Category: Music

If You’re Happy and You Know It: Extreme Version

Photo Ben Stapley, 2012

I call it “HAYKI.”  I have used this song for years on kids and they can’t get enough of it.  I have written 400 lines to the song and here they are for your use with kids groups.  I just ask that you don’t sell this in any way, shape, or form.  You can freely use this for free purposes.

Basically, you say the lines below in place of “if you’re happy and you know it.”  The kids then clap or don’t clap depending on if the line applies to them or not.  It’s only fun if you actually SING the words.

My lines are written for summer camp time, so some of the lines are particular to summer camp.

Set #1 – First Day of Camp

  1. hungry
  2. sleepy
  3. love Camp ___________
  4. have a best friend
  5. took a shower today
  6. did not take a shower today
  7. wearing deodorant
  8. not wearing deodorant
  9. have a boyfriend/girlfriend
  10. born in the 90’s
  11. still watch Dora the Explorer
  12. farted at least once today
  13. eat your boogers
  14. have a little sister
  15. are an only child
  16. have more than five siblings
  17. ever failed a test
  18. have a Facebook account
  19. have a Twitter account
  20. love your counselors
  21. fold your toilet paper
  22. crumple your toilet paper
  23. ever plugged a toilet
  24. read War and Peace
  25. from….. (name any city, state, or country)
  26. speak another language
  27. like the…. (name any college or professional sports team)
  28. wet your bed
  29. still wear diapers
  30. climbed the rock wall
  31. your shoe is untied
  32. have a broken bone
  33. never broke a bone
  34. birthday is in July
  35. birthday is in December
  36. old enough to vote
  37. old enough to drive
  38. driven a car
  39. short enough for the playplace at McDonalds
  40. have head lice
  41. have strep throat
  42. have pink eye
  43. like M&M’s
  44. hate M&M’s
  45. want me to stop singing this song
  46. want me to keep singing this song
  47. love Jesus Christ
  48. really like this game
  49. on the _________ team (colors, groups, churches, etc.)
  50. never been skiing

Set #2

  1. made your bed today
  2. didn’t make your bed today
  3. have lots of freckles
  4. have red hair
  5. have blonde hair
  6. don’t know what color hair you have
  7. allergic to nuts
  8. allergic to bee stings
  9. allergic to dairy
  10. allergic to boys
  11. allergic to girls
  12. drink lots of coffee
  13. think coffee is gross
  14. do your own laundry
  15. never clean your clothes
  16. have a birthmark
  17. know all 50 U.S capitols
  18. been to the state fair
  19. you’re a vegetarian
  20. never rode a ferris wheel
  21. can solve a rubix cube
  22. have blue eyes
  23. can juggle 3 balls
  24. have diarrhea
  25. have constipation
  26. want to keep singing this song
  27. born in another country
  28. have a sunburn
  29. know my last name
  30. know my wife’s name
  31. know my daughter’s name
  32. can say the “abc’s” backwards
  33. still sleep with a stuffed animal
  34. still sleep with a blankie
  35. like to eat asparagus
  36. get your clothes at Walmart
  37. can’t wait until Christmas
  38. know who’s on a $20 bill (Andrew Jackson)
  39. you are a twin
  40. you are a triplet
  41. still use a sippy cup
  42. still get happy meals
  43. earn your own money
  44. believe in the Bible
  45. think Satan is a dweeb
  46. do your own stunts
  47. have a Roth IRA
  48. played in the rain (if it rained)
  49. out of clean clothes

