“Silent Night” Singing Time Ideas

Though usually not included in the suggested singing time lineup, this song is a fun one to do sometime in December if you can!

“Silent Night” Bell Charts

This includes 3 charts: Key of Bb Melody (as written in the hymn book), Key of Bb harmonies with chords, and Key of C harmonies with chords (for 8-note bell set). All three will sound great. Just use which one works for the bell set you have. Even will work for Merry Bells, as you can customize your colors!

Silent Night Hand Actions

For Silent Night, you can use simple, reverent actions that emphasize the peaceful tone of the song. Here are some suggestions:

• “Silent night, holy night” – Place your finger to your lips (as in “shh”) for “silent,” and clasp hands in prayer for “holy.”

• “All is calm, all is bright” – Sweep your arms slowly out to your sides for “calm,” and lift hands up, spreading your fingers for “bright.”

• “Round yon virgin, mother and child” – Cradle your arms as if holding a baby.

• “Sleep in heavenly peace” – Close your hands together and rest your cheek on them, as if sleeping.

These simple gestures help the children express the meaning of the lyrics while maintaining the calm and reflective feel of the song.

Extended Activity

You can also invite kids to come up and make hand actions themselves as you sing! This is a great no-prep activity to involve the kids’ creativity in coming up with representations of the words.