Sing along with these printable lyrics to kids’ classics, and you’ll be there before you know it. One of the best ways to pass the time on a long car trip with the kids is to sing your way along the highway… Belt your way along the byways! …Sing your way into the sunset!
You’ve got them trapped with you for hours on end with acoustics that rival any shower stall, so here’s your chance to have a real singing marathon and learn the old classics by heart. Nothing makes families bond like singing together.
Click here for the Full Song Lyrics that you can print! This is the full lyrics to all of the songs on this page.
Start with some silly kid songs!
You’ll be surprised at how many you can remember from your own youth. Once you start, you might not be able to stop. Remember this one?…
On Top of Spaghetti (to the tune of Old Smokey)
On top of spaghetti
All covered with cheese,
I lost my poor meatball,
When somebody sneezed.
Or how about these?
Found A Peanut (to the tune of Clementine)
Found a peanut, found a peanut, Found a peanut just now, Just now I found a peanut, Found a peanut just now.
The Ants Came Marching (to the tune of Johnny Comes Marching Home)
The ants came marching one by one, Hurrah, Hurrah, The ants came marching one by one, Hurrah, Hurrah, The ants came marching one by one, The little one stopped to suck his thumb, And they all went marching down Into the ground, do-do-do-do, boom, boom, boom…
You’re humming along already, aren’t you? 🙂
For the real classics, get yourself a good song book.
You probably remember the tunes, but the words may have escaped you over time. It surprising how many songs you think you know, but you can’t remember all the words. Get a good songbook with all the lyrics and keep it in the car at all times. Look for campfire song books such as these:
Most of those also include the chords in case you are adventurous enough to try to play them on a guitar. Kids might love to learn to play ukulele which wouldn’t be completely out of the question on a road trip!
Sing some easy repetitive songs for pre-schoolers, and add your own verses.
Preschoolers thrive on routine and repetition. For a twist, throw in a few crazy lyrics of your own and see who can make up funny new lines for songs that everyone knows. Even a two-year-old can appreciate the humor in singing silly songs.
Here’s one you can try “He’s Got the Whole World“:
CHORUS
He’s got the whole world, in his hands,
He’s got the whole wide world, in his hands,
He’s got the whole world, in his hands,
He’s got the whole world in his hands!
He’s got the little bitty baby, in his hands… (3 times)
He’s got you and me, brother, in his hands… (3 times)
He’s got you and me, sister, in his hands… (3 times)
Then you start adding our own lines here, like “He’s got the mammas and the papas”, or “He’s got the furry old dogs…”
Preschoolers also like action songs. Add your own verses to these too! Try If You’re Happy And You Know It (clap your hands) or Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes (point to each body part while you sing).
Print the lyrics to take with you on the road:
If you’re feeling adventurous, sing a “round”!
Round singing is singing a song in multiple parts, with each part starting somewhat after the one that came before it. Everyone sings the same lyrics, but begins their part a line or two into the first one’s.
Take Row Row Your Boat for example — The first person beings singing. The second person waits and begins singing the first line of the song just as the previous person starts to sing the second line of the song. Each person continues singing the song from start to end. You can do the parts in groups, or one part for as many people as you have singing. In the end, the person or group who started last will be the only one left singing as they finish their last line.
After you’ve mastered Row Your Boat, Freres Jacques also makes a great round.
Don’t forget the folk songs!
How about She’ll be coming round the Mountain or I’ve Been Working On the Railroad. Then there’s Clementine, which is a good one to have one person sing the verses and everyone else join in on the chorus. Listen carefully to the humorous lyrics as they tell the story.
Clementine:
In a cavern, in a canyon, Excavating for a mine,
Lived a miner, forty-niner, And his daughter Clementine.
Oh my darling, oh my darling, Oh my darling Clementine
You are lost and gone forever, Oh my darling, Clementine.
Feeling patriotic? Practice the National Anthem! Make sure your kids know all the words, and talk about what it means. Sing other patriotic songs too, like America the Beautiful or Grand Ol’ Flag.
Feelin spiritual?Try Kum Ba Yah or Amazing Grace.
Don’t forget the show tunes! Get the audio sound track of your favorites and sing along to Camelot or Paint Your Wagon. It is definitely different, which is why it’s fun and will keep you occupied.
And, if you’re really desperate, you can always sing all hundred verses of 99 Bottles…!
Try some Pirate Songs!
Sometimes you just have to get aboard and travel the roads like the high seas! If you feel like a little adventure click here for my list of Pirate songs you can print! In fact, learn to travel like pirates entirely!
Car-i-Oke ….with a usable microphone!
This wireless mic will Bluetooth to your car through the FM radio tuner or with an attached cord. Then you can sing along to karaoke music or even just to regular music on your car radio!
Recreate the fun of James Cordon and his carpool karaoke videos!
If you’d rather sing along to some music, here is a collection of “road trip” themed songs that I put together for the Ultimate Road Trip Playlist.
Whatever you do, don’t concern yourself with how you think you sound when you sing. You’re probably a lot better than you think. I know I was really surprised at what a great voice my spouse had the first time we did some road trip singing together. If you’re even halfway trying, you’re kids will appreciate the effort. They just know that it’s a really fun part of a family vacation.
Whatever you do, just keep singing — you’re almost there!
Click here for a Printable Page with all the full lyrics to the kids songs on this page!
