If there’s one tool in my parenting arsenal I couldn’t live without it’s kid music. There’s nothing like springing a dance party on your children “flash mob” style to chase away afternoon crankiness. I wouldn’t even think of getting into my car with tots in tow for longer than 30 minutes without some Raffi and I’m always prepared to launch into several rounds of “Wheels on the Bus” or “Old McDonald” if need be.
As life-saving as kid music and songs are – they can also be overly peppy, redundant, and flat out annoying. But not all of it. Parents of small children today are fortunate to have some very hip people working to introduce music to the younger set in all kinds of cool ways. The trick is knowing how to find the good stuff. So today I’ve rounded up some resources on how to do just that.
First up is a fabulous find via Design Mom. It’s just the thing for those times I can’t, for the life of me, think of anything to sing to my children. Or I remember a song I loved as a child – but only the first three lines.
First up is a fabulous find via Design Mom. It’s just the thing for those times I can’t, for the life of me, think of anything to sing to my children. Or I remember a song I loved as a child – but only the first three lines.
Dibble Dibble Dee is a blog for parents who love all things musical as well as those who believe in the benefits of song but aren’t quite sure where to start. Created by a mom of five with a degree (and lots of experience) in music education, it’s a happy little space worthy of dropping-in on regularly for new singing activities, song ideas, musical giveaways, and more.
My favorite part is the amazing “Music with Friends” page. It’s basically everything you need to start your own toddler music class at home – for free!
Along with learning lots of ways to sing with the kids, it’s nice to always have a quality play list of children’s jams handy as well. Here in Seattle we are fortunate when it comes to kid bands. Time Magazine even called the city “the new bastion of kindie rockers”. The stuff these bands produce is silly fun for the kids but has a similar vibe to the music that mom and dad like. Some of the groups even claim bona-fide ex-rockers as members. Take it from me, if you’re looking for some new artists to explore, you can’t go wrong with anything by local bands Recess Monkeys, Casper Baby Pants (who just released a new album), or The Not Its.
Finally, this post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the wonder that is Pandora internet radio. I think I may very well have been the very last person on Earth to discover this. But just in case I’m wrong… All you have to do is type in your favorite artist or song title and Pandora will create an entire free radio station customized to your taste.
The only hitch is you can’t expect a specific song to play just because you typed it in, that’s not how their licensing works apparently. But if you’re a little flexible you can listen to some of your favorite stuff all day long. We currently have half a dozen custom channels created for the kids: Caspar Baby Pants channel, Wheels on the Bus Channel, Apple and Banans Channel, etc. I love that all I need is my iphone and Pandora’s got me covered wherever we are.
How did I do? Any must-have kid music resources I missed? Let me know in the comments.
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