Set #3

  1. wearing green (or any other color)
  2. have your own computer
  3. you are chewing gum
  4. thrown up at camp
  5. made a new friend at camp
  6. no longer have your appendix
  7. you deliver newspapers
  8. Dad is a trucker
  9. Dad is a farmer
  10. ever pet a snake
  11. you can cross your eyes
  12. know who Judy Garland is
  13. your church has a steeple
  14. your Mom is a teacher
  15. your Mom is a lawyer
  16. been to the principle’s office
  17. squished a caterpillar
  18. wish you were a bird
  19. eaten raw cookie dough
  20. eaten a whole stick of butter
  21. crashed your scooter
  22. crashed your bike
  23. have a piggy bank
  24. remember Reading Rainbow
  25. have an Elmo doll
  26. play with transformers
  27. your car has hairballs
  28. wash your parents’ car
  29. know the capital of Kentucky
  30. ever changed a diaper
  31. you are engaged
  32. you are pregnant
  33. you really like this song
  34. have a unibrow
  35. still can’t tie a shoe
  36. know 17 x 3
  37. can change a flat tire
  38. have a secret candy stash
  39. broken something expensive
  40. love Jesus Christ
  41. you are tired
  42. you have spent all your money
  43. still have all your money
  44. you owe your friend money
  45. your friend owes you money
  46. someone stole your money
  47. you stole someone’s money
  48. know what today is
  49. know the price of gas right now
  50. know the price of a gallon of milk

Set #4

  1. know the year of US independence
  2. know how old that makes the US? (236 on July 4th, 2012)
  3. ever been to Rushmore
  4. ever been to Yellowstone
  5. want me to stop singing this song
  6. like Blue Bell ice cream
  7. had to see the camp nurse
  8. have never seen the camp nurse
  9. know the camp nurse’s name
  10. can name all the adult leaders
  11. drool on your pillow
  12. your friend snores in their sleep
  13. your counselor/adult leader snores in their sleep
  14. like ping pong
  15. you’ll miss your new friends when camp is over
  16. you’ve started a “relationship” at camp (not recommended)
  17. still have some baby teeth
  18. lost all your baby teeth
  19. are currently missing a tooth
  20. have a pet ferret
  21. have a secret crush
  22. like to shop at Walmart
  23. have a hunting license
  24. never fired a gun
  25. can’t wait for school
  26. family is moving this summer
  27. love ________ (camp name)
  28. love Jesus Christ
  29. been bit by a snake
  30. been stung by a bee
  31. have living great-grandparents
  32. been to the rodeo
  33. been to the circus
  34. want to run away with the circus
  35. think your friend belongs in the circus
  36. think clowns are funny
  37. think clowns are scary
  38. galloped on a horse
  39. lassoed a calf
  40. think Bigfoot is alive and well
  41. don’t have a TV
  42. have a TV in your room
  43. share your bedroom
  44. been to Disney World
  45. been to Washington DC
  46. been to Alaska
  47. like the dinner last night
  48. wanna be like Jesus
  49. brought your Bible with you
  50. smell really bad

Set #5

  1. got in trouble this week
  2. got closer to Jesus this week
  3. learned about the Bible
  4. don’t want to go home
  5. didn’t sleep last night
  6. forgot what your parents look like
  7. want to come back next year
  8. swam in the pool
  9. drank lots of water
  10. have not drank any water yet
  11. counselor smells bad
  12. have a brother or sister at camp
  13. know the Bible verse
  14. chewing gum right now
  15. like Justin Beiber
  16. hate Justin Beiber
  17. can name all 3 stooges
  18. have an innie
  19. have an outie
  20. can text really fast
  21. your Dad could beat me up
  22. I could beat up your Dad
  23. think that I’m a good juggler
  24. you are engaged
  25. you are married
  26. have more than 5 siblings
  27. wearing orange
  28. thanked the cooks
  29. having fun at camp
  30. think this is all a dream
  31. shoe’s untied
  32. ever slept in church
  33. been bit by a snake
  34. you’re tired of this game
  35. your Dad has a truck
  36. your Mom has a truck
  37. been to Europe
  38. know where I’m from
  39. have to go to the bathroom – now
  40. are currently going to the bathroom
  41. can do the splits
  42. can do the moonwalk
  43. first year at camp
  44. you live at this camp
  45. had fun today
  46. love Jesus Christ
  47. got in trouble today
  48. feel closer to Jesus this week
  49. learned about the Bible this week
  50. don’t want to go home

