20 Best Camp Songs – Donna’s Camp Song Collection

$18.00$23.00

I am delighted to share my collection of 20 of my favourite camp songs.

Camp songs are a great way to engage young singers. Camp songs can be funny, disgusting, beautiful, great stories or have actions. The beauty of a camp song is that once you are caught up in the fun, suddenly everyone is singing!

Camp songs are particularly useful early in the year when students might need encouragement to sing. They are equally useful at the end of the instructional year when students are heading into a break. With a library of camp songs at their disposal they can contribute something fun to a family gathering, a summer camp, a visit to Grandma’s house or anywhere there is a social gathering.

Some camp songs are also wonderful for vocal or movement warm-ups.

 

Download Includes (79 page pdf):

  • Vocal scores (for 17 songs)
  • Lyrics
  • Instructions (where applicable)
  • Teaching strategies
  • Video links

Camp Songs

More Information - Blog Post

Read more about Donna's Camp Song Collection in this blog post.

Also, see sample pages of the 79 page document you will get when you purchase this collection.

Tongue Twisters - more great songs to include around the campfire!

Print copy available on Amazon

Purchase a Print copy on Amazon. Enjoy!

Go to Donna's Amazon Author Page to see more Donna Rhodenizer books.

Also, click the "Follow" button to get notified when additional new books become available.

Donna's Camp Song Collection

Teaching tips

Use camp songs at the beginning of the school year to “break the ice” and encourage students to join in singing. They are more likely to participate if their nervous laughter is covered by the laughter resulting from a silly song.

Camp songs can be used as warm-ups. Canons and rounds that are delightful around an evening campfire are also lovely as an easy harmony exercise and vocal warm-up. Action songs get students singing and moving to warm up (or wind down!) physically before singing.

Use camp songs as an end-of-year activity. Students anticipating the end of the school year may find it difficult to settle. Camp songs have a good combination of fun and exuberance to handle attitudes at this time of year.

Use camp songs to give your students a library of songs they can share in summer social settings when someone says, “Let’s sing something!” As much as the students learn from singing games and pedagogical songs, they are not the type of songs a student would suggest when they are contributing to a sing-along.

Read the lyrics carefully before using any camp song in this collection or anywhere else. Some lyrics that are acceptable to some may be considered inappropriate for others. You will need to make your own assessment of what is appropriate for your unique school population. “When in doubt, leave it out,” has always been sage advice.

Ask the students if they have a favourite camp song to share. Again, this is best done with some monitoring from the teacher!

Composer's Notes

Camp songs are fun to sing and can leave a lasting impression. I remember with great clarity being at camp and hearing "The Bear Song” for the first time. I listened in horror as that bear closed in on the singer. I could see that huge tree and the branch so far from the ground. When the runner jumps and misses, my heart was racing and I couldn’t figure out how this could possibly end well. The twist at the end when the singer actually missed the branch on the way up, but caught it on the way down was funny and a relief all at the same time. Fast forward to decades later, and I still love sharing this song with my students. The call and response format makes it accessible for the students with no words to remember (it’s all up to you, the song leader!). It is still a relief when the safe arrival on the branch concludes the song.

I also remember the crackle of the fire, darkness settling slowly and gently around us as we sang and roasted marshmallows. Singing songs in this setting is such a great memory.

Music and singing was a huge part of family life when I was growing up. My love of music has carried on to become my chosen profession, what I enjoy for fun, and my greatest joy. Perhaps young singers will learn a silly camp song, discover that they enjoy singing and include music in the activities they pursue for the rest of their lives. That’s a pretty big mandate for the lowly camp song, but you never know!

Couloring Page - Download

Download (pdf), print and have fun colouring this page while you sing the songs in the Camp Song Collection.

Camp Songs - Colouring page - artwork by Richard Bennett

Camp Songs come in a variety of categories:

Songs with disgusting lyrics 

that make us say, "Eeuw!"

       Found a Peanut

       Herman the Worm

       Tom the Toad

       Action Songs

       Bim Bum

       Dum Dum Dada

       I'm Glad I am a Camper

       Waddle-ee Ahcha

Call and Response / Echo Songs

       The Bear Song

        Boom Chicka Boom

        Going on a Bear Hunt

        The Moose Song 


Sing-along Songs / Story Songs

     Banjo Song / My Old Banjo

     The Chicken Song

     The Fox

      Long-legged Sailor

      Old MacDonald Mash-up

      Rattlin' Bog 

Canons / Rounds

       A Ram Sam Sam

       Fire's Burning

       One Bottle o' Pop


Bonus

The Rooster Story


Songs with disgusting lyrics - that make us say, "Eeuw!"

Action Songs

Call and Response / Echo Songs

Sing-along Songs / Story Songs

Canons / Rounds

Bonus

Return to Store - by Richard Bennett
Donna Rhodenizer - Camp Song Collection - Call and Response / Echo Songs

Composer, Elementary Music Specialist, Performer

Donna Rhodenizer

Donna Rhodenizer loves playing singing games with her students. In addition to pretending to be a bird flying in and out of windows, an owl hiding in the forest, or a mother chicken calling to her chicks, Donna’s vivid imagination is put to good use composing songs for young singers. She has written over 500 pieces of music in the past four decades and, unless that pesky wolf in the forest causes an early demise, she has plans to write more songs in the future.

License

Classroom / Studio License, Treble Choir License

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Voicing

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