If the Savior Stood Beside Me: Egg Shaker Patterns

Younger Children

I ask the children, “Can your hand follow my hand? Pretend you are holding an egg shaker.” I hold an egg shaker and do the following pattern over and over again:

Patsch, patsch (which means hit the shaker on my upper leg)

shake, shake

The children follow my actions and I begin to sing:  “If the Savior (the first two patsches are on the word Savior) stood be- (the first two shakes are on those words).”  I continue singing and doing the pattern.

After singing the words “would I do the things I do?”, I call out, “Freeze!”  “Change hands!”  We continue the pattern with the other hand and I continue to sing as we do the pattern. “Would I think of His commandments…”

After the phrase “harder to be true?”, I once again call out, “Freeze!” and then “Change hands!”  I continue singing as we do the pattern with the other hand.  “Would I follow His….”

Once you have finished singing the song and doing the pattern, ask other adults in the room to pass out the egg shakers to the children.  (I often will put a sack of egg shakers under each teacher’s chair, then they will pass out the shakers on my direction.)  Start right in doing the pattern, even if all the children do not have their shakers yet.

Sing and do the pattern, this time adding in direction changes each time you change hands. (Face the side, face the back, etc.)


The children are moving to the beat, keeping up with the hand changes and direction changes, and hearing the song as you sing it.  Because they are actively engaged, their brains are picking up some of the words through the “back door.”  And it is fun!


Older Children

I lift up my egg shaker and say “Here it the pattern!”  I ask the children, “Can you put into words what this pattern is?  I will do it again, and you tell me what is happening.”  I repeat the pattern and the children say out loud what they think is happening.

I tell the children, “Pretend you have an egg shaker in your hand and pretend to do this pattern with me.”  We do the pattern once, then I begin to sing as we continue to do the pattern together.

If the

Savior = shake

stood = shake

-side = patsch (hit the shaker on your upper leg)

rest after me = change hands

do the things I = pass the shaker behind your back

do = patsch, then shake



think = shake

His = shake

-mandments = patsch

and try = change hands

harder to be  = pass the shaker behind your back

true = patsch, then shake


follow = shake

His = shake

-ample = patsch, then change hands


live more righteous-  = pass the shaker behind your back

-ly = patsch

if I could = shake


see = shake

Savior = shake

standing = patsch

nigh = change hands

watching over  = pass the shaker behind your back

true = patsch, then shake


Once you have finished singing the song and doing the pattern together, have other adults pass out the egg shakers.  Immediately start into the pattern (room control… get them involved immediately), then start to sing as you do the pattern with the children.  You may be the only one singing, but don’t worry.  The children are involved, moving on the steady beat of this song, and letting the words come in the back door.

7 Responses

  1. Joan Harris

    Is there any chance you could post a video of the egg shaker patterns for this song? … And speaking of videos, when will your 2018 workshop video be available? I can hardly wait!

  2. Stephanie

    Hi Sharla!
    Thank you for this great pattern! I want to make sure I’m understanding it for the older kids:
    shake, shake, patsch, change hands, pass behind back- so is the shaker always ending up back in the same hand that you started the pattern with? Or is it meant to pass it to the other hand so you shake and patsch on the other side too? Does my question make sense?

    • Sharla Dance

      Correct. The egg shaker always stays on sone side of the body. The egg shaker ends up back in the same hand you started the pattern with so you can begin again. Thanks for asking!

  3. Sally

    Apparently I have lost the 2018 video, and being computer illiterate do not know how to accomplish ” Even if you lose the file you can always download it again or watch it online here. You can also burn your own hard copy to DVD for personal use.” Can you please help me?
    Also, can you tell me where you got the star shapes you used during the nursery portion. I have looked and do not find them on line.

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