Set #6

  1. ever gotten detention
  2. wearing blinkie shoes
  3. ever kissed a frog……did a prince appear?
  4. been to NYC
  5. ever had braces
  6. have a rat tail
  7. can name 3 commandments
  8. can name all 4 Gospels
  9. can play the piano
  10. ever been on TV
  11. ever been in the newspaper
  12. been skiing before
  13. never been skiing
  14. have a pet hamster
  15. have a pet dog
  16. have a pet cat
  17. have a pet bird
  18. have a pet fish
  19. have a pet bear
  20. want a pet bear
  21. have a baby brother
  22. floss your teeth
  23. last name starts with “Z”
  24. birthday is today
  25. birthday is Christmas
  26. allergic to your neighbor
  27. want to be an astronaut
  28. missing two front teeth
  29. love Jesus Christ
  30. like bird watching
  31. still haven’t taken a shower all week
  32. had a lemonade stand
  33. you’re bonkers for Jesus
  34. know who shot Lincoln (John Wilkes Booth)
  35. know who shot Kennedy (Lee Harvey Oswald)
  36. know who shot the man who shot Kennedy (Jack Ruby)
  37. been to Mexico
  38. fluent in Spanish
  39. have a sunburn
  40. ever started a fire
  41. you’re read the whole Bible
  42. have had perfect attendance in school
  43. seen the Grand Canyon
  44. ever been in an earthquake
  45. ever survived a tornado
  46. want to go to college
  47. know how old I am
  48. ever gotten lost at Walmart
  49. know the capital of Albania
  50. ever flown in a plane

Set #7

  1. never flown in a plane
  2. ever driven a tractor
  3. own a cowboy hat
  4. love Jesus Christ
  5. wanna be a juggler when you grow up
  6. have ever had your picture in the newspaper
  7. can count to 10 in French
  8. like to build forts
  9. like to camp outside
  10. have your own credit card
  11. like to climb mountains
  12. like to dig tunnels
  13. like to bury yourself in sand
  14. still don’t know my name
  15. know my middle name
  16. ever been struck by lightning
  17. know all 7 dwarves
  18. can name all the reindeer
  19. been to a NASCAR race
  20. ever saw Mr. Rogers
  21. ever shot a deer
  22. ever shot a bunny
  23. know the price of gas
  24. Mom has gotten a speeding ticket
  25. Dad has gotten a speeding ticket
  26. you have gotten a speeding ticket
  27. sold stuff door-to-door
  28. sleep with a blankie
  29. like the worship songs
  30. wearing yellow
  31. seen a lizard at camp
  32. like coming to chapel
  33. hate Satan
  34. love Jesus Christ
  35. wearing glasses
  36. can cross your eyes
  37. know someone in the military
  38. in boy scouts
  39. in girl scouts
  40. love girl scout cookies
  41. know how to change a baby’s diaper
  42. can wiggle your ears
  43. know that Jesus loves you
  44. remember Hurricane Katrina
  45. do your own laundry
  46. really good at the limbo
  47. like cheeseburgers
  48. get the crown hat at Burger King
  49. get Happy Meals at McDonalds
  50. had to go to the emergency room
  51. make your own chocolate chip cookies

Set #8 – Last Day of Camp

  1. going home today
  2. staying here forever
  3. church bus is taking you home
  4. your Mom is picking you up
  5. your Dad is picking you up
  6. your grandparents are picking you up
  7. Captain America is picking you up
  8. going to sleep on the way home
  9. spent all your money
  10. still have all your money
  11. haven’t taken a shower all week
  12. never made your bed at camp
  13. coming back next summer
  14. feel closer to Jesus
  15. made a new friend at camp
  16. started a “relationship” at camp
  17. going to be a fan of “Jesse the Juggler” on facebook (if you’re 13 or older)
  18. going to play this game with your friends at home
  19. miss your dog
  20. miss your cat
  21. miss your pet bear
  22. have the longest ride home today
  23. have the shortest ride home today
  24. been scuba diving
  25. didn’t sleep last night
  26. wanna be a counselor when you grow up
  27. wanna be a teacher when you grow up
  28. wanna be a mailman when you grow up
  29. wanna be a doctor when you grow up
  30. wanna be a guy who sings Happy & You Know It to kids when u grow up
  31. your counselor/leader needs a date
  32. you’ve ever had chicken pox
  33. think the sound guy is cute
  34. you’re going to sleep in tomorrow
  35. your favorite time of year is summer
  36. your Mom makes your clothes
  37. you make your own clothes
  38. you are left-handed
  39. you are right-handed
  40. you are both-handed (ambidextrous)
  41. like to look at the stars
  42. like to watch fireworks
  43. really like this game
  44. going to miss me
  45. not going to miss me
  46. remember my daughter’s name
  47. love the Bible
  48. love Jesus Christ

