Laying and lighting a fire ... Campfire songs ... Campfire stunts ... Campfire eats

LIGHTING THE FIRE

...but before you can light it you need to lay it properly!
First of all, collect plenty of firewood : this needs to be as dry as possible, but it doesn't matter if it isn't completely bone dry. Sort the logs by size - to build a decent campfire you will need 10 or 12 large logs (4+ inches diameter, about a yard long - the exact size doesn't matter) for the framework of the fire, plus lots of thinner wood to stack and stuff it.

Select a suitable site for your fire, preferably on hard bare ground, certainly well away from inflammable materials, dry grass etc. - recognised Guide or Scout sites will usually have a designated campfire circle. Stack the larger logs into a pyramid, alternating the logs two by two and starting with the biggest at the bottom and sloping the sides inwards (see diagram.) When your framework is as high as you want it, give it a good shove to make sure it is stable - you want the wood to collapse INWARDS as it burns but just in case, it is a good idea to construct a safety ring of rocks or logs outside the fire and a little way away, to trap any errant logs which try to escape.

When you are satisfied, begin to insert long thinner branches downwards into the heart of the pyramid - at this point it is a good idea to smuggle in a box of firelighters or stuff the centre with home-made fire starters and dry kindling, to prevent embarassment at the crucial moment. Continue filling the pyramid with smaller branches and twigs, then finish it off by lightly stuffing any cracks around the bottom of the fire with DRY newspaper or any available dry paper, cardboard etc. from food wrappings (save it up as your camp progresses.)

Now cover the whole fire with a groundsheet or large piece of plastic sheeting and weight the corners of the sheet with rocks or logs; you don't want a sudden downpour ruining all your hard work. If you want your fire to last, you may want to collect more wood and construct a woodpile to replenish the fire - make it away from the fire circle and out of the way of stray sparks, you don't want TWO campfires on the go! You must also have a fire bucket (full of water!) handy - or two, one on each side of the fire.

When the time comes, you will need to light the fire on the windward side so the flames blow into the heart of the fire. Don't try to do this directly with an ordinary match : make yourself a "giant match" by tying a firelighter or something guaranteed to burn onto a LONG green stick, light this and use it to light the paper at the bottom of the fire and insert the "match" well into the heart of the fire and leave it there. Providing you have constructed the fire with plenty of dry wood and spaces for air to enter, it should blaze away merrily for quite some time. Keep it going by adding logs from time to time, although if you intend cooking in the embers the original fire shoule be sufficient and will provide charcoal embers that will continue to glow well into the night.

Finish off your firelighting ceremony by a suitable reading, or singing a round such as "Campfire's Burning..."

1. Singing in the rain.
I'm singing in the rain,
Just singing in the rain.
What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again,
(Wait a minute, Hang about,
Are you ready? Then watch out:)

Instructions then follow from the leader, which have to be followed to the letter : e.g. knees together, bums out, toes together, thumbs up etc..
A chorus of "Rinky-dinks" or "Boom shawalas" and the verse is resumed ad. lib.

2. The Music Man.
I am the music man,
I come from down your way and I can play....
(What can you play?)
I can play .......

As the children's song : start with imitating musical instruments - piano, violin, big bass drum, piccolo, etc., then start to add well-known theme tunes etc. ad lib:
Dam Busters : either aeroplane imitation or finger "goggles,"
Match of the day : wave imaginary football scarf.
Scotland the brave : Highland fling, bagpipes etc.
The Archers: country dancing, and so on.

3.He jumped without a parachute
There are LOTS of songs set to the tune of "John Brown's Body, aka. The Battle Hymn of the Republic : this is just one of them....
He jumped without a parachute from forty thousand feet,
He jumped without a parachute from forty thousand feet,
He jumped without a parachute from forty thousand feet,
And he ain't gonna jump no more

Chorus : Glory, glory what a horrible way to die,
Hanging by your knickers from an airplane in the sky
Glory glory, what a horrible way to die
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

They scraped him off the runway like a lump of strawberry jam (3 times)
And he ain't gonna jump no more....chorus etc..

They put him in an envelope and sent him home to Mum...

She put him on the mantelpiece for all the world to see...

She served him up with crumpets when the Vicar came to tea....

4.In a cottage in a wood.
In a cottage in a wood
A little old man at the window stood,
Saw a rabbit running by.
Knocking at the door:
"Help me! Help me!" the rabbit said,
"Before the hunter-man shoots me dead!"
"Come little rabbit, come with me, and happy we will be."

