Fun With Kidsongs Blog

Help! I Forgot My Childhood Campfire Songs!

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:40:46 +0000

We received an urgent email yesterday with the above mentioned subject line. The family in need was joining a large group of cousins, aunts and uncles for a summer weekend get together and were panicked that their children wouldn’t be up to speed for the families’ tradition of evening sing alongs around the campfire.

Fortunately, the Anderson family came to the right place. You can find helpful suggestions and free lyrics to hundreds of songs on our kidsongs.com website. Just click here to see the free lyrics list.

For campfire favorites, we suggest that the Anderson kids become acquainted with “The Ants Go Marching”, “99 Bottles of Pop” and “On Top of Spaghetti” -- all from the Kidsongs “A Day at Camp” DVD & CD -- because I really do remember singing them at camp, around the proverbial camp fire, with s’mores (more on them later). Plus, counting songs are great for long evenings and the whimsical ideas of a runaway meatball and marching ants have mega kid appeal.

I associate these and other campfire songs with me and my fellow young campers excitedly hiking up a hill to the campsite, singing industrious songs along the way like, “The Caissons Go Rolling Along”, “Whistle While you Work” and “When The Saints Go Marching In” -- good camp songs, all of them!

We suggested to the Anderson's that if the cookout ends with sleeping out under the stars, it would be good to have some lullabies up their sleeves to help their excited little ones unwind and drift off into dreamland. The familiarity of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” in an unfamiliar place is a good choice, as are “All the Pretty Horses” and “Lullaby and Goodnight”.

Now back to those s’mores! We used to make the traditional way -- graham crackers, chocolate broken off a Hershey’s bar and marshmallows in the middle -- all wrapped in foil, and placed near the campfire to melt together into a sweet delicious goo. But my daughter was never a fan of chocolate so we tried variations: replacing the chocolate with strawberry jam, sliced apples, orange wedges or peanut butter. Our traditional s’mores had serious rivals with these concoctions.

S’mores and camp fire songs are alike in that way: They are great the traditional way, but not to be taken too seriously. Add some verses, drop some, work kids’ names or favorite activities into the lyrics, make them your own and even better than the originals. But most of all, ENJOY!

"Kidsongs: A Day at Camp" is available on DVD and for video download, and all the songs listed here are available for MP3 download, too. Don’t forget to browse our free lyrics, and print out as many as you like.

Kid Fun On a Hot Summer Day

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:08:53 +0000

Okay, it’s hot outside, the kids are getting cranky and you don’t want to spend a bunch of money to keep them entertained. What to do? Try some of these tried and true ideas:

Sprinkler fun: Let your kids cool off with the garden hose or sprinklers. If you don’t have water toys, just give the kids some plastic containers, strainers, dishwashing liquid, plastic toys or anything else that can increase their fun. Cool, wet kids are happy kids.

Make some frozen treats: Using popsicle sticks, punch, juice or homemade lemonade and ice cube trays (or paper or plastic cups), let your kids make their own popsicles. Add in some gummy bears, cut up pieces of fruit or other surprises to make each one different. Get creative – just about anything goes!

Summer dance party: Pop in a Kidsongs DVD (I Can Dance is perfect for this) or download your favorite danceable children’s songs and get moving! Getting silly is a sure cure for crankiness. Try “Do the Silly Willy”, “Barefootin” and “Splish Splash” to keep everyone smiling. Keep a pitcher of lemonade near by, they’ll need it!

Another favorite one of our favorites, "Barefootin" from I Can Dance! Available for Download, too!

Build a fort: If it’s too hot outside, let them build one inside! The dining room table can be the roof, drape the sides with sheets and fill it up with comfy pillows. Once inside they can play with toys or make up secret games and adventures. Flashlights, hats and costumes all add to the fantasy fun.

Make a collage: In the shade outside, or in the air-conditioning inside, set up an area with a small table for some crafts. All you need is some basic white clue and something, anything, to glue onto -- a shoe box, a piece of construction paper, spare cardboard, or even a clothes hanger! Have the kids choose and gather up what they want to work with -- leaves and flowers from the garden, pictures cut out of old magazines, beads, dried pasta & beans, buttons from the sewing box or all of the above! When they have made their projects, set up a little outdoor art show for friends and neighbors to enjoy.

Kick-starting some creative fun for you kids will help get their minds of the heat and parents won’t have to hear the familiar whine of “There’s nothing to doooooo”. It's a win-win for everyone!

Summer Kids Activities (On a Tight Budget!)

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:55:51 +0000

It's summer and I have two kids out of school, my four and seven-year-olds, and limited “fun money” to spend. I made up this list for my husband and I, and I thought that you might find it useful, too.

Feel like going out?

Enjoy storytime at local bookstores or the library: Storytime /programs are always free and the parents get to relax and listen, too. Plus, some bookstores have summer reading programs that give meaningful discounts. Many have in-store or online sign-ups for discount coupons or even a free book!

Watch free and almost free movies: Check your local movie theatres for kids’ summer movie programs that are free or offer really inexpensive tickets, $1.00 for example. They are often on a weekday morning, the feature might not be the newest release, but it’s still entertaining for the kids! The concession stands are usually discounted as well or you can save more by bringing your own healthy snacks.

Bowling: In the summer months it’s always nice to have a fun option for staying indoors when it’s really hot out. If you have a local bowling alley, call ahead and see which days kids can bowl free!

Free camps and programs anyone?: Many retailers are offering free kids camps filled with stimulating activities (Apple Stores and Bass Pro Shops are two examples). Shopping malls offer kids’activity days as well, featuring arts and crafts, music and other fun. To find out what’s available in your area, check online, browse your local newspapers and parenting publications or stop by your local mall’s info desk.

Museum, Zoo and Science Center: Many of these attractions have free admission days, year ‘round. Many of them ramp up the fun with special summer programs for kids, too.

Parades, BBQ’s, Contests, Special Events and More: Call your local Visitor’s Bureau and Chamber of Commerce! It’s surprising how many fun, free and family-friendly activities are happening in your area this summer! Depending on where you live, there might be a tall ship regatta, a tractor pulling contest, a hot air balloon festival, summer concerts, or a parade. Community events are great outings for the entire family.

My goal is to add at least one fun excursion to our calendar, each week until school starts up again. I already feel better knowing that I don’t have to start every day with “What do I do with the kids today?”

Here's a Kidsongs clip that I think is appropriate, because who doesn't want to visit the beach in the summertime? And who doesn't love Kidsongs? (I'm biased).

From the Kidsongs TV Show "A Day At The Beach". The song at the end is the very popular Kidsongs version of "Barefootin'"!

Stay tuned for my next post on Fun, Free (or almost free) things to do at home!