Slightly Off topic--opening exercises/birthdays

[Michelle]

This is slightly off topic, but I am trying to help my new presidency tweak some things. How do y'all do Opening/Closing Exercises? Right now, we are doing both, and there is a lot of transition time/down time/wasted time, in my opninion. I think I FINALLY have them on board for doing one or the other, but now I need specific ideas from you on how you do them. Who does what, when...etc.

Also, what do you guys give as birthday gifts?

Thanks!

Michelle

[andreagrover]

Our Primary only has opening exercises. Here is the order we follow:

Opening song
Scripture
Opening prayer
Announcements
Talks
Birthdays
Practice song
Theme message (by a member of the bishopric or the Primary presidency)
Reverence song

Then we go to classes, followed by singing time and sharing time. Because we have a smaller Primary (about 30 kids total), we have combined both singing time and sharing time. When we end sharing time, we're all together in the Primary room, so we just say a closing prayer.

For birthdays this year, the Presidency gives the child a gift certificate that he can take to the bishop's office and trade for a treat. That way, the bishop gets a tiny bit of one-on-one time with each child.

[prsd4tim2]

Our primary is very small and all of the children go to class at the same time. We begin with a quick game as the parents drop their children off, then begin the meeting with a song and prayer and dismiss to classes.

When classes are over, we have Opening Exercises (scripture, talk, theme) and then a 15-18 minute sharing time and an equal singing time. We close with a prayer. The child who gives the prayer also gets to open the mailbox. In the mailbox are the assignments for next week and a supply of stickers.

Recently, we have been using the time after the prayer and before the parents pick up their children to let them recite the Articles of Faith. If they pass it off in Primary, they get to put a sticker on our chart. Then they can go recite it for the Bishop for a more "tangible" treat - he gives out suckers. We are doing this at the Bishop's request because he is fairly new in our ward and wanted to get to know the children better.