Hand actions ad lib.
Another version exists with the final line "And we'll have rabbit pie for tea!"

5. Three little angels
Three little angels, all dressed in white,
Tried to get to heaven on the end of a kite,
But the kite string was broken, Down they all fell,
Instead of getting to heaven they all went to
Two little angels...... One little angel.....

Three little devils, all dressed in red,
Tried to get to heaven on the end of a bed
But the bed knob was broken..........
Two little devils ....... One little devil ......

Three little Girl Guides, all dressed in blue,
Tried to get to heaven on the seat of a loo,
But the loo chain was broken.........
Two little Girl Guides ...... One little Girl Guide ......

Don't be mistaken, don't be misled,
Instead of getting to heaven
They all went to BED!

6. Sunshine Mountain
Climb, climb up Sunshine Mountain,
Where the little breezes blow (Puff - puff)
Climb, climb up Sunshine Mountain,
Faces all aglow.
Turn, turn your back on darkness,
Reach up to the sky.
Climb, climb up Sunshine Mountain, you and I.

Sung in a circle, start with a few singers moving round the camp-fire if possible ; on “You and I” the singers can bring another victim into the circle.

Climb.... mime climbing with hands
Breezes ...... Puff-puff
Faces .... circle face with hands.
Turn..... turn through 360° in time to singing.
Reach up to the sky..... with both hands.
Climb ... as before
You ... point away; I ... point to self.

7. An Austrian went yodelling
An Austrian went yodelling on a mountain top high
When along came an avalanche interrupting his cry ;
Yo-ho-ho......
Yodel-ay-ee-oh, yodel-ay-ee-hee, (ssh-ssh)
Yodel-ay-ee-oh, yodel-ay-ee-hee, (ssh-ssh)
Yodel-ay-ee-oh, yodel-ay-ee-hee, (ssh-ssh)
Yodel-ay-ee-oh-oh-lay.
Subsequent verses : add
Puppy dog (pant-pant)
Pussy cat (meeow-meeow)
Jersey cow (Squirt-squirt)
Grizzly bear (Grr-grr)
Sweetheart (Kiss-kiss)
and finally, Father (BANG!)

8. We are the Red Men
We are the Red Men, tall and quaint,
In our feathers and war paint :

Pow-wow, pow-wow,
We're the men of the Old Dun Cow.
All of us are Red Men,
Feathers-in-our-head-men,
Down-among-the-dead-men,
Pow-wow, pow-wow.

We can fight with sticks and stones,
Bows and arrows, slings and bones,

Pow-wow, pow-wow,
We're the men of the Old Dun Cow.
All of us are Red Men,
Feathers-in-our-head-men,
Down-among-the-dead-men,
Pow-wow, pow-wow.

We come back from hunts and wars,
Greeted by our long-nosed squaws,

Pow-wow, pow-wow,
We're the men of the Old Dun Cow.
All of us are Red Men,
Feathers-in-our-head-men,
Down-among-the-dead-men,
Pow-wow, pow-wow.

9. Ga-Goo went the Little Green Frog
"Ga-goo" went the little green frog one day,
"Ga-goo" went the little green frog one day,
"Ga-goo" went the little green frog one day
And the little frog went "Ga-goo."

But we know frogs go "La-di-da-di-da,
La-di-da-di-da, La-di-da-di-da,"
We know frogs go "La-di-da-di-da,"
And the little frog went "Ga-goo."

"Ring-ring" went the little pink phone one day
"Ring-ring" went the little pink phone one day
"Ring-ring" went the little pink phone one day
And the little phone went "Ring-ring."

But we know phones go "Ting-a-ling-a-ling,
Ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling,"
We know phones go "Ting-a-ling-a"
And the little phone went "Ring-ring."

"Purr-purr" went the little black cat one day (3 times)
But we know cats go "Meeow-meeow-meeow,
Meeow-meeow-meeow, meeow-meeow-meeow,"
We know cats go "Meeow-meeow-mee,"
And the little cat went "Purr-purr."

"Sh-sh" went the little Girl Guides one day....
But we know Girl Guides make a lot of noise.......

10. Three Rounds Three part round :
Jesus, we adore you,
Lay our lives before you.
How we love you.

Father, we adore you,
Lay our lives before you,
How we love you.

