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Camp
Games and Songs for Kids
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Campfire
Songs |
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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. |
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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 . . . |
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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. |
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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, . . . |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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?" |
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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. |
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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 |
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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... |
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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. |
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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 |
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Participation
Songs |
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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.] |
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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.] |
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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... |
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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...) |
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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! |
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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, . . . |
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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.] |
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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... |
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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! |
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Audience
Adds Verses |
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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!) |
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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.
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