Some lines for the Adults and Leaders

  1. gotten a speeding ticket
  2. snooped in your kid’s room (if you have kids)
  3. wish you could have PDA at camp
  4. know all your kids’ names
  5. love country music
  6. hate country music
  7. once were a hippie
  8. ever had a mullet
  9. thought Tom Selleck was hot
  10. have never sent a text
  11. don’t know what Twitter is
  12. homeschool your kids
  13. teacher
  14. doctor
  15. laywer
  16. nurse
  17. pastor
  18. stay-at-home Mom or Dad
  19. retired
  20. still don’t know what you wanna be when you grow up
  21. gotten a ticket or busted for worse than speeding (we won’t ask)
  22. punished the wrong kid
  23. have a secret candy stash
  24. forgot someone’s birthday
  25. forgot your own Anniversary
  26. still suck your thumb
  27. sleep with a Teddy Bear
  28. watched the first moonwalk live on TV
  29. read the whole Bible
  30. ever put your pants on backwards
  31. can do the moonwalk
  32. were a Whitney Houston fan
  33. like your kids at camp
  34. have “that one kid” here at camp
  35. if “that one kid” is your own child
  36. can text faster than you can talk
  37. can solve a rubix cube
  38. ever been skydiving
  39. miss playing the original Nintendo
  40. were alive when JFK was shot
  41. ever had an 80’s perm
  42. played college sports
  43. sponsor a Compassion or World Vision child
  44. think you pay too many taxes
  45. your garden is dying at home while you’re here at camp
  46. you mow the lawn
  47. you’ve never mowed the lawn
  48. have exercised to a Richard Simmons video
  49. remember a day when there was no internet
  50. still have a land line phone
  51. still write cards and letters by hand
  52. love Jesus Christ

Freeze Dance

Kids dancing at Dare2Run Camp in Trinity, Texas, 2012

Here is a brand new game (to me) that worked GREAT at all the summer camps I’ve spoken at so far this summer.  You can play this in most any setting with kids and with any number of kids….

Name of the Game: Freeze Dance

Point of the Game: Dance when you hear the music.  Freeze when it stops.  Follow the caller’s instructions.

How to Play: Play music for the kids.  I used a great remix version of the theme to Chariots of Fire by DJ Hush, which has the epoch slow part at the beginning and then a electronic dance-party remix sound to the rest of the song.  Then pause the music whenever you like and tell the kids to freeze.  They need to dance slow when there is slow music and fast when there is fast music.  Each time they freeze, I tell them a command that they must perform on the next freeze (i.e. stand on one foot, touch a friend, etc.).  They only need to do one command at a time (in other words, commands don’t “carry over” from one freeze frame to another).

Versions: You can play the elimination version (kids get kicked out when they move during the freeze time) or the “everybody plays” version, where there is no elimination.  Honestly, I like the “everybody plays” version much better.  The kids might not freeze as perfectly as they would otherwise if there were elimination, but they still play and participate enough for it to be a lot of fun.  Besides, you don’t want too many kids sitting around waiting for the next game to start.

Ideas for Freeze Commands (each time they freeze, tell them they need to move in the direction of freezing in this next command while the music plays):

  • stand on one foot
  • touch a friend
  • touch an adult
  • touch a chair
  • touch at least 3 chairs
  • touch someone wearing blue
  • strike a lawn care pose (lawnmower, sprinkler, etc.)
  • strike a sporting pose (favorite sport or game)
  • play dead (this one is hilarious)
  • play roadkill (playing dead with arms and legs sticking straight up in the air)
  • form a large circle
  • make a conga line (and have them dance it when the music starts again)
  • look happy
  • look sad
  • (the ideas are endless)

Want more creative ideas for Family and Children’s Ministry? Click here to sign up for my free monthly e-newsletter.

