If you are going to lead a group in cub scout songs, the best advice for you is to have fun and get silly; in fact the sillier, the better! Cub scout age boys have more energy than anybody I know. They are just bursting at the seams. To get them to sit still long enough to get something done takes talent, patience and nerves of steel. It only there were some way to bottle that energy, we could make a fortune.
A good way to harness that energy is to get them moving. Just because they are singing doesn't mean they have to sit still with their arms folded without moving a muscle. Here are a few good cub scout songs that should work for you:
- My Bonnie: This is a good song to get the boys moving. Whenever you sing the letter "B", you go back and forth between sitting and standing. For example: My Bonnie (stand) lies over the ocean, My Bonnie (sit) lies over the sea, My Bonnie (stand) lies over the ocean. O, Bring (sit)Back (stand) my Bonnie (sit) to me. Bring (stand) Back (sit), Bring (stand) Back (sit), O Bring (stand) Back (sit) my Bonnie (stand) to me, to me. Bring (sit) Back (stand), Bring (sit) Back (stand), O Bring (sit) Back (stand) my Bonnie (sit) to me. I like to go faster each time we sing it.
- There Ain't No Bugs On Me: You can use this to teach rhyming and put the boys minds to work. Have the cub scouts make up their own words for each new verse. You only have to change two words; just change "bugs" and "mugs" for two other words that rhyme. A few of my favorites are flies & guys; bees & knees; bears & hairs; ants & pants; cougars & boogers (booger is a cool word to a cub scout!); and many more that you can think of. There are some simple hand motions you can use on the chorus; move your finger around like a flying mosquito. As you sing:"Mosquito, he fly high" lift your finger up high "Mosquito, he fly low" put your finger down low" If old skeeter lands on me" land your finger on your knee, or shoulder, or another part of your body "He ain't gonna fly now more." On the word "ain't", slap that part of the body where the skeeter landed.
- Jenny Jenkins: This is another song where the boys can make up their own verses. In the first verse, Jenny wears white. The word that rhymes with white is bright. Let the kids come up with different colors, and then think of a word that rhymes with that color. For example: red; I won't wear red, it's the color of my head. Or, I won't wear red, I'd rather stay in bed. Or, black; I won't wear black, I'd rather sit on a tack. Or, blue; I won't wear blue, I'd rather smell bobby's shoe. The possibilities are endless. Try to stick to one or two syllable colors. However, you can have a lot of fun trying to rhyme colors like "pomegranate, magenta, or lavendar".
- Waddaly Atcha:
This is another good movement song to sing while seated. The only part that moves is your hands and arms. These are the motions: Pat your legs twice; clap hands twice; pass one hand over the other twice; switch hands and do the same thing; with your index finger touch your nose then the opposite shoulder; repeat with the other index finger; wave goodbye twice with one hand; then repeat it with the other hand. That's it. Repeat over and over again until you or the boys have had enough. This is another song that is fun to speed up or slow down each time you sing it.
Chumbara: I like to use this song for all ages and groups. It's simple to learn, having only one word. It's also easy to think up new verses. Anything word or combination of words with 3 syllables works best. You can use names like Ta-ba-tha or Jen-ny-Jones. You can use food like ho-mi-ny or rasp-ber-ry. You can use places like Ne-bra-ska or I-ta-ly. You don't have to stick to 3 syllable songs; try some 1, 2 or 4 or even more and see what happens!
Cub
Cub scouts also like songs like: Do Your Ears Hang Low; Nobody Likes Me; McGregor; and I Like Bananas, Coconuts and Grapes.
Any of these songs are excellent to sing with young boys. You can also use any of the songs for boy scouts, girl scouts and church youth groups. I have written articles for each of these groups, so check them out for more ideas. I am always looking for new songs to sing around a campfire. If you have some favorites you'd like to share, I would love to hear from you.
Cub Scout Songs and How to Teach Them
Roger Turner is a campfire song enthusiast. For more great tips and advice on cub scout songs visit http://www.bestcampingsongs.com. He is also the editor of The Great American Campfire Songbook.
You cand find the words, music and chords to all the above songs in The Great American Campfire Songbook.