Children’s Music
My toddler son LOVES music. He wants to listen to it ALL the time and loves to have dance parties with me in our living room. I love this about him but as much as he loves jamming to the radio with me, he also loves “kids” music. Plus… we have reached the age where he picks up lots of things and repeats them. Some of the lyrics on mainstream radio aren’t exactly the most appropriate for toddlers to be repeating in public! (Although I enjoy country music and that station is generally a good bet.) That said though… there’s only so much radio Disney and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse radio that I can stand before I beg him to let me put on something else. So what other options are out there besides Disney radio and the classics like the ABC song and the Itsy Bitsy Spider? In this blog post you will find a list of some suggestions that your toddler will love and won’t drive you nuts!
I’m going to start off with and oldie but still goodie! I grew up listening to Raffi and while I almost don’t believe it myself, at 70 years old, he’s still touring! “Baby Beluga” is a classic and I love sharing a piece of my childhood with my son. The fact that Raffi is still relevant is an added bonus!
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If you like Raffi, you will LOVE the Laurie Berkner Band! Laurie Berkner writes and performs children’s songs that are catchy, unannoying, upbeat, and just downright fun! As an added bonus, many of her songs are “toddler movement songs” meaning that she has choreographed actions to go with the lyrics designed to get toddlers moving and having fun to the music. She even has her own You Tube channel (linked) where she demonstrates these songs. The first time that I showed my son one of these videos; he was glued to my computer screen. By the 3rd time, he was up trying out the actions. I’ve also noticed that many toddler library programs use songs by Laurie Berkner. We have visited a fair number of libraries trying out various story times and my son always gets super excited when a Laurie Berkner song is included! The songs are easy to learn and fun and I have to admit that I’ve caught myself humming them a few times! I highly recommend checking her out. She also has a few books that have been created from her songs. Our local library has a few of them on their shelf – so fun! Side note, if you are local to my neck of the woods, Laurie lives in New York and frequently offers live shows including at least one “sensory” friendly show time!
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Feel like you are going to go crazy from all of the cutesy songs playing on repeat? Kidz Bop Kids Radio on Pandora or IHeart Radio is an option! Basically, they take popular songs from mainstream radio and tweak a few of the lyrics to make them more kid friendly. While some of the songs just aren’t the same, it’s a good option when you need a break from the traditional fare. I had seen commercials for Kidz Bop on the Disney channel but I never really gave it a chance until we visited the Great Wolf Lodge waterpark last year. They play Kidz Bop throughout the resort and have impromptu dance parties to it with hotel staff. Seeing how much my son loved it and how much fun he was having convinced me to give it a chance. It’s really not bad! I promise! Give it a try before you decide you hate it.
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Lastly, I know I mentioned that I was sick of Disney radio but if you haven’t tried it then it’s worth checking out. Although I’m a little tired of it now, this is after over a year of listening to it almost every day. I love Disney movies. I always have since I was a kid. Popping in a soundtrack to your favorite movie from your childhood can be a fun way to spend the afternoon with your kiddo. Better yet, it can be a fun distraction in the car! We sometimes check out Disney movie soundtracks from our local library and keep them in our car for the week that we get to borrow them. If you don’t want to focus on one movie, try radio Disney or the Mickey Mouse Club House station on Pandora. These radio stations have songs from Disney movies but also music from Disney TV shows. My son gets excited to hear the opening jingle to his favorite show come on every now and then.
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Whichever option you choose, know that there are options! Don’t stop the music just because you are sick of the station. Find another one that you and your little ones can both enjoy and change them up frequently so that you don’t get sick of them. Have fun and dance your heart out.