Spirit, we adore you,
Lay our lives before you,
How we love you.

Two or four part round :
Camp fire's burning, camp fire's burning,
Draw nearer, draw nearer,
In the gloaming, in the gloaming,
Come sing and be merry.
(Repeat ad lib.)

Another two part round : Version 1 : sung as a 2 part round, one part maintaining the "Oompahs" while the others sing the verse, then changing over.; continue ad. lib.
Ging gang gully gully gully gully watcha
Ging gang goo, ging gang goo
Ging gang gully gully gully gully watcha
Ging gang goo, ging gang goo
Haila, haila shaila, haila shaila haila hoo
Haila, haila shaila, haila shaila haila
Shally wally shally wally shally wally shally wally
Oompah oompah oompah .....................................etc..

11. The Rattling Bog
Chorus :
Ro, ro, the rattling bog,
The bog down in the valley - o;
A rare bog, a rattling bog,
The bog down in the valley - o.
Now in that bog there was a tree
A rare tree, a rattling tree,
And the tree was in the bog,
The bog down in the valley - o.

(Chorus)

And on that tree there was a branch,
A rare branch, a rattling branch,
And the branch was on the tree
And the tree was in the bog,
The bog down in the valley - o.
Continue in this way, adding the verses :
twig - nest - egg - bird - wing - feather - flea

leading to
And on that feather there was a flea,
A rare flea, a rattling flea,
And the flea was on the feather and the feather was on the wing and the wing was on the bird and the bird was on the eggs and the eggs were in the nest and the nest was on the branch and the branch was on the tree and the tree was in the bog, The bog down in the valley - o
and finishing with the chorus again.

Some More Rounds :

12. A ram-sam-sam

A ram-sam-sam
A ram-sam-sam
Gully gully gully gully gully ram-sam-sam
A ram-sam-sam
A ram-sam-sam
Gully gully gully gully gully ram-sam-sam

Aravi, aravi,
Gully gully gully gully gully ram-sam-sam
Aravi, aravi,
Gully gully gully gully gully ram-sam-sam

To be sung as a two-part round, part 2 starting as part 1 gets to verse 2; can be accompanied by a variety of knee-slaps and hand actions. (The same tune as "A Pizza Hut.")

13. The animal fair
We went to the animal fair,
The birds and the beasts were there,
The big baboon by the light of the moon
Was combing his auburn hair.
The monkey fell out of his bunk (THUMP!)
And slid down the elephant's trunk, (WHEEE!)
The elephant sneezed and fell on his knees
And what became of the monkey monkey monkey ............

One half of the singers keep chanting "Monkey monkey monkey" in rhythm while the other half repeats the verse, then swap over; continue ad. lib.

14. I'm a Little Piece of Tin
I'm a little piece of tin,
Nobody knows what shape I'm in.
Got four wheels and a running - board,
I'm not Chevvy and I'm not Ford.
Honk-honk, rattle-rattle, crash-crash beep-beep,
Honk-honk, rattle-rattle, crash-crash beep-beep,
Honk-honk.

Theoretically to be sung through just once, but if anyone sings "Rattle-rattle" after the third "Honk-honk," then the song has to be sung through again. As someone is bound to do so each time, give up when boredom sets in!

15. A Pizza Hut
Every line to be sung twice, exactly the same.
A Pizza Hut, a Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut.(rpt)
Macdonalds, Macdonalds,
Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut.(rpt)

A Little Chef, a Little Chef, a Wimpy Bar and a Little Chef,
Happy Eater, Happy Eater, a Wimpy Bar and a Little Chef

A Ford Escort, a Ford Escort, Mini-mini-mini-mini and a Ford Escort,
Ferrari, Ferrari, Mini-mini-mini-mini and a Ford Escort.

A hand-action song : Pizza Hut - draw "Hut" in the air; K.F.C : flap "wings,", Macdonalds : Big "M," Little Chef : indicate "little," Wimpy bar : big W, Happy Eater : big smile drawn in air etc. Ford Escort : large steering wheel, Mini very small steering wheel, Ferrari - slick back hair.