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Top 10 Christian Songs for Little Kids

I just got this e-mail from a friend of mine this morning.  He and his wife are the parents of twin 3-year-old boys:

I thought of you yesterday because I was tryin to think of other religious songs to sing for my kids. The only one I really know is “Jesus loves me this I know”.  Can you tell me some other Christian songs that you might do with 3 year olds?

I gave him some recommendations and thought I would share it in this blog.  Some of my suggestions for him are listed here but since I wrote back to him I thought of some more and figured I would make a top ten list.  Each song has a link to a video that may or may not flatter the song itself….

10. Count Your Blessings

Starting our list is this classic song that is a simple poem about counting our many blessings.  Its not as famous as the other songs but you can hear what it sounds like here.

9. Father Abraham

I only list this because everyone knows it and it has fun actions for the kids.  It has a Biblical theme to it, but not a ton of theological depth.  The redeeming lyrics are “and I am one of them, so let’s just praise the Lord…”  Other than that, the song is about a man with lots of kids and how to move your arms and legs (which is fun).  If you want to see a very disturbing rendition of this song, click here. And if you want a more hip, updated version that is perfect for millenials, then click here.

8. Deep and Wide

What kid doesn’t want to move their arms in the motions of deep and wide?  It is simple and its about a fountain of water (metaphor for God’s overflowing love).  Here is a video that will show you the words, the motions, and a very intense lead singer.

7. The Butterfly Song

Psalty the Singing Songbook made this song famous.  It has a country folk feel to it and it sings through lots of animals (which kids love) and talks about how we’re thankful that God made us the way he made us.  This song brings back lots of happy memories for me because I sang it a lot as a kid.  Here is the Psalty version of the song.

6. Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah, Praise Ye the Lord

Stand up, sit down, sing some words, and repeat.  Its one of those fun kids songs.  Here’s a video of a group doing it in India if I had to guess.

5. I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart

Another Psalty classic, though it was originally written by a Unitarian minister (George Willis Cooke) sometime in the late 19th Century/Early 20th Century.  Kids love it because it is repetitive, has lots of fast lyrics, and a hand-clapping rhythm.  Here is a simple video that clearly shows how the song goes.

4. He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

Who doesn’t know this song?  Well, 3 year olds don’t, so we need to teach it to them!  To hear one of the greats (Mahalia Jackson) sing it, click here.

3. This Little Light of Mine

Another beautiful spiritual.  Kids love the motion of holding their finger like a candle (great thing to teach kids, of course!).  Hey, its so popular, even the boss does it!

2. Jesus Loves the Little Children

I love this song because it teaches kids early on that God made all races and colors of people equal in His sight.  Studies show that kids show racist tendencies from early on, so anything to teach them about racial equality from a young age is super!  While this video means well, unfortunately the Jesus in the pictures is always white.

1. Jesus Loves Me

This is the song my friend already knows but I have to list it first because if you want to sing your kid a song about Jesus, this is so theologically solid yet pure and simple at the same time.  This girl learned how to sing in church, so I guess church songs aren’t that bad after all….

Want more great ideas for songs and games to use with kids in church? Sign up for my free newsletter here.

Library Surprises


Have you ever gone to the library for certain books and left with a stack of completely different books? If you do that with your grocery list at the grocery store (too many times) you might spend too much money in life. But libraries are FREE!

I went to Union Seminary library in Richmond today with a few books in mind. I instead found a small stack that was different than I intended, but they look like great reads. I started two of them today and I am looking forward to digging into both. The titles and authors are pictured above. Have you visited your local library lately?

Book Review – No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green


Melody Green and David Hazard, No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2000), 392 pgs. (Paperback)

After graduating from seminary, I all of a sudden have time to read non-required reading. I started with No Compromise by Melody Green, the wife of the late Keith Green. Keith was one of the most passionate, sincere, poetic, and Spirit-inspired Christian musicians of the past century.

I devoured this book during my free time at camp in Florida last week. I could not put the book down, partly because his life story is so captivating and partly because the book is written in such a readable storytelling format. Melody co-wrote the book with a guy named David Hazard, who I guess is an experienced editor/author.

