Category: Music
If You’re Happy and You Know It: Extreme Version
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
- hungry
- sleepy
- love Camp ___________
- have a best friend
- took a shower today
- did not take a shower today
- wearing deodorant
- not wearing deodorant
- have a boyfriend/girlfriend
- born in the 90’s
- still watch Dora the Explorer
- farted at least once today
- eat your boogers
- have a little sister
- are an only child
- have more than five siblings
- ever failed a test
- have a Facebook account
- have a Twitter account
- love your counselors
- fold your toilet paper
- crumple your toilet paper
- ever plugged a toilet
- read War and Peace
- from….. (name any city, state, or country)
- speak another language
- like the…. (name any college or professional sports team)
- wet your bed
- still wear diapers
- climbed the rock wall
- your shoe is untied
- have a broken bone
- never broke a bone
- birthday is in July
- birthday is in December
- old enough to vote
- old enough to drive
- driven a car
- short enough for the playplace at McDonalds
- have head lice
- have strep throat
- have pink eye
- like M&M’s
- hate M&M’s
- want me to stop singing this song
- want me to keep singing this song
- love Jesus Christ
- really like this game
- on the _________ team (colors, groups, churches, etc.)
- never been skiing
Set #2
- made your bed today
- didn’t make your bed today
- have lots of freckles
- have red hair
- have blonde hair
- don’t know what color hair you have
- allergic to nuts
- allergic to bee stings
- allergic to dairy
- allergic to boys
- allergic to girls
- drink lots of coffee
- think coffee is gross
- do your own laundry
- never clean your clothes
- have a birthmark
- know all 50 U.S capitols
- been to the state fair
- you’re a vegetarian
- never rode a ferris wheel
- can solve a rubix cube
- have blue eyes
- can juggle 3 balls
- have diarrhea
- have constipation
- want to keep singing this song
- born in another country
- have a sunburn
- know my last name
- know my wife’s name
- know my daughter’s name
- can say the “abc’s” backwards
- still sleep with a stuffed animal
- still sleep with a blankie
- like to eat asparagus
- get your clothes at Walmart
- can’t wait until Christmas
- know who’s on a $20 bill (Andrew Jackson)
- you are a twin
- you are a triplet
- still use a sippy cup
- still get happy meals
- earn your own money
- believe in the Bible
- think Satan is a dweeb
- do your own stunts
- have a Roth IRA
- played in the rain (if it rained)
- out of clean clothes
Set #3
- wearing green (or any other color)
- have your own computer
- you are chewing gum
- thrown up at camp
- made a new friend at camp
- no longer have your appendix
- you deliver newspapers
- Dad is a trucker
- Dad is a farmer
- ever pet a snake
- you can cross your eyes
- know who Judy Garland is
- your church has a steeple
- your Mom is a teacher
- your Mom is a lawyer
- been to the principle’s office
- squished a caterpillar
- wish you were a bird
- eaten raw cookie dough
- eaten a whole stick of butter
- crashed your scooter
- crashed your bike
- have a piggy bank
- remember Reading Rainbow
- have an Elmo doll
- play with transformers
- your car has hairballs
- wash your parents’ car
- know the capital of Kentucky
- ever changed a diaper
- you are engaged
- you are pregnant
- you really like this song
- have a unibrow
- still can’t tie a shoe
- know 17 x 3
- can change a flat tire
- have a secret candy stash
- broken something expensive
- love Jesus Christ
- you are tired
- you have spent all your money
- still have all your money
- you owe your friend money
- your friend owes you money
- someone stole your money
- you stole someone’s money
- know what today is
- know the price of gas right now
- know the price of a gallon of milk
Set #4
- know the year of US independence
- know how old that makes the US? (236 on July 4th, 2012)
- ever been to Rushmore
- ever been to Yellowstone
- want me to stop singing this song
- like Blue Bell ice cream
- had to see the camp nurse
- have never seen the camp nurse
- know the camp nurse’s name