16. The Pirate Ship.
When I was one I’d just begun
The day I went to sea
I jumped aboard a pirate ship
And the Captain said to me,
“We’re going this way, that way,
Forward, backward,
Over the Irish Sea,
A bottle of rum to warm me tum,
And that’s the life for me”
(Dah dah dah dah, Dah dah dah …)

When I was two I lost my shoe the day I went to sea,

When I was three I cut my knee

When I was four I shut the door

When I was five I was still alive

When I was six I was in a fix

When I was seven I went to Devon

When I was eight I was nearly late

When I was nine I went down the line

When I was ten I started again, The day I went to sea.
I jumped aboard a pirate ship and the Captain said to me,
“We’re going this way, that way, Forward, backward, Over the Irish Sea,
A bottle of rum to warm me tum, And that’s the life for me”
Or any other variations they can think of !!

17. I saw a bird …..
A rather macabre variation on the “Repeat-after-me” song theme:
I saw a bird … (I saw a bird..) with a yellow bill … (with a ... )
It landed on … (It landed on.) my window sill …………(etc.)
I coaxed it in …………… with a piece of bread ……….
And then I bashed …………………. it on the head.
I saw a bird … (I saw a bird) with a yellow bill … (with a ... )
It landed on …………….. my window sill …………..
I coaxed it in …………… with a lump of cheese ……….
And then I whacked …………. Its little knees………..

Continue in ever-increasing bloodthirstiness, using the following baits :
.. plate of spaghetti… cut off its wings ..with my machete.
..Take That poster..and then I put it ..in the pop-up
toaster.
.. can of Tizer ……and then I put it….. in the liquidiser.
Chicken Chow Mein, put a straw up its nose, sucked out its brain/

18. The Elephant
Look! Over There!
Rolling around in the air!
It’s ENORMOUS! It’s an elephant,
Ever so dainty and elegant -
Long trunk here,
Long tail there.

Repeat recitation, leaving out first “Look,” then “Look! Over there” and so on, replacing
words with actions, until last time through is completely without words and VERY FAST.

19. Princess Pat
Each line to be sung first by the Leader and then repeated by rest of the singers.

Oh, the Princess Pat (Oh the Princess Pat)
Lived in a tree; (Lived in a tree)
She sailed across (She sailed across....
The seven seas;
She sailed across
The Channel too
And she took with her
A rick-a-bamboo.

(Chorus) :
A rick-a-bamboo :
Now what is that?
It's something made
By the Princess Pat;
It's red and gold
And purple too,
That's why it's called
A rick-a-bamboo.

Now the Captain Jack
Had a mighty fine crew
He sailed across
The Channel too
But his ship sank
And yours will too
If you don't take
A rick-a-bamboo.

(Chorus) : A rick-a-bamboo :
Now what is that?
etc. etc.

"20th Century version:"
Now the Princess Pat
Lives in a Barratt Home
With a microwave oven
And a cordless Phone.
Got a Kenwood Chef
And a Hoover too;
When she flushes the toilet
All the water turns blue.

(Chorus) : Head and Shoulders shampoo :
Now what is that?
It's something made
For the Princess Pat;
It's Frequent Use
And Anti-Dandruff too,
That's why it's called
Head and Shoulders shampoo.

And the Captain Jack
Collects Income Tax,
Drives a shiny red Porsche,
Has a Filofax.
His boxer shorts
Are made of silk
And he only drinks whisky
'Cos he doesn't like milk.

(Chorus) : A Porta-Loo …… Now what is that?
It’s something used …… by the Princess Pat.
It’s blue and white …… and stinks of poo,
That’s why it’s called …… a Porta-Loo.

20. If I were not a Girl Guide
If I were not a Girl Guide
Something else I'd like to be;
If I were not a Girl Guide
A bus conductor I'd be:
You'd hear me all day long
Singing this song :
"Hold on tight now, hold on tight now, pass on down the bus!"(twice)

If I were not a Girl Guide
Something else I'd like to be;
If I were not a Girl Guide
A washerwoman I'd be:
You'd hear me all day long
Singing this song :
"Wishy-washy, wishy-washy, hanging out the clothes"(twice)
"Hold very tight now, hold very tight now, pass on down the bus!"(twice)

If I were not a Girl Guide
Something else I'd like to be;
If I were not a Girl Guide
A secretary I'd be:
You'd hear me all day long
Singing this song :
"Taking shorthand, taking shorthand, sitting on the bosses' knee" (twice)
"Wishy-washy, wishy-washy, hanging out the clothes" (twice)
"Hold very tight now, hold very tight now, pass on down the bus!"(twice)

Continue in the same vein, using different "occupations " and mime.

