A late-evening firepit casting flickers upon tents pitched in damp soil might be one of the most memorable moments of your childhood.
Between the rustling wrappers sticking to your marshmallowed fingers and the lamp-lit sleepover mischief, no campfire big or small is complete without some music to electrify the atmosphere.
Whether you’re a toddler or a big kid at heart, our list of campfire songs provides something that every generation can sing along to, encapsulating your night with shining community spirit.
Campfire Songs For Kids
1. SpongeBob SquarePants – ‘The Campfire Song’ Song
The eccentric nostalgia of this song makes it just as fun to sing for adults as for kids. ‘The Campfire Song’ Song is riddled with classic Spongebob style humour.
With a traditional acoustic guitar set-up, its peaceful spelling-bee lyrics start to speed by so fast that they’ll send anyone screaming trying to keep up.
It’s a short flick of a song brimming with impulse, excitement and glam rock outro to get any kid buzzing with campfire fever.
2. There was a Crocodile Song
This is a fun one for younger children, filled with actions, movements and the animals of the world.
Venture through the jungles and learn about all the animals you might see, mimicking their memorable actions like the elephant’s swinging trunk or the cute floppy ears of a bunny rabbit.
Let the kids have fun making animal sounds like a bird squawking and a fish blowing bubbles, while even the youngest ones can join in on the all-inclusive ‘na na na’ chorus.
3. The Mamas & The Papas – California Dreamin’
This classic hit is filled with autumn-leaved imagery and the chilly atmosphere of the forest but its bluesy verses and gospel-inspired call and response are enough to warm and inspire anyone’s heart.
Although the adults might love it more than the kids, California Dreamin’ is one of those timeless songs that transcends the generations as it conjures the ambience of nature, with repeating lyrics that are easy to pick up.
4. Going on a Bear Hunt
Going On A Bear Hunt might be a bit scary for the smallest kids, but its lyrics tell an adventurous story of forests and jungles, swimming through rivers, creeping through dark caves, and of course, chasing bears (while being chased by them, too!).
Its call and response lyrics lead you through the forest like a hunting expedition full of twists and turns, while every verse is sprinkled with onomatopoeia to bring everyone together in the grossness of squishing through knee-deep mud, using humour to warn about the dangers of nature.
5. Shake Your Sillies Out
The excitement of wild sleepovers, matched with the slight fear of the unknown can make it hard for some kids to get a good night’s sleep while camping out.
Shake Your Sillies Out is a great song to sing around a late-evening firepit as it gets everyone up, shaking, jogging and dancing, encouraging them to distractedly burn through all their energy.
This song is made to brighten any little kid’s smile, dispelling their fear of the dark, while wearing them down enough to hit the hay without a thought.
6. Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline
Every good campfire song needs a sensational sing-a-long chorus to bring everyone together and raise their spirits. Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline gives the very essence of that intoxicating good-time energy.
Abundant in optimism and joyful community spirit, there’s something hidden within this song to make all ages beam and dance like the fire.
7. The Ants Go Marching One By One
The Ants Go Marching is set to a classic tune, with repetitive lyrics that are easy to pick up impulsively by anyone. It has a strong military-style beat, marching throughout the track and commanding the attention of every person in your pack.
Even the older kids can join in with this catchy song by playing the drums on tin food cans and the ice box.
8. The Banana Boat Song / Day O
The Banana Boat Song is submersed in a refreshing type of natural-world imagery. Its cool tropical island vibes are carried throughout its call-and-response and anchored down by a catchy, repeating line.
The laid back drum beat can become a group performance, with the potential for solo drum battles and other fun sprouting from its easy-to-grasp rhythm.
9. The Great Big Moose
The Great Big Moose also uses an easily learned call and response technique to tell a funny story about a moose named Fred drinking juice in bed.
Its nonsense chorus, “oh-wey-oh,” can concoct a smile upon anyone’s face while assembling them in sunny community spirit.
This song has a pure rock n’ roll feel that can be tapped into if that’s your style, which might end up giving everybody a night to remember forever!
10. The Beatles – Yellow Submarine
The Beatles showcase their quirky, childish and light-hearted sense of poetry in this old-time hit.
Its imaginative use of simple humorous storytelling creates a world of deep-sea dwelling in the minds of children, complete with a sing-a-long chorus that might convince the kids that older tunes aren’t as boring as they expect.
11. Boom Chica Boom
This camp’s amazing performance of Boom Chicka Boom shows the clear and positive energy that can be effortlessly built using repeat-after-me songs.
Their style is simple and effective, their techniques translatable to easily break the ice in any age group while making them laugh with Boom Chicka Boom’s addictively stupid lyrics!
12. Bon Jovi – Livin’ On A Prayer
The chorus of this 80s hit is woven into the minds of most people both young and old, whether they know it or not! Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer has an unforgettable, exhilirating chorus that’s enough to get everyone singing, shouting and screaming while revealing the intrinsic joy of 80s rock to the next generation.
13. Hokey Cokey
The Hokey Cokey was made to be sung by a group of energetic young kids. Ask everyone to stand in a circle around the campfire (definitely not too close to the flames!), following the easy, engaging actions of the song as they sing.
If you’re spread out far enough, you can run a few small steps to and from the fire during every big chorus, putting a fun campfire twist on an age-old dance – but obviously make sure you’ve explained the basics of fire safety first!
14. The Beatles – Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
The Beatles’ childish sense of humour allows Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da to spark joy and togetherness in kids and adults alike through its can’t-sit-still melodies and chorus ablaze with foolish randomness.
Another oldie but goldie, burning with a sunshine atmosphere which is amplified even more so within a group!