- can name all the adult leaders
- drool on your pillow
- your friend snores in their sleep
- your counselor/adult leader snores in their sleep
- like ping pong
- you’ll miss your new friends when camp is over
- you’ve started a “relationship” at camp (not recommended)
- still have some baby teeth
- lost all your baby teeth
- are currently missing a tooth
- have a pet ferret
- have a secret crush
- like to shop at Walmart
- have a hunting license
- never fired a gun
- can’t wait for school
- family is moving this summer
- love ________ (camp name)
- love Jesus Christ
- been bit by a snake
- been stung by a bee
- have living great-grandparents
- been to the rodeo
- been to the circus
- want to run away with the circus
- think your friend belongs in the circus
- think clowns are funny
- think clowns are scary
- galloped on a horse
- lassoed a calf
- think Bigfoot is alive and well
- don’t have a TV
- have a TV in your room
- share your bedroom
- been to Disney World
- been to Washington DC
- been to Alaska
- like the dinner last night
- wanna be like Jesus
- brought your Bible with you
- smell really bad
Set #5
- got in trouble this week
- got closer to Jesus this week
- learned about the Bible
- don’t want to go home
- didn’t sleep last night
- forgot what your parents look like
- want to come back next year
- swam in the pool
- drank lots of water
- have not drank any water yet
- counselor smells bad
- have a brother or sister at camp
- know the Bible verse
- chewing gum right now
- like Justin Beiber
- hate Justin Beiber
- can name all 3 stooges
- have an innie
- have an outie
- can text really fast
- your Dad could beat me up
- I could beat up your Dad
- think that I’m a good juggler
- you are engaged
- you are married
- have more than 5 siblings
- wearing orange
- thanked the cooks
- having fun at camp
- think this is all a dream
- shoe’s untied
- ever slept in church
- been bit by a snake
- you’re tired of this game
- your Dad has a truck
- your Mom has a truck
- been to Europe
- know where I’m from
- have to go to the bathroom – now
- are currently going to the bathroom
- can do the splits
- can do the moonwalk
- first year at camp
- you live at this camp
- had fun today
- love Jesus Christ
- got in trouble today
- feel closer to Jesus this week
- learned about the Bible this week
- don’t want to go home
Set #6
- ever gotten detention
- wearing blinkie shoes
- ever kissed a frog……did a prince appear?
- been to NYC
- ever had braces
- have a rat tail
- can name 3 commandments
- can name all 4 Gospels
- can play the piano
- ever been on TV
- ever been in the newspaper
- been skiing before
- never been skiing
- have a pet hamster
- have a pet dog
- have a pet cat
- have a pet bird
- have a pet fish
- have a pet bear
- want a pet bear
- have a baby brother
- floss your teeth
- last name starts with “Z”
- birthday is today
- birthday is Christmas
- allergic to your neighbor
- want to be an astronaut
- missing two front teeth
- love Jesus Christ
- like bird watching
- still haven’t taken a shower all week
- had a lemonade stand
- you’re bonkers for Jesus
- know who shot Lincoln (John Wilkes Booth)
- know who shot Kennedy (Lee Harvey Oswald)
- know who shot the man who shot Kennedy (Jack Ruby)
- been to Mexico
- fluent in Spanish
- have a sunburn
- ever started a fire
- you’re read the whole Bible
- have had perfect attendance in school
- seen the Grand Canyon
- ever been in an earthquake
- ever survived a tornado
- want to go to college
- know how old I am
- ever gotten lost at Walmart
- know the capital of Albania
- ever flown in a plane
Set #7
- never flown in a plane
- ever driven a tractor
- own a cowboy hat
- love Jesus Christ
- wanna be a juggler when you grow up
- have ever had your picture in the newspaper
- can count to 10 in French
- like to build forts
- like to camp outside
- have your own credit card
- like to climb mountains
- like to dig tunnels
- like to bury yourself in sand
- still don’t know my name
- know my middle name
- ever been struck by lightning
- know all 7 dwarves
- can name all the reindeer
- been to a NASCAR race
- ever saw Mr. Rogers