21. The Little Green Frog
Another horrid version of an old favourite!
"Mm-mm!" went the little green frog one day,
“Mm-mm!” went the little green frog one day,
“Mm-mm!” went the little green frog one day,
And the little green frog went “Mm-mm-ah!”

But we know frogs go “La-di-da-di-da,
La-di-dah-di-dah, La-di-da-di-da,”
We know frogs go “La-di-da-di-da,
La-di-dah-di-dah, La-di-da-di-da,”
They don’t go “Mm-mm-ah!"

“Mm-mm!” went the little green frog one day,
“Mm-mm!” went the little green frog one day,
“Mm-mm!” went the little green frog one day,
And the little green frog went “Mm-mm-ah!”
But we know frogs go “Splat!” when you stand on them,
“Splat!” when you stand on them,
“Splat!” when you stand on them,
We know frogs go “Splat!” when you stand on them,
They don’t go “Mm-mm-ah!"

“Mm-mm!” went the little green frog one day, etc..
But we know frogs go “Bdump!” when you run over them,
….. They don’t go “Mm-mm-ah!"

But we know frogs go “Pop!” in the microwave,
….. They don’t go “Mm-mm-ah!"

22. Coca-Cola
Sung to the same tune as “I’m a little piece of tin.”
Coca - Cola came to town,
Diet Pepsi shot him down,
Dr. Pepper picked him up,
Now they all drink Seven - Up.

Chorus: Honk-honk, rattle-rattle, crash-crash, Beep-beep!
Honk-honk, rattle-rattle, crash-crash, Beep-beep!
Honk-honk, rattle-rattle, crash-crash, Beep-beep!
Honk-honk …Whee! … crash, Beep-beep!

Romeo and Juliet,
On a balcony they met.
Romeo said to Juliet,
“You’re the cutest girl that I’ve seen yet.”

Chorus: Honk-honk, rattle-rattle, etc..

Superman flying through the air,
Floating around without a care,
Looking for his Lois Lane -
Is it a bird or is it a plane?

Jaws went swimming in the sea,
Saw a diver for his tea.
Chopped him up into little chunks,
Then spat out his swimming trunks.

In the cinema in the dark,
Watching Raiders of the Lost Ark.
By the girls he is adored:
Harrison Ford (Yuk!) Harrison Ford.

23. I'm a teacup
(To the tune of Clementine :)
I'm a teacup,
I'm a teacup,
I'm a teacup, yes I am;
I'm a teacup but I'd rather be a teacup than a mug.

I'm a head louse,
I'm a head louse,
I'm a head louse, yes I am;
I'm a head louse but I'd rather be a head louse than a nit.

I'm a raindrop .... but I'd rather be a raindrop than a drip.

I'm a bloodstain....but I'd rather be a bloodstain than a clot

24. Nobody loves me
Nobody loves me,
Everybody hates me,
I think I'll go and eat worms.
Long thin skinny ones, short fat juicy ones,
See how they wriggle and squirm.
Bite their heads off, suck their juice out,
Throw their skins away.
You should see how well I thrive
On worms three times a day.

25. The bear went over the mountain
(Same tune as "For he's a jolly good fellow.")
The bear went over the mountain
The bear went over the mountain
The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see

And all that he could see
And all that he could see
Was the other side of the mountain,
The other side of the mountain,
The other side of the mountain was all that he could see.

26. Leapfrog
Tune roughly the same as "John Brown's Body."
One hedgehog edged up the hedge as the other hedgehog edged down,
One hedgehog edged up the hedge as the other hedgehog edged down,
One hedgehog edged up the hedge as the other hedgehog edged down,
As one hedgehog edged up the hedge and the other hedgehog edged down :

Chorus : They were only playing leapfrog,
They were only playing leapfrog,
They were only playing leapfrog
As one hedgehog edged up the hedge
And the other hedgehog edged down.

A spider espied a spider astride another spider's back....

One slow worm slid up the sluice as another slow worm slid down .....

27. Old MacDonald
Old MacDonald had a farm,
Ee-i-ee-i-o,
And on that farm he had some cows,
Ee-i-ee-i-o.
With a moo-moo here, moo-moo there,
Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo-moo.
Old MacDonald had a farm,
Ee-i-ee-i-o.

