A crackling fire, a bag of marshmallows, and a circle of kids singing at the top of their lungs: some things never go out of style.
Whether you are camping, sitting around a backyard fire pit, or leading a scout troop, these campfire songs will keep everyone singing. We have organized more than 40 favorites into classic folk songs, funny campfire songs for kids, repeat-after-me songs that need no lyric sheet, rounds, popular singalongs for older kids and adults, and quiet songs to wind the night down.
You will also find tips for leading a singalong without an instrument and the campfire safety basics every family should know.
Key Takeaways
Repeat-after-me songs like Boom Chicka Boom and Going on a Bear Hunt need no lyric sheet, which makes them perfect for mixed groups.
Classic campfire songs like Kumbaya, Clementine, and She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain are traditional folk songs in the public domain.
Rounds like Row, Row, Row Your Boat and Fire’s Burning sound impressive with just two or three groups.
Start with loud action songs and finish with slow, quiet ones to help kids settle for sleep.
You do not need an instrument. Clapping works, and four ukulele chords cover dozens of songs.
Keep a three-foot no-go zone around the fire and always put it out completely.
Table of Contents
Classic Campfire Songs Everyone Knows
These are the traditional campfire songs that have been sung around fires for generations. Most are folk songs in the public domain, so you will find the words in any camp songbook, and chances are at least one adult in the circle knows them by heart.
Kumbaya: The gentle spiritual that practically defines campfire singing. Slow, easy, and simple to harmonize.
She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain: A cumulative song where each verse adds a sound or action. Kids love the “yee-haw” and the “whoa back” parts.
Home on the Range: A slow cowboy classic that works beautifully as the fire burns down.
Oh! Susanna: Stephen Foster’s upbeat banjo song, easy to clap along to.
I’ve Been Working on the Railroad: Long, rousing, and with a chorus kids pick up after one listen.
Down in the Valley: A quiet folk ballad with a simple melody that works for beginners on guitar or ukulele.
Clementine: A sad-silly ballad whose chorus every kid ends up singing at full volume.
Red River Valley: A soft singalong for the calmer end of the night.
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot: A traditional spiritual with a call-and-response feel.
On Top of Old Smoky: The folk original, which most kids know through its famous spaghetti parody.
Funny Campfire Songs for Kids
Silly songs are the heart of a family campfire. They are loud, repetitive, and full of actions, which is exactly why kids love them.
The Ants Go Marching: A counting song that climbs from one to ten with a silly rhyme each time. Add marching in place.
Boom Chicka Boom: A repeat-after-me chant where the leader changes the style each round: whisper, opera, cowboy, underwater.
Baby Shark: Love it or dread it, preschoolers will ask for it, and the hand motions keep little ones busy.
Down by the Bay: A rhyme-making song where kids invent absurd lines like a moose kissing a goose. Endless.
The Princess Pat: A repeat-after-me song with dramatic motions and a very serious story about a very silly ship.
Herman the Worm: A chant about a worm who keeps eating and growing. Perfect for dramatic stretching.
Bingo: Kids clap in place of each letter as the song goes on.
Little Bunny Foo Foo: A short story song with a punchline pun at the end.
The Cat Came Back: A cumulative comedy song about a cat who simply will not stay away.
Black Socks: A short round about socks that are overdue for a wash. Kids think it is hilarious.
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Echo songs are the secret weapon of every camp counselor: nobody needs to know the words in advance. The leader sings a line, the group sings it back. They are perfect for mixed groups, shy kids, and anyone who forgot the lyrics sheet.
Going on a Bear Hunt: A chant and story with actions for swishy grass, a deep river, thick mud, and a dark cave.
Boom Chicka Boom: The classic echo chant, as above.
The Princess Pat: The whole song is repeat-after-me.
Moose Song (I Went to Camp): Everything is a singalong echo, and the moose is always the star.
Bazooka Bubblegum: A repeat-after-me chant that builds and gets sillier.
Rounds for Campfires
Rounds are songs where groups start the same melody at different times, and they sound surprisingly impressive around a fire. Split into two or three groups and give each a hand signal to start.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat: The simplest round there is. Start with two groups.
Make New Friends: A gentle round that is a Girl Scout tradition.
Fire’s Burning: The ultimate campfire round, short and easy.
Frère Jacques (Are You Sleeping?): Great for bilingual families; sing it in French and English.
