Sing along 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. 

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.

   It rolled off the table
   And onto the floor,
   And then my poor meatball
   Rolled out of the door. >>MORE LYRICS!

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.

   Cracked it open, cracked it open,
   Cracked it open just now,
   Just now I cracked it open,
   Cracked it open just now.

  It was rotten, it was rotten,
   It was rotten just now, >> MORE!
 

  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.

  The ants came marching two by two, Hurrah, Hurrah...
  The little one stopped to tie his shoe....>> MORE !
 

You're humming along already, aren't you? :-)
 

If you feel like a little adventure on the high seas, try some pirate songs >> MORE !
 

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: 

• Kids Campfire Book
• Campfire Songs
• A Little Book of Campfire Songs

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 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)
 

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 pervious 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.  >>more
 

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...!
 

Car-i-Oke ....lyrics AND music!
Need the music to help you with the tune? All-American Car-i-Oke is recommended by a grandmother who described how this CD & songbook helped her and her grandchildren not only survive but also enjoy a six-hour car ride. It's a karaoke kit for the car that contains CDs, songbooks, funny lyrics and instructions on "seat dancing."  I bought this one for my kids, and they totally love the Blues section where they get to make up their own lyrics to a blues song. Hilarious. 
 

Now, 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 husband 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!
 

 --------------
Laurel Smith is a former schoolteacher and currently a stay-at-home-mom who has logged thousands of road trip miles both as a kid and a mom.  Visit her website for more than 101 travel games and activities for kids at http://www.MomsMinivan.com

You might also enjoy other articles I have written.
 
 

Road Trip Mom recommends:

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