Down by the stream (Down by the stream)
Where the water melons grow
(Where the water melons grow)
I dare not go (I dare not go)
For the money I owe (For the money I owe)
For if I did (For if I did)
My mother would say
What would she say?
Did you ever see a cow with a green eyebrow,
Ee-i-ee-i-o.

Old MacDonald had a farm,
Ee-i-ee-i-o,
And on that farm he had some ..........
Ee-i-ee-i-o.
With a .......... etc.

Continue, adding different farm animals and appropriate animal noises to the list with each verse.

28. Boom Chickaracka
I said a - boom
(I said a - boom)
I said a - boom chickaboom
(I said a - boom chickaboom)
I said a - boom chickaracka chickaracka chickaboom
(I said a - boom chickaracka chickaracka chickaboom)
Ah-ha (Ah-ha)
Oh yeah (Oh yeah)
One more time (One more time)

................. style :

Chanted rather than sung, to rhythmic hand-claps and knee-slaps : repeated in different "styles" - either higher / lower / louder / softer / faster / slower etc., or as "Brownie style" (squeaky & giggly), "Wolf Cub style," "Boy Scout style," "Commissioner style" etc. etc..

29. Edelweiss

Unfortunately, the song "Edelweiss" is still under copyright so I have removed it from this site; it is, however, a very well-known song from "The Sound of Music" so I hope I'm right in assuming that most people know it anyway so I am still giving the actions:

Sung in a circle, rhythmic hand - claps as follows : with RH, clap LH of person to R, own R knee, own L knee, underside of own LH, two claps on palm of own LH, LH meanwhile extended palm uppermost for person to L to do same. When everyone has mastered this, reverse direction!

30. You'll never get to heaven
Each line of each verse to be sung first by the Leader and then repeated by the rest of singers; chorus to be sung together, either unison or harmony ad lib.
Oh you'll never get to heaven
In a motor car
Cos a motor car
Won't get that far
Oh you'll never get to heaven in a motor car
Cos a motor car won't get that far,
I ain't a-gonna grieve my Lord no more.

(Chorus) : I ain't a-gonna grieve my Lord no more
(six times, in harmony if possible.)

Oh you'll never get to heaven
In the QE2
Cos the QE2
Ain't got no loo
Oh you'll never get to heaven in the QE2
Cos the QE2 ain't got no loo,
I ain't a-gonna grieve my Lord no more.

(Chorus) : I ain't a-gonna grieve my Lord no more etc..

Oh you'll never get to heaven ...in a biscuit tin
Cos a biscuit tin's.... got biscuits in ........

Oh you'll never get to heaven.... on roller skates
Cos you'll roll right past.... those Pearly Gates........

(Verses limited only by the imagination of the singers.)

If you get to Heaven.... before I do
Just dig a hole.... and pull me through ......

31. Found a Peanut
(To the tune of My Darling Clementine)
Found a peanut, found a peanut, found a peanut yesterday,
Found a peanut, found a peanut, found a peanut yesterday.

So I ate it, so I ate it, so I ate it yesterday. (Twice)

It was mouldy.......

Made me poorly .......

Sent for Doctor ........

Operation ........

Cut me open .........

Couldn't save me .......

So I died ........

Went to Heaven ........

Didn't want me .......

Went to hell .......

Guess what I found there .......

Found a peanut, found a peanut, found a peanut yesterday
Found a peanut, found a peanut, found a peanut yesterday

32. Black Crow's Spirit
Black Crow's spirit's in the Happy Hunting Ground,
Black Crow's spirit's in the Happy Hunting Ground,
Black Crow's spirit's in the Happy Hunting Ground,
Ever so far away.

(Chorus) Hia -hia-hiawatha,
Minne-minne-minnehaha;
Hia-hia-hiawatha,
Ever so far away.
To be sung to the tune of "John Brown's Body" ; verses repeated, missing one more word at the end of the line each time and replacing it by mime :
Black = hands over eyes
Crow = mime bird's beak
Spirit = mime drinking
Happy = mime laughter
Hunting = mime shooting with bow & arrow
Ground = stamp with R foot.

33. Little Rabbit Foo-Foo
Little rabbit Foo-Foo,
Running through the forest,
Scooping up the field mice
And smacking them on the head :
(Spoken) : Down came a Fairy godmother, who said ;

Little rabbit Foo-Foo,
I don't want to see you
Scooping up the field mice
And smacking them on the head.
(Spoken) : I'll give you three chances, and if you don't behave I'll turn you into a Goo-oo-oon.

