Camp Games and Songs for Kids
Scavenger Hunt

Make a list of things that can be found around a campsite or on a hiking trail, and see who can find the items fastest. If you're in an area where nature shouldn't be disturbed, kids can identify things by sight. 

Flashlight Walks

Taking a walk in the dark is a bit daring, even eerie, and full of unusual sights and sounds. While it's still daylight, have one parent scout out a short, safe trail near your site. Then, after dark, give each child a flashlight, and slowly walk along the trail. Focus on such details as a pair of glowing eyes staring back from a tree branch, or a glistening spiderweb. Ask your kids to describe what they see. When you've covered a few dozen yards, turn off the flashlights, have everyone be quiet, and listen to the provocative sounds of night. If a child gets scared, quickly turn the flashlights back on. 

Find Your Tree

At a starting point, blindfold your scout and lead him several yards through the woods to a tree. The object of the game is to have him identify the tree once the blindfold is off. With your assistance, have your scout run his fingers over the tree bark and smell it. If the tree has big roots or lots of fallen leaves surrounding it, make sure he touches them (be cautious of poison ivy/oak during this exercise). When he feels familiar enough with the tree, walk him back to the starting point, remove the blindfold, and see if he can locate the tree by using sensory clues.

Campfire Songs
THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN

Oh, when the Saints go marching in,
Oh, when the Saints go marching in,
Lord, I want to be in that number,
When the Saints go marching in.

HE'S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD

He's got the whole world in his hands; [Repeat 4x] 

He's got the wind and the rain in his hands; [Repeat 3x]
He's got the whole world in his hands. 

He's got the sun and the moon . . .
He's got the little bitty baby . . .
He's got you and me brother . . .
He's got everybody here . . . 

MICHAEL ROW THE BOAT

Michael, row the boat ashore, Alleluia
Michael, row the boat ashore, Alleluia. 

Sister, help to trim the sail,
Sister, help to trim the sail, 

Brother, lend a helping hand,
Brother, lend a helping hand, 

Jordan's river is deep and wide,
Milk and honey on the other side.

KUM BA YAH

Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah! [Repeat 3x]
Oh Lord, kum ba yah! 

Someone's sleeping, Lord . . .
Someone's crying, Lord . . .
Someone's singing, Lord . . .
Someone's laughing, Lord . . .
Someone's praying, Lord . . .
Someone's Scouting, Lord . . .
Someone's camping, Lord . . .
Kum ba yah, my Lord, . . .

AMAZING GRACE

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind but now I see. 

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed. 

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home. 

When we've been there ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's Praise,
than when we first begun. 

Amazing grace has set me free,
To touch, to taste, to feel;
The wonders of accepting love,
Have made me whole and real.

 SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT

CHORUS
Swing low, sweet chariot, comin' for to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot, comin' for to carry me home. 

I looked over Jordan, and what did I see,
Comin' for to carry me home;
A band of angels coming after me,
Comin' for to carry me home. 

If you get to heaven before I do,
Comin' for to carry me home;
Just tell all my friends that I'm a coming too,
Comin' for to carry me home. 

I'm sometimes up and sometimes down,
Comin' for to carry me home;
But still my soul feels heavenly bound,
Comin' for to carry me home. 

I've never been to heaven, but I've been told,
Comin' for to carry me home;
That the streets in heaven are paved with gold,
Comin' for to carry me home.

BICYCLE BUILT FOR TWO (DAISY, DAISY)

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer true.
I'm half-crazy all for the love of you.
It won't be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage;
But you'll look sweet upon the seat
of a bicycle built for two. 

Henry, Henry, here is your answer true;
I'm not crazy over the likes of you.
If YOU can't afford a carriage, forget about the marriage;
'Cause I won't be jammed, I won't be crammed
on a bicycle built for two.

CLEMENTINE

In a cavern, in a canyon, excavating for a mine,
Lived a miner, forty-niner, and his daughter Clementine. 

CHORUS
Oh my darling, Oh my darling,
Oh my darling Clementine,
You are lost and gone forever,
dreadful sorry, Clementine. 

Light she was, and like a fairy,
and her shoes were number nine,
Herring boxes without topses,
sandals were for Clementine. 

Drove she ducklings to the water
every morning just at nine,
Hit her foot against a splinter,
fell into the foaming brine. 

Ruby lips above the water,
blowing bubbles soft and fine,
Alas for me! I was no swimmer,
so I lost my Clementine. 

In a churchyard near the canyon,
where the myrtle doth entwine,
There grow roses and other posies,
fertilized by Clementine. 

Then the miner, forty-niner,
soon began to peak and pine,
Thought he oughter join his daughter,
now he's with his Clementine. 

In my dreams she still doth haunt me,
robed in garments soaked in brine,
While in life I used to hug her,
now she's dead I draw the line. 