Keith Green is probably best known for some of the songs he put out, such as “Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful” and “The Easter Song.” He tragically died in a plane crash with two of his young children in 1982. He was only 28 years old.

The book chronicles the life of Keith from the cradle to the grave. He grew up as a child music prodigy, coming close to making it big in the secular music world. When it was evident that his “big break” was not coming, he slid into the hippie-drug movement of the 70’s. His spiritual search led him through every type of Eastern religion, cult, and new age philosophy. He found nothing except psychedelic drug experiences.

Then he came across the words and teachings of Jesus Christ (not organized Christianity, to which he was antagonistic). Over time, the life of Jesus and the message of full forgiveness through the love and sacrifice of Jesus appealed to him as the true way of life. That began a journey of struggling to follow Jesus and make music. He took the non-traditional route of musicians by refusing to charge for concerts or albums. He also took the non-traditional route of Christians by taking people into his home – hitchhikers, pregnant teens, and others who were “down-and-out” with no place to go. As his ministry grew, he and his wife had taken in some 70 people into their “commune” (they had to keep buying and renting more houses in their suburban neighborhood in order to keep providing space for all these people).

His concerts and music were very “in your face.” His talent was good enough to let him rub shoulders with people like Bob Dylan. Fame was at his doorstep. But his heart was to bring the message of God’s love to the world. He would challenge Christians with lyrics such as “How can you be so dead, when you’ve been so well fed? Jesus rose from the dead and you can’t even get out of bed!”

It was a warm Texas evening when Keith went on a joy ride in a plane with some friends. He took two of his children with him, leaving his pregnant wife and an infant child behind. Keith’s plane went down shortly after taking off, killing all 12 people on board. His death was a loss to the world. But Melody shares in the book that after Keith died, the Lord put a verse on her heart: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, then it produces many seeds.” Keith’s life and legacy spoke to the urgency of God’s good news to the world – that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. And salvation is God’s desire for every human on this earth – so those in the fold need to go out and tell the world about God’s love for them. He wanted to please God, help the needy, and be Christ to the world. Though he wasn’t perfect (he didn’t claim to be), God used him in mighty ways.

The book itself is a mixture of narrative, song lyrics, and journal entries from Keith’s personal journal. Many characters show up in the story, but Melody keeps the reader on track when plotting through his life story. In many ways, the book is about Melody and her own personal spiritual struggles and journey. She lost a husband and two children, so the telling of this story is just as much hers as it is Keith’s. She ends the book with an epilogue that updates the reader on how things are going in her life currently (the edition I read updated the reader up to 1987). I believe there is an edition out for the year 2000 or 2001. She may have another update in that one.

Please read this book. Brace yourself for quite a ride. You will not want to live life the same after reading this book. One of my favorite parts is when Melody shares about Keith’s “ahah” moment when reading the sermons of Charles Finney. He had a midnight encounter with the Holy Spirit while reading these sermons. He was so excited that he ran through his commune at 5 or 6 in the morning to wake everybody up and tell them about the wonderful love of God and the powerful move of the Holy Spirit that he experienced. That began a commune-wide revival that included prayer, sharing, communal confessions, worship and teaching. Hey, sounds like the church in Acts 2 if you ask me.

I wish there were more pictures in the book. I also wish Melody would have shared the “song story” (which she tells many) of “Song for Josiah.” But that is my personal preference since I love that song (it is written to his son shortly after Josiah was born). There’s more I could ramble about, but as they would say in Reading Rainbow back in the 80’s, “why don’t you see for yourself…”

By the way, I looked around on google and youtube and there are some great videos of Keith Green. Here are the best ones I could find:

“Your Love Broke Through”: The Life Story of Keith Green, narrated by Toby Mac

Performance of “Your Love Broke Through” on the 700 Club

Performance of “Asleep in the Light” at a Christian Music Festival

Teaching on “Devotions or Devotion”

Here is the official website for Last Days Ministries, the ministry started by Keith and Melody:

www.keithgreen.com or www.lastdaysministries.org (the same website)

The book can be found and purchased for less than $11 at Amazon.com by clicking here