- ever shot a deer
- ever shot a bunny
- know the price of gas
- Mom has gotten a speeding ticket
- Dad has gotten a speeding ticket
- you have gotten a speeding ticket
- sold stuff door-to-door
- sleep with a blankie
- like the worship songs
- wearing yellow
- seen a lizard at camp
- like coming to chapel
- hate Satan
- love Jesus Christ
- wearing glasses
- can cross your eyes
- know someone in the military
- in boy scouts
- in girl scouts
- love girl scout cookies
- know how to change a baby’s diaper
- can wiggle your ears
- know that Jesus loves you
- remember Hurricane Katrina
- do your own laundry
- really good at the limbo
- like cheeseburgers
- get the crown hat at Burger King
- get Happy Meals at McDonalds
- had to go to the emergency room
- make your own chocolate chip cookies
Set #8 – Last Day of Camp
- going home today
- staying here forever
- church bus is taking you home
- your Mom is picking you up
- your Dad is picking you up
- your grandparents are picking you up
- Captain America is picking you up
- going to sleep on the way home
- spent all your money
- still have all your money
- haven’t taken a shower all week
- never made your bed at camp
- coming back next summer
- feel closer to Jesus
- made a new friend at camp
- started a “relationship” at camp
- going to be a fan of “Jesse the Juggler” on facebook (if you’re 13 or older)
- going to play this game with your friends at home
- miss your dog
- miss your cat
- miss your pet bear
- have the longest ride home today
- have the shortest ride home today
- been scuba diving
- didn’t sleep last night
- wanna be a counselor when you grow up
- wanna be a teacher when you grow up
- wanna be a mailman when you grow up
- wanna be a doctor when you grow up
- wanna be a guy who sings Happy & You Know It to kids when u grow up
- your counselor/leader needs a date
- you’ve ever had chicken pox
- think the sound guy is cute
- you’re going to sleep in tomorrow
- your favorite time of year is summer
- your Mom makes your clothes
- you make your own clothes
- you are left-handed
- you are right-handed
- you are both-handed (ambidextrous)
- like to look at the stars
- like to watch fireworks
- really like this game
- going to miss me
- not going to miss me
- remember my daughter’s name
- love the Bible
- love Jesus Christ
Some lines for the Adults and Leaders
- gotten a speeding ticket
- snooped in your kid’s room (if you have kids)
- wish you could have PDA at camp
- know all your kids’ names
- love country music
- hate country music
- once were a hippie
- ever had a mullet
- thought Tom Selleck was hot
- have never sent a text
- don’t know what Twitter is
- homeschool your kids
- teacher
- doctor
- laywer
- nurse
- pastor
- stay-at-home Mom or Dad
- retired
- still don’t know what you wanna be when you grow up
- gotten a ticket or busted for worse than speeding (we won’t ask)
- punished the wrong kid
- have a secret candy stash
- forgot someone’s birthday
- forgot your own Anniversary
- still suck your thumb
- sleep with a Teddy Bear
- watched the first moonwalk live on TV
- read the whole Bible
- ever put your pants on backwards
- can do the moonwalk
- were a Whitney Houston fan
- like your kids at camp
- have “that one kid” here at camp
- if “that one kid” is your own child
- can text faster than you can talk
- can solve a rubix cube
- ever been skydiving
- miss playing the original Nintendo
- were alive when JFK was shot
- ever had an 80’s perm
- played college sports
- sponsor a Compassion or World Vision child
- think you pay too many taxes
- your garden is dying at home while you’re here at camp
- you mow the lawn
- you’ve never mowed the lawn
- have exercised to a Richard Simmons video
- remember a day when there was no internet
- still have a land line phone
- still write cards and letters by hand
- love Jesus Christ
Freeze Dance
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)
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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….
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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