Kristin Hall: Free Online Songbook
(kristinhall.org/songbook/Songbook.html)
All Grades, with parental supervision
This website offers a terrific, free songbook with printable pages to use at home, on-the-go, or ’round the campfire.
Don’t let the lackluster look of the website deceive you – because as free online songbooks go, this one is very useful for parents, teachers, youth group leaders, and singers everywhere.
When you get to the site you’ll see a lot of introductory text. Scroll below it to the songbook menu where you’ll find an amazing variety of choices that include:
- Ballads
- Blues & Standards
- Call & Response
- Campfire Songs
- Circle Games
- Classic Kids Songs
- Foreign Songs
- Gospel Tunes
- Hand Games
- Holiday Songs
- On And On Songs
- Part Songs & Rounds
- Patriotic Songs
- Protest, Political, & Social Commentary Songs
- Sea Shanties & Pub Songs
- Silly Songs
- Singalongs
- U.S. Folk Songs
There are even songs By Indie Artists and Metal, Hard, Grunge & Progressive Rock groups. (Again, parental discretion advised.)
The songs, many of which were collected by the author for use with her Girl Scout group, are categorized by type as well as by first line. For example, some are “Make ’em Up” – which would be the ones that you make up as you go along, such as “Down By the Bay.” Others are activity games, such as “London Bridge is Falling Down,” which are fun to play with a group of children. Then you have “Call and Response,” wherein a person or group repeats after a caller, such as “Are You Sleeping” or “Bear in the Woods.”
Many (but not all) songs include activities, mp3’s, sheet music, and chords. The songbook is updated occasionally, and suggestions for additions/improvement are welcomed.