How I missed her, how I missed her,
how I missed my Clementine,
Until I kissed her little sister,
and forgot my Clementine. 

Now ye Scouts all heed the warning
to this tragic tale of mine,
Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation [Artificial Respiration]
would have saved my Clementine. 

 
WALTZING MATILDA

Once a jolly swagman camped beside a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he sat and waited while his billy boiled,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me? 

CHORUS
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda,
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
And he sang as he sat and waited while his billy boiled,
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?" 

Down came a jumpbuck to drink at the billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he stowed that jumback in his tuckerbag,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?" 

Up came the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred
Down came the troopers - one, two, three,
"Where's that jolly jumpbuck you've got in your tuckerbag?
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me" 

Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong,
"You'll never take me alive!", said he.
And his ghost may be heard as you pass beside that billabong,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"

HOME ON THE RANGE

Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam,
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day. 

CHORUS
Home, home on the range, where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day. 

Where the air is so pure, and the zephyrs so free,
The breezes so balmy and light,
That I would not exchange my home on the range, 
For all of the cities so bright. 

The Red man was pressed from this part of the west,
He's likely no more to return,
To the banks of the Red River where seldom if ever
Their flickering campfires burn.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE

Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone, long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone, 
young girls picked them, every one
When will they ever learn,
When will they ever learn, 

Where have all the young girls gone...
...gone to young men every one
When will they every learn 

Where have all the young men gone...
...they're all soldier's, every one
When will they ever learn 

Where have all the soldiers gone
...gone to graveyards, every one
When will they ever learn 

Where have all the graveyards gone
...gone to flower, every one
When will they ever learn
When will they ever learn

COUNTRY ROAD

Almost heaven, West Virginia,
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is older here, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growing like a breeze

Country road, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, Mountain Mama
Take me home, country roads 

All my memories gather round her,
Miners lady, stranger to blue water,
Dark and dusty painted on the sky,
Misty taste of mountains, teardrop in my eye 

Country road... 

I hear a voice in the morning, how she calls me
Radio reminds me of my home far away
Driving down the road I get the feeling
that I should have been home yesterday, yesterday 

Country road... 

THE HAPPY WANDERER

I love to go a-wandering
Along the mountain track,
And as a go I love to sing,
My knapsack on my back. 

CHORUS
Valderi, Valdera, Valderi,
Valdera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha,
Valderi, Valdera,
My knapsack on my back. 

I love to wander by the stream
That dances in the sun.
So joyously it calls to me:
Come join my happy song. 

I wave my hat to all I meet
And they wave back to me,
And blackbirds call so loud and sweet,
From every greenwood tree. 

High overhead the skylarks wing,
They never rest at home,
But just like me they love to sing,
As o'er the world we roam. 

Oh, may I go a-wandering
Until the day I die.
And may I always laugh and sing,
Beneath God's clear blue sky.

IT'S A SMALL WORLD

Its a small world after all, [x 3]
Its a small, small world.
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears,
It's a world of hopes and a world of fears.
There's so much that we share, it's time we're aware
It's a small, small world. 

There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship for everyone,
Though the oceans are wide, and the mountains divide
It's a small, small world

Participation Songs
HEAD, SHOULDERS, KNEES AND TOES

Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
And Eye and ears, and a mouth and a nose.
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes. 

[Touch the appropriate body part each time it's mentioned. Second time: don't say the word 'head' aloud, but still touch it. Each verse thereafter, add another body part that you touch but don't mention aloud.] 

MY BONNIE LIES OVER THE OCEAN

My Bonnie lies over the ocean,
My Bonnie lies over the sea,
My Bonnie lies over the ocean,
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me.
Bring back, bring back,
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me, to me; [x2] 

[Action: As you sing each word beginning with the letter B, change from a standing to a sitting position and vice versa. All should be standing at the end of the song. When you have mastered these movements, sing it again, faster.]

IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT

If you're happy and you know it
Clap your hands (x2)
If you're happy and you know it
And you really want to show it
If you're happy and you know it
Clap your hands 

If you're happy and you know it
...nod your head...
...stamp your feet...
...shout hello...
...do all four... 

BOOM A CHIK A BOOM

I said a boom-a-chik-a-boom! (echo)
I said a boom-a-chik-a-rock!
I said a boom-a-chik-a-boom-
a-chik-a-rock-a-chick-a-boom!
Oh yeah? All right. (repeat)
(Just a little bit louder...)

SIPPING CIDER THROUGH A STRAW

The prettiest girl [Echo.], I ever saw, [Echo.]
Was sipping cider through a straw.
[Repeat previous two lines.] 

I asked her if, [Echo.] she'd show me how, [Echo.]
To sip that cider through a straw. 

