How to Lead a Campfire Program

Whether you're camping with your extended family or just a small group of friends, chances are you'll find yourself sitting around a campfire in the evening. Other than roasting s'mores, what is there to do? You can plan a campfire program for any group by tailoring your program to your group, inviting group participation, and leading with confidence.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Planning Your Program

  1. 1
    Pick an appropriate length for your program. Most campfire programs are between 30 minutes and an hour and a half, but you can have shorter or longer programs if needed. Many things can influence what makes a campfire program the right length.
    • Age of group members. Young children have shorter attention spans than teens or adults, so a campfire program for children will be shorter.
    • Weather. If it is cold and windy, you'll want to plan a shorter program so your group doesn't freeze.
    • Amount of content. You might know dozens of campfire songs, or only a couple. The more material you have, the longer your program can run. (Other people in your group can contribute content too!)
    • Time. More preparation time means you can plan a longer program. You may also be asked to have your campfire program run a certain length to accommodate other activities, especially if you're leading one for a large group.
  2. 2
    Decide who will contribute to the program. Depending on your group size and how much time you have to prepare, you might try the following:
    • Lead the entire campfire program yourself.
    • Have small groups contribute one or two acts each.
    • Have a small group perform the program for the entire group.
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  3. 3
    Choose what kinds of content will go in your program. Most campfire programs have songs, skits, and stories. There's all kinds of things you can include in your program!
    • Silly songs, like "Baby Bumblebee" or "The Green Grass Grew All Around"
    • Repeat-after-me songs, like "Princess Pat" or "Sipping Cider Through a Straw"
    • Reverent or thoughtful songs, like "I Love the Mountains" or "Amazing Grace"
    • Skits or comedy sketches
    • Personal stories
    • Ghost stories or scary stories
    • Poems or literature excerpts
  4. 4
    Outline your program. Decide which songs, skits, or stories you will include and in what order. Write this down on a piece of paper so you can refer to it later. You can revise your outline at any time, even if you've already announced it.
    • This would be a good time to ask members of your group to lead a song, perform a skit, or tell a story.
    • Try to rotate between songs, skits, and stories.
    • Start off your program with more high-energy songs and then tone it down to a more thoughtful atmosphere as the program continues. This is often described as "following the fire", because the fire will die down throughout the program. [1]
    • If you are soliciting acts from members of your group, review them to make sure that they won't offend anyone. [2]
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Conducting Your Program

  1. 1
    Prepare your campfire . You'll want it big for light and warmth, but probably not bonfire-sized.
  2. 2
    Gather everyone for the program. Invite everyone to take a seat around the campfire. Make sure that there is space for everyone; ask people to scoot back or move closer to each other if needed.
    • Leave a space for the performers. The campfire should be between the audience and the performers so that the performers are illuminated, not silhouetted.
    • Make sure the performing space is cleared of rocks, branches, and other trip hazards.
  3. 3
    Start with any announcements. You may need to thank the people who prepared dinner, recognize a special guest, or let everyone know about the itinerary for the next day.
    • The beginning of the program is the best time to do this. By the end, everyone is thoughtful and tired, and you don't want to detract from that with a whole bunch of announcements.
  4. 4
    Announce the order of the program. The audience wants to know what to expect, and performers want to be ready to go. Depending on the length of the program, you can announce the entire program all at once or in smaller segments.
    • Speak with confidence. Speak clearly and loudly so that the entire audience can hear you.
    • Don't announce the titles of skits or stories if doing so will give the twist away. If the punchline depends on an invisible bench, don't say, "Next up is the Invisible Bench skit". Say, "Next up are John, Jane, and Harry with a skit".
    • Announcing the program in sections is especially helpful when many groups are contributing acts. That way, groups don't have to worry about forgetting when their turn is and can get any props or costumes ready.
  5. 5
    Participate! Sing along with the songs, laugh at the jokes, and clap after each act. Your performers will appreciate it, and participating will help cue your audience to participate as well. Campfire programs are most fun when everyone's engaged.
  6. 6
    Accept that mistakes will happen. You'll forget the words, the wrong group will go up, or the joke will fall flat. That's alright! Acknowledge your mistake, correct it, and move on.
    • If performers are taking a long time to come to the stage, you will need to fill some time. Lead everyone in a cheer or short song, or tell some jokes. Try to keep the audience engaged until the performers are ready.
    • For instance, if you announced the wrong group to lead the song, you could say, "Sorry, I misspoke. The next song will be led by the Toucans, not the Koalas. The Koalas will lead the song after that."
    • If an inappropriate or offensive act slipped past your radar, interrupt the program. You could say something like, "This act doesn't seem inclusive to everyone. Let's move on to the song, led by Harriet." Then address what went wrong with the performers afterward.
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Ending Your Program

  1. 1
    Thank everyone. If you have many performers, you can thank them collectively; if you have only a handful, you can mention them individually. Thank the audience for participating or for the spirit they brought to the campfire.
  2. 2
    Close with a thought. This could be a religious or spiritual moral, or simply an expression of how much you loved being with the group. You might talk about how much you enjoyed being out in nature, a lesson you learned from someone that day, or your experience preparing to lead the campfire program.
    • Depending on your group, you may want to use your closing thought to start a discussion. This is also a good ending for your campfire program.
  3. 3
    End with a closing song. This song should be quieter and more reverent. It's up to you whether it's spiritual, or just thoughtful.
  4. 4
    Dismiss everyone. Make it clear that the campfire program is over and that people are free to leave, go to bed, or linger and talk.
    • If you have a large group, dismiss smaller groups one at a time. Try to maintain a quiet atmosphere until everyone has left.
    • Smaller groups may want to stay and talk around the fire. This is fine too! Just make sure that no one feels pressured to stay.
    • You may want to continue to sing a thoughtful song as people leave the campfire area.
  5. 5
    Put out the fire. After everyone has left, put out the campfire safely. Make sure the fire is completely out before everyone goes to bed.
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      Tips

      • You can teach your group a song by singing it through, repeating the lyrics with them, and then practicing together. [3]
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      • Props and costumes can add a lot to your campfire program, but they are completely optional.
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      • If you are soliciting acts from group members, give them as much time to prepare as possible.
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      Warnings

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.gscm.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gscm/documents/Volunteer%20Resources/Program%20Resources/MasterOfTheCampfire.pdf
      2. ↑ https://www.verywellfamily.com/scouting-campfire-programs-overview-2958888
      3. ↑ https://www.gscm.org/content/dam/girlscouts-gscm/documents/Volunteer%20Resources/Program%20Resources/MasterOfTheCampfire.pdf

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