Songs and games

songs

A few suggestions from the Take the Family hit parade for you to print out for your family holiday or indeed any trip (please note that all song lyrics are provided for informational and educational purposes only. They're subject to copyright laws and remain property of their respective owners).

You probably have your own favourites – if so, just send them in. Please note: these are probably best restricted to car journeys. The idea of your entire family singing The Wheels on the Bus at full throttle may not be overly appreciated on the overnight flight down to Cape Town or on the 08:35 train to Glasgow. Altogether now…

Straight in at Number One. The wheels on the bus

The wheels on the bus go round and round
Round and round, round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All day long

The wipers on the bus go "Swish, swish, swish,
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish"
The wipers on the bus go "Swish, swish, swish"
All day long

The horn on the bus goes "Beep, beep, beep
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep"
The horn on the bus goes "Beep, beep, beep"
All day long

The baby on the bus goes, "Wah, wah, wah!
Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah!"
The baby on the bus says, "Wah, wah, wah!"
All day long

The people on the bus say, "Shh, shh, shh,
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh"
The people on the bus say, "Shh, shh, shh"
All day long.

2. She'll be coming round the mountain

She'll be coming round the mountain
When she comes
She'll be coming round the mountain
When she comes
She'll be coming round the mountain,
She'll be coming round the mountain,
She'll be coming round the mountain
When she comes

She'll be driving six white horses
When she comes
(Yeeha!)
She'll be driving six white horses
When she comes
(Yeeha!)
She'll be driving six white horses,
She'll be driving six white horses,
She'll be driving six white horses
When she comes
(Yeeha!)

Oh, we'll all go out to meet her
When she comes
Oh, we'll all go out to meet her
When she comes
Oh, we'll all go out to meet her,
We'll all go out to meet her,
We'll all go out to meet her
When she comes

She'll be wearing red pyjamas
When she comes
She'll be wearing red pyjamas
When she comes

She'll be wearing red pyjamas,
She'll be wearing red pyjamas,
She'll be wearing red pyjamas
When she comes

3. That sound of music classic: Doe A Deer

Doe, a deer, a female deer.
Ray, a drop of golden sun.
Me, a name I call myself.
Far, a long, long way to run.
Sew, a needle pulling thread,
La, a note to follow sew,
Tea, a drink with jam and bread!
That will bring us back to do oh-oh-oh!

(Repeat chorus all the way up the M6)

4. Yes, it's The Beatles with When I'm 64

When I get older losing my hair,
Many years from now.
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine.
If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.
You'll be older too,
And if you say the word,
I could stay with you.
I could be handy, mending a fuse
When your lights have gone.
You can knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday mornings go for a ride,
Doing the garden, digging the weeds,
Who could ask for more.
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.
Every summer we can rent a cottage,
In the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera ,Chuck & Dave
Send me a postcard, drop me a line,
Stating point of view
Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely, wasting away
Give me your answer, fill in a form
Mine for evermore
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four.

5. We won the rugby world cup, so here it is: Swing Low Sweet Chariot (but don't do the rude actions in front of the kids, please)

Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home!

I looked over Jordan and what did I see,
Comin' for to carry me home!
A band of angels comin' after me,
Comin' for to carry me home!

Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home!

If you get there before I do,
Comin' for to carry me home,
Just tell my friends that I'm acomin' too,
Comin' for to carry me home.

Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comin' for to carry me home!

I'm sometimes up and sometimes down,
Comin' for to carry me home,
But still my soul feels heavenly bound
Comin' for to carry me home!

6. Ok hardly anyone can afford a nanny to look after the kids on holiday but we can all join in with this Mary Poppins classic.

Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough
You'll always sound precocious
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Because I was afraid to speak
When I was just a lad
My father gave me nose a tweak
And told me I was bad
But then one day I learned a word
That saved me aching nose
The biggest word I ever heard
And this is how it goes:

Oh, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough
You'll always sound precocious
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
So when the cat has got your tongue
There's no need for dismay
Just summon up this word
And then you've got a lot to say
But better use it carefully
Or it may change your life
One night I said it to me girl
And now me girl's my wife!

She's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

7. And last but not least the song that should be sung in every car, even one which flies:

Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

O you pretty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you
And in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, what we'll do
Near, far, in a motor car
O what a happy time we'll spend
Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend

You're sleek as a thoroughbred
You're seats are a feather bed
You'll turn everybody's head today
We'll glide on our motor trip
With pride in our owner ship
The envy of all we survey

O you pretty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you
And our Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang loves us too

High low anywhere we go
On Chitty Chitty we depend
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend

It's uncategorical
A fuel burning oracle
A fantasmagorical machine
It's more than spectacular
To use the vernacular
It's wizard, it's smashing, it's keen

O Chitty, you Chitty, pretty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you
And Chitty, in Chitty, pretty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, what we'll do

Near Chitty, far Chitty, in a motor car
O what a happy time we'll spend
Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend
Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend...(hold)

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Fine four fendered Chitty Chitty Friend!

And if you'd prefer someone else to sing to the kids then check out this selection from our friends at Amazon:

games

I Spy

It's an oldie but it's a goodie – 'I spy with my little eye something beginning with x, y or z' (or indeed a, b or c if that's a little easier). Not that straightforward when you're cruising down the motorway at high speed because you're past the 'spied item' in seconds but a good time-consumer nevertheless.

Carspotting

Just choose a colour or make of car (or combine both) and you never know your luck, your little darlings will have their eyes glued to the windows for hours (ok maybe just a few minutes) as they try to spot another silver VW Golf (that'll keep them busy). Can be adapted to spotting cows, sheep, cranes, police cars, Little Chef restaurants, roadworks (you get the picture).

Eddie (Stobart) Spotting

A variation on the game above and hugely popular with kids and grown men and women throughout the country. You have to spot different vehicles belonging to Carlisle-based haulage company Eddie Stobart in their distinctive green, red and gold livery. If you really get into it, there's a website and even a spotters league! Good luck!

Sponsored silence

OK a bit cheeky but as a last resort, why not default to good-old fashioned bribery and give a prize for the child who stays quiet the longest.

Other tips

On planes: With toddlers, wrap small presents for long journeys. Bring one out every hour to help them get through the journey.

Portable DVD players: An expensive but effective way to shut them up. Of course you also have to buy or hire the DVDs but a couple hours of peace is sometimes worth any price. And if they're watching Gladiator, that's the history of the Romans – it's almost educational for goodness sake!

Check out our getting there section for more tips on surviving plane, car, train and ferry journeys with your family.