exactly what song comes next and when.
Your pianist works hard, so be kind to them. Make things as easy as you can.
And for your chorister – before the program figure out where they want to stand to direct. On the day of the program, come early and block off that spot. You don’t want anyone sitting in their area. And you want to make sure they have enough room for a music stand, and visual aids they may have. It is a busy (and kind of stressful) program for your music leaders too.
After The Program
After the primary program, you still need to worry about the 2nd hour. And let me tell you something – that 2nd hour after the program is insane. The kids worked so hard and they are tired. Nobody sits still, and nobody is quiet. Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
I have no advice to offer here. It’s always a mess no matter what we do. We don’t separate into classes, and have all the kids in the primary room for the full 2nd hour. We don’t do singing time because the kids just spent the whole 1st hour singing, so they aren’t at all interested in singing anymore. Last year, we did a primary bingo game. It was loud and wild, but the kids loved it. And we always include some sort of treat for the kids as a reward for all their hard work!
Whatever you do, I would just keep in mind that your kids will want to move, so keep it active.
That’s All!
I’m so excited to hear how everyone’s programs go this year. It is a favorite Sunday for many, and I hope your primary kids are able to share their beautiful testimonies. If you are feeling stressed or worried about it, I’ll just let you know that in the primary programs I’ve helped with in the past, the spirit has always filled in any gaps that I was stressed about. Comment below, or reach out to me on Instagram with any other questions you have, or to share how your program went!
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