The Magic of Campfire Singing with Kids
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Looking for something to do with your hot, tired, bored kids? here's a great idea that's free and will boost your mood for hours!
OK kids! Circle round; time to sing some campfire songs! How many of you readers feel excitement, joy and anticipation rising in your body just at the thought of singing campfire songs?! It's really fun to do around a campfire on a summer evening, especially if you have hotdogs, lemonade, and s'mores, but it's also fun just to sing the songs with your kids, friends and family. You don't even have to have a campfire. You can sit out on the front porch, around the kitchen table or do it while riding in the car to your vacation.
I can remember as a child at Lake Junaluska, lying in my cabin bed and hearing older kids gathered around their campfire singing things like "Kum-ba-ya" and "We are climbing Jacob's ladder." It sounded so beautiful to me and made me want to be old enough to join in. I was probably 8 or 9 and these kids were teens. When I did finally get old enough to go to camp, I learned a funny song called "Plant a watermelon at the Head of my Grave (and let the juice {sluuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrp) run through!" It was hilarious and I still sing it to my patients at the hospital when a song like that seems appropriate. It makes everyone laugh and we all know how good that is for the immune system, not to mention the mind and body and spirit!
It's much the same with songs that children learn in Vacation Church School; all the fun songs with hand motions about David and Goliath, Jonah, Noah, and various other Bible stories like the wise man who built his house upon the rock and the foolish man who built his house upon the sand. All of these are teaching children positive lessons in a fun, entertaining manner and the music is reinforcing the memory, just as when we sing the ABC song. (And most of us still do if we need to alphabetize something!) Let's take advantage of our extra time at home with kids this summer to teach lots and lots of songs from our childhood as well as theirs. Children are so uncritical; all they really want is your undivided attention and it is an activity that:
Entertains
Diverts
Bonds them with you
Is free!
When the kids say they're bored, it's too hot to go outside and gas is horribly expensive, think MUSIC!!
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