Primary Pioneer Song Trek [2013]

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*I modified this from an idea I found online. I made it for my Ward's 2013 Program Songs*

If possible, dress in Pioneer gear.

Put signs around the room with the places' names on them:

• Child of God Canyon
• Rainbow Mountain
• Savior Meadow
• Zion

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***The following is a sample narrative of how it might go:

Have the children put their chairs away and sit on the floor with you.

Brothers and Sisters, today we are going on a Primary Trek to Zion. We need to get used to pulling and pushing a handcart. Let's make sure our handcarts are ready to go...

Sing,
1. The Handcart Song 220

Now that we have our handcart, lets get going.
First we must go through Child of God Canyon. Oh! We must be very careful in Child of God Canyon! There are jagged rocks and rattlesnakes!

Sing as you walk [carefully!] through Child of God Canyon;
2. I Am a Child of God 2 (1V in JR, 4V in SR)

Hooray! We did it! We've made it through the canyon. We are so thankful that we've been lead, and guided to help us find the way out.

Hmmm, do you think the pioneers got tired? They had to walk up to 15 miles a day!  Think they maybe even got a little bored? Let's see if we can make it a little more fun while we walk to Rainbow Mountain.

Walk half way to Rainbow Mountain, while singing;
3. Pioneer Children Sang as they Walked 214

Whew. We've been walking a while, but we don't have any time to stop and rest - We must keep walking until we find Zion!

Walk the rest of the way to Rainbow Mountain, singing;
4. Teach Me to Walk in the Light 177

We made it to Rainbow Mountain! We can see so clearly up here, it's nearly an eternal view. Look, it's raining a little bit. Just enough of a sprinkle to make some rainbows over the valley. Do you see them? Aren't they beautiful?

5. When I Am Baptized 103

OK, We need to get to down off this mountain and into the meadow by sundown or we will get lost. Let's take comfort in the Savior because He is always near, though we do not see Him there.

Walk to Savior Meadow while singing;
6. If The Savior Stood Beside Me (sheet music)

We made it just in time, let's set up camp and play a few games!

7. Pioneer Fun to Do 253 (see this post)
or, Little Pioneer Children

• riding a wagon (bounce in a bumpy wagon)
• forging a river (swimming motions with arms)
• milking a cow (squeeze fists)
• walking to Zion (walking feet)
• picking berries (picking with fingers)
• rolling the dough (invisible rolling pin)
• churning the butter (invisible butter churn)
• darning the socks (hand sewing motion)
• rocking the baby (arms rocking baby)
• reading the scriptures (book hands)
• lighting the fire (rub two fingers together like rubbing two sticks together to start a fire)
• crossing the plains (ride a horse)

Alright, it's time to settle in the for the night and have a bedtime story. Tonight's stories will be about children from all around the world...

8. Holding Hands Around the World (sheet music)

Goodnight brothers and sisters. Have sweet dreams....
*Pretend to sleep*

(it would be fun to have a cow bell to wake them up with...)
Wake up! It's time to get up and back to on the Trail! We are almost to Zion, but still have a long journey ahead of us.

OH NO! There's a storm coming! We will get wet and it will be hard to get through the mud, but our Prophet said if we if we stay this course, we can make it through.

*A Teacher flips the lights on and off during the storm. Another Teacher "rains" on us with a spray bottle.*

Look! Can you see it? There…just over there, it's the Salt Lake Valley! Let's get through this one final stretch and we'll be home. While we walk this final part of our journey, take a moment to look around you and see all the beauty that surrounds you in Zion...

Walk and sing;
9. My Heavenly Father Loves Me 228 (2 verses)

It was hard work, but we made it to Zion! Whew, please sit down reverently and take a rest.

Did the Pioneers have a hard job to do? Do you think back it Pioneer times it might have been hard hard to get across the plains? They didn't have cars. Just wagons and handcarts. They had to walk a very long way - and when they got here they didn't even have houses to go home to. They had to build everything. They had to grow everything. They worked very hard for their families. They worked very hard for their prosperity. Prosperity means their children who would live after they were long gone. They worked very hard for themselves, but also for US - we live in Utah today - right now! Yes, us here in Clinton, Utah! We get to enjoy the benefits of what the Pioneers worked so very hard for.

10. Whenever I Think About Pioneers 222 (2 verses)

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*Modified from an idea found on Sugardoodle