Repeat twice more, with "Two chances" and "One more chance" :

Little rabbit Foo-Foo,
Running through the forest,
Scooping up the field mice
And smacking them on the head :
(Spoken) : Down came a Fairy godmother, who said ;

Little rabbit Foo-Foo,
I don't want to see you
Scooping up the field mice
And smacking them on the head.

(Spoken) :" I gave you three chances and you still didn't behave," and she turned him into a Goo-oo-oon.

And the moral of this story is :
"Hare today, and Goon tomorrow."

34. My ship sailed from China.
My ship sailed from China with a cargo of tea,
All laden with presents for you and for me.
They brought me a fan : just imagine my bliss
When I found myself going like this (Like this, like this......)

To be sung seated in a circle; on first "Like this," start swaying one arm from side to side in time to the music; at each verse end, add the other arm, one leg, the other leg, the head and finally the whole body.

35. Joe.
I said, Hello. Me name's Joe,
And I work at the button factory.
Got a wife, and four kids;
One day me boss said to me :
He said "Joe."
I said "What?"
He said, "You busy?"
I said, "I'm not."
"Then press this button with your left hand."
So I did.

A chant rather than a song; actions start at the end of each "verse" and carry on, adding "right hand," "left foot," "right foot," "nose," "tongue."

Last verse:
I said, Hello. Me name's Joe,
And I work at the button factory.
Got a wife, and four kids;
One day me boss said to me :
He said "Joe."
I said "What?"
He said, "You busy?"
I said, "I'm not."
"Then you're fired!"

36. A Grace before meals : Johnny Appleseed.
The Lord is good to me,
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need :
The sun, the rain, and the apple seed,
The Lord is good to me.

For every seed that grows
Will grow into a tree
And some day soon there'll be apples there
For everyone in the world to share,
The Lord is good to me

37. At the end of the day : Taps
Day is done,
Gone the sun
From the sea, from the hills, from the sky.
All is well,
Safely rest:
God is nigh.

.....and a nice quiet one to finish with :

38. Land of the Silver Birch
Land of the silver birch, home of the beaver,
Where still the mighty moose wanders at will;
Blue lake and rocky shore,
I will return once more,
(Boom-diddy-ai-dai, boom-diddy-ai-dai, boom-diddy-ai-dai, boom).

My heart is sick for you here in the lowlands,
I will return once more, hills of the North.
Blue lake and rocky shore, etc..
(Boom-diddy-ai-dai, boom-diddy-ai-dai, boom-diddy-ai-dai, boom).

Swift as a silver fish, canoe of birch-bark,
Thy mighty waterways carry me home;
Blue lake and rocky shore, etc..
(Boom-diddy-ai-dai, boom-diddy-ai-dai, boom-diddy-ai-dai, boom).

Here, by the blue lake's shore, I'll place my wigwam,
Close to the water's edge, silent and still;
Blue lake and rocky shore, etc..
(Boom-diddy-ai-dai, boom-diddy-ai-dai, boom-diddy-ai-dai, boom).

There are lots of ideas here, some better than others, but there are still some gems they've missed out : here are just a few more.....
The Reindeer

For this one you need a storyteller and three or four "reindeer" - one is a pre-arranged stooge planted in the audience, the other three are innocent victims.
The "reindeer" crouch on all fours and the storyteller begins her narrative: it is geting colder in Lapland, and the reindeer are getting ready for winter. The snow begins to fall (encourage the reindeer to shiver etc.) so their kind owner provides them with a nice warm blanket each (camp blanket, sleeping bag, large towel etc. - make sure the reindeer are completely covered up.) The story teller improvises the story until it starts to get nearer spring and the weather begins to get warmer; the reindeer need to take something off to cool down - make suggestions ("you can spare a shoe" etc.) and each reindeer will take something off. Continue with the weather getting steadily warmer and the reindeer have to shed further items - prompt for socks, watches, glasses etc. until they get the idea firmly fixed in their heads. As summer approaches, the "stooge" will start protesting that she has nothing left she can decently take off. (By now one of the other reindeer may have realised that the obvious thing to shed is the blanket - if so, signal her to silence and let her watch, carry on with the remaining reindeer.) As the remaining reindeer shed hair clips, belts etc., the stooge should remove shorts, protesting loudly all the while, and finally a bra will emerge from under the blanket. After this, the blanket will be removed and the stooge will run offstage, pulling down an over-size tee-shirt and still protesting loudly.