Then cheek to cheek, and jaw to jaw,
We sipped that cider through a straw. 

Every now and then, the straw would slip,
I'd sip some cider from her lip. 

The parson came to her backyard,
A sipping cider from a straw. 

And now I have a mother-in-law,
And fourteen kids to call me Pa. 

The moral of this little tale,
Is sip your cider from a pail! 

HOLE IN MY BUCKET

There's a hole in my bucket,
dear Liza, dear Liza,
There's a hole in my bucket,
dear Liza, a hole. 

Well fix it, dear Henry,
dear Henry, dear Henry,
Well fix it, dear Henry, well fix it. 

With what shall fix it, . . .
With straw, . . .
The straw is too long, . . .
Well cut it, . . .
With what shall I cut it, . . .
With an axe, . . .
The axe is too dull, . . .
Then sharpen it, . . .
With what shall I sharpen it, . . .
With a stone, . . . .
The stone is too dry, . . .
Then wet it, . . .
With what shall I wet it, . . .
With water, . . . .
In what shall I fetch it, . . .
With a bucket, . . .
There's a hole in my bucket, . . .

FOUND A PEANUT

[Tune: Clementine] 

Found a peanut, found a peanut,
Found a peanut just now. [Repeat] 

[Continue in the same manner with questions:
- Where d'ya find it...
- In the ...
- What was it doing there...
etc. until one team gets stuck or repeats.
Then sing "Got you beaten", "repetition" etc.]

THE ANIMAL FAIR

We went to the animal fair,
the birds and the beasts were there,
By the light of the moon the big baboon
was combing his auburn hair.
The monkey, he got drunk,
and fell on the elephant's trunk,
The elephant sneezed and fell on his knees,
And that was the end of the monk-ey, monk-ey, monk...

TIE ME KANGAROO DOWN, SPORT

[Intro, softly spoken] An old Australian Stockman was lying, dying, but he gets himself up on one elbow, and he calls to his station hands and says . . . 

"I'm going, Blue; so this you gotta do,
I'm not gonna pull through, Blue, so this you gotta do..." 

CHORUS
Tie me kangaroo down, sport, tie me kangaroo down. [Repeat.] 

Let me wombats go loose, Bruce,
let me wombats go loose.
They're of no further use, Bruce,
so let me wombats go lose. 

Take me koalas back, Jack, take me koalas back.
They live somewhere out on the track, Mac, so take me koalas back. 

Watch me wallabies feed, Speed,
watch me wallabies feed,
They're a dangerous breed, Speed,
so watch me wallabies feed. 

Keep me cockatoos cool, Curl, keep me cockatoos cool,
Don't go acting the fool, Curl, just keep me cockatoos cool. 

Mind me platypus duck, Bill, mind me platypus duck.
Don't let him go running amuck, Bill, mind me platypus duck. 

Play your didgeridoo, Lew, play your didgeridoo,
Keep playing 'til I shoot through, Lew, play your didgeridoo. 

[haltingly with pathos]
Tan me hide when I'm dead, Fred, ta-n m-e h-i-d-e wh-e-n I'm d-e-a-d
[lively] So we tanned his hide, when he died, Clyde,
and that's it hanging on the shed! 

Audience Adds Verses
SHE'LL BE COMIN' 'ROUND THE MOUNTAIN

She'll be comin' 'round the mountain when she comes. (Whoo, whoo!)[Repeat.]
She'll be comin' 'round the mountain,
blowing steam off like a fountain,
She'll be comin' 'round the mountain when she comes. 

She'll be driving six white horses, when she comes,
(Whoa, there!) [etc.] 

Oh, we'll all go out to meet her when she comes. (Hi babe!) 

She'll be wearing silk pajamas when she comes, [Wolf whistle.] 

And, we'll wear our bright red woolies when she comes, (Scratch, scratch!)
Oh, we'll kill the old red rooster, (Hack, hack!)
cause he don't crow like he use ter. 

Oh, we'll all have chicken and dumplings when she comes, (Yum, yum! / Yuck, yuck!)
Oh, we'll all have indigestion when she comes, (Burp, burp!) 

 THIS OLD MAN

This old man, he plays one,
He plays knick-knack on my thumb.
With a knick-knack, paddy-wack, give a dog a bone.
This old man goes rolling home. 

Two-on my shoe. [Tap shoe.]
Three-on my knee. [Tap on knee.]
Four-on the floor. [Touch the floor.]
Five-on my hive. [Move hands as if brushing bees away from ears.]
Six-on my sticks. [Tap knuckles of other hand.]
Seven-up to Devon. [Shake fist.]
Eight-on my pate. [Tap top of head.]
Nine-on my spine. [Touch backbone.]
Ten-now and then. [Raise hands shoulder high, open and close fists in rhythm.]

© October 2002, All Rights Reserved.