Kookaburra: An Australian round about a bird in a gum tree that kids love.
White Coral Bells: A quiet, pretty round for the end of the night.
Popular Singalong Songs for Older Kids and Adults
Once the little ones are tucked in, or if you have tweens and teens in the circle, these well-known singalongs are the ones the grown-ups will want. Many are copyrighted, so bring a songbook app or printed sheet rather than making copies to share.
Take Me Home, Country Roads (John Denver)
This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie)
Leaving on a Jet Plane (John Denver)
Stand by Me (Ben E. King)
Lean on Me (Bill Withers)
Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)
Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show)
Blowin’ in the Wind (Bob Dylan)
Puff the Magic Dragon (Peter, Paul and Mary)
Hey Jude (The Beatles)
Riptide (Vance Joy), a favorite for ukulele players
Quiet Campfire Songs for Winding Down
As the fire burns down, switch to slow songs. A gentle transition from loud and silly to quiet and calm helps kids settle, which makes getting them into a tent or sleeping bag a lot easier.
Kumbaya
Taps (the evening bugle call, which many camps sing with words)
Home on the Range
Down in the Valley
White Coral Bells
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, for the youngest campers
You Are My Sunshine
If you are camping with a baby or toddler, many of these double as lullabies. Our guides to the best lullabies for babies and lullaby songs have more slow, soothing choices.
How to Lead a Campfire Singalong
Start loud, end quiet. Open with action songs and echo chants while energy is high, then slow down.
Teach the chorus first. For longer songs, teach just the chorus and let the leader handle the verses.
Use actions. Hand motions help kids remember words and keep wigglers busy.
You do not need an instrument. Clapping, knee slapping, and a steady beat are plenty. A ukulele with four chords (C, G, A minor, F) covers a huge number of songs.
Let kids choose. Give each child a turn to pick the next song.
Know when to stop. Three or four songs can be plenty for preschoolers. End on a quiet one before anyone melts down.
Campfire Safety With Kids
Singing is the fun part. Fire safety is the part that keeps it fun.
Use an existing fire ring or pit, away from overhanging branches and tents, and check local fire restrictions before you light anything.
Mark a clear “no-go” zone around the fire, at least three feet, and seat kids outside it.
No running, pushing, or playing near the fire. An adult stays by the fire at all times.
Roast marshmallows with long sticks and teach kids to blow out a flaming marshmallow rather than wave it.
Keep a bucket of water and a shovel nearby, and teach kids “stop, drop, and roll.”
Put the fire out completely: drown it with water, stir the ashes, and drown it again until it is cold to the touch.
Group singing is one of the oldest ways humans bond, and for children it packs in a lot of development: rhythm and memory, vocabulary, listening, turn-taking in echo songs, and the confidence of joining a group. Repetitive songs with actions help young children build language, and quiet songs help them wind down. A campfire, where phones are away and everyone is facing the same fire, is one of the best settings there is for that kind of connection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular campfire songs?
The most popular campfire songs include Kumbaya, She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain, The Ants Go Marching, Boom Chicka Boom, Home on the Range, Clementine, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Take Me Home, Country Roads, and This Land Is Your Land.
What are good funny campfire songs for kids?
Kids love Boom Chicka Boom, Down by the Bay, The Princess Pat, The Ants Go Marching, Herman the Worm, Little Bunny Foo Foo, Bingo, and The Cat Came Back. These songs have silly lyrics, actions, or repeat-after-me lines that make them easy and fun for kids to join in.
What is a repeat-after-me campfire song?
A repeat-after-me or echo song is one where a leader sings a line and the group sings it back. Examples include Boom Chicka Boom, Going on a Bear Hunt, The Princess Pat, and the Moose Song. They are ideal for groups because nobody needs to know the words in advance.
What are easy campfire songs to play on guitar or ukulele?
Many campfire songs use just three or four chords. Down in the Valley, Clementine, Oh! Susanna, and Home on the Range work with G, C, and D on guitar. On ukulele, C, G, A minor, and F cover songs like Riptide, Stand by Me, and Leaving on a Jet Plane.
What are quiet campfire songs for the end of the night?
Slow songs like Kumbaya, Taps, Home on the Range, Down in the Valley, White Coral Bells, and You Are My Sunshine help kids wind down. Moving from loud action songs to quiet ones makes bedtime in a tent much easier.
Gentle changes, peaceful nights.
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