The Pub

No need for a stooge in this one, the storyteller will select "volunteers" from the audience. She will build a "pub" from these volunteers : a "door" (extend arm, swing back and forth and creak as anyone "enters" or "leaves" the pub; a doorbell (someone to shout "ping!" every time the door opens or shuts; a "till" to shout "k-ching" when money is put in, beer pumps, (raised arm, barmaid raises and lowers to pull pints etc.) and two people to make the "bar" (stand back to back then bend over at right angles from the waist, so the flat of their backs form the "counter" of the bar.) The story teller then selects a couple of customers and invites them for a drink. Door creaks, doorbell pings, beer pump fills two glasses, till "k-chings" as drinks are paid for - and the bartender/storyteller carefully places the two glasses, full of water, in between the shoulder blades of the victims playing the "bar" and walks away.

The Amazing Enlarging Machine

This needs a bit of advance preparation in collecting props but it's well worth it. The basic idea is the the presenter introduces her "Amazing Enlarging Machine" to the audience - it may look exactly like a blanket held up by two volunteers, but a label may convince them. The audience is encouraged to sit as close as possible to the "machine" because of the extreme small size of some of the things being used. With a lot of preamble the presenter throws a teaspoon over into the machine, and after lots of bang-whizz-wheeee noises off, the assistant hidden behind the blanket throws out a ladle or large spoon, proving that the Amazing Enlarging Machine does indeed work. Carry on "enlarging" anything you can get a big/little version of - trainer liner sock / hike boot sock, little strappy top/big baggy tee-shirt, single tissue/box of tissues - just use your imagination. The final crunch comes when the presenter throws a thimbleful of water into the machine : where you go from there depends on where and when you are doing the sketch - from a full bucket if outdoors and in hot weather to torn paper confetti if indoors and you don't want to end up mopping the floor forever! (It still has a good squeal factor, though!)

Ghost Story

The narrator selects her victims from the audience : it may help if the first few actually know this routine, but the last ones must most certainly be in the dark. They all line up, facing the audience, with the storyteller at one end of the line and the preferred innocent at the other. The storyteller instructs each one in the line to repeat what she says, passing it along to the next person in line, until the message reaches the end, whereupon the end person says "What happened next?" and that gets passed back up the line.
The storyteller begins :"I went for a walk last night..." (passes along the line...what happened next comes back etc.)"I took a short cut through the cemetery.....what happened next?..." "I saw a ghost..." "It went like this..."(extends one arm and keeps it there)...."then it went like this..." (extends other arm - both arms now extended)..."then it went like this...." (squats down, arms still extended, much wobbling about etc.)..."then it went like this..." (pushes person next to her and all go down in domino effect.)

Nellie the Performing Elephant

This one requires two for the "elephant" (under a blanket or towel as in a pantomime horse, except that the "front" of the "elephant" swings an arm around as a "trunk") and a "trainer" for the elephant.
The trainer introduces Nellie with much hype - she can ham it up as much as she likes - and then asks for a volunteer from the audience. This volunteer is persuaded to lie down and Nellie makes a great show of stepping over the volunteer without treading on them - swaying, near misses, etc, but she doesn't tread on them. Applause from audience. Now Nellie is going to walk over TWO volunteers - once it is shown that she won't tread on anyone, the second and third volunteers usually come out easily, but do be prepared to pick on someone if needed! Finally, select your REAL victim and place at the end of the line : Nellie carefully picks her way along the line until Nellie's "hind legs" are in place and the cup of water she has been concealing comes into play - "ooh, Nellie, NAUGHTY girl - so sorry, but she isn't properly house-trained." Lumps of chocolate cake or ginger pudding are also very effective here!

Tarzan

Short but sweet; this one only works if you have three male campers - age immaterial.
Two burst onto the stage, beating their chests and shouting "Me Tarzan!" "No, ME Tarzan!!" pushing and shoving and arguing louder and longer and more violently. No. 3 then comes on in Pantomime Dame drag - borrowed skirt, lipstick, the lot and announces "Me Jane." Pause, then the two "Tarzans" start arguing again : "YOU Tarzan!!" "No, YOU Tarzan!!!" etc.

...still to come : Campfire eats

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