Christmas Musicals for Church
Issue link: https://read.jwpepper.com/i/144030
54 TEACHING AND PRODUCTION IDEAS SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSES: • Through repetition, echo-speak, and games, lead your children to memorize the scripture verses below. • Print the verses on colored paper; cut into Christmas ornament shapes and laminate the ornaments. Punch holes in the top of the paper ornaments and tie yarn or ribbon through the hole; use the ornaments to decorate the Christmas tree on the set during the musical performance. At the end of the presentation, send the paper ornaments home with the children to hang on their own tree, and to remind them of the spiritual concepts of the musical. "Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be to all people.'" Luke 2:10b "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth, peace, good will toward men!" Luke 2:14 "For there is born to you this day, in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11 TEACHING Suggestions for Songs VeggiesTales Theme Song – • Chances are that most of your preschoolers will already know the Theme Song from their exposure to VeggieTales DVDs, as it opens each episode. The children will love the opportunity to sing this popular song! • Because the preschoolers will be singing along with the DVD at the opening of the musical, allow the children to rehearse with the DVD. This will familiarize them with the happenings of the musical, and will also help them to memorize the words. • There are many words in this song and they are sung at a rather quick tempo. In order to help the children learn to sing all of these words clearly, say each line of the song and have the children repeat it back to you, using good diction. Have fun by having the children exaggerate each word, using their "articulators" as you rehearse. This will insure good pronunciation in performance, and help to secure their memory of the words. • Isolate key phrases to rehearse such as: "VeggieTales;" "there's never, ever, ever, ever, ever," etc. These can be tongue twisters for a preschooler. • The range of this song is a bit extreme and very high for preschoolers. Because it is a "sing-along" DVD with the VeggieTales characters, encourage preschoolers to sing with their "strongest" voices, but not with "shouting" voices, which may be the inclination.