Am looking for recommendations for music CDs for 4-7 y.o. (Not looking for music targeted toward younger kids such as Music Together, KinderMusik, etc.) But here's the kicker--something MOM and DAD can listen to without cringing. What we love is Barenaked Ladies Snack Time and the CARS soundtrack. Know anything like those?
They Might Be Giants has also put out some kids' CDs, similar to the Barenaked Ladies.
I purchased the They might be Giants "Here come the ABCs" off of the Disney website. It includes the theme song for 'Higgletown Heroes' and I actually enjoy listening to it as well as my 6 YO.
Hi Christina,
We like "Music for Little People", in particular the 15th anniversary CD. They have a website if you want to check it out. It has songs I enjoy hearing too. Also, the Veggie Tales CDs are really funny. Good luck! You might also want to invest in a couple of CD players with headphones for the kids so you can listen to your own music sometimes!
We listen to what we like around my son(5). My husband is a musician so we end up listening to practices and live music alot. But Bands like Dave Matthews, Johnny Cash, Sheryl Crow, any kids movie soundtrack,& Blugrass or Jazz are great for kids. My son loves all music and listens/dances to it all. The possibilities are endless- there really are more groups/musicians out there putting out positive music than the other. Stick to the realm of what YOU guys like and it will naturally flow into what the kids like too. Then its a family thing and not an us and them experience.
We love the Curious George Soundtrack. It's by Jack Johnson.
We have the Disney Greatest Hits Vols 1-3, so we have a variety, and we like almost all of the songs. We skip the ones we don't like, and the kids don't care b/c there are so many others. Also, we like Hoops and Yoyo, which is by Hallmark. It's stuff that from my experience with us and relatives, you either love it or you just don't get it. It's just funny-one song is "I've Got Better Manners Than You." Along those lines are VeggieTales, which are for kids, though kids don't always understand the connections and references. Since we like those, we have 3 VeggieTales CDs. For us, variety is important. We don't listen to the same CD on any trips if it plays once through already. A lot of it is finding what you like specifically, but I definately recommend the Greatest Hits. A lot of them are songs we remember from when we were little, so we enjoy them. Good luck finding what works for you!
Laurie Berkner~any of the CD's. We listened to her ALL the time for a long time and I still use her CD's in my preschool class.
I second the Curious George Jack Johnson CD...it's a good one. We also have the Disney Vol. 1 and 2, but they are def. kiddie songs. Good ones though!
They Might Be Giants - No! and ABC's
Jack Johnson - Curious George
Sandra Boynton - Dog Train, Blue Moo, Rhinoceros Tap
Backyardigans
Those are the ones that all my kids love and that we enjoy too. Me more than my husband but he'll listen to Dog Train, Jack Johnson, and They Might Be Giants. On our road trip last summer we listened to Blue Moo so many times we all have it memorized now! There's a great interview on YouTube of Sandra Boynton about the making of that book/CD. You can probably preview a lot of the songs on Amazon or on You Tube.
Good luck!
We love the Putumayo Kids collection. This is their kids line but they also make CDs that are not specifically geared toward children. The kids CDs have sing-a-longs, dancing songs, and even a disc devoted to lullabies. I like these because they bring music from around the world and have native singers using native instruments. Very fun!
We all enjoy "For the Kids" and "For the Kids Too". They have songs from various artists including Barenaked Ladies.
Imaginations Movers is cool too. Their CD (Juice Box Heroes) was developed with requests like yours in mind.
Enjoy.
Go on Amazon and check out Ralphs World (the name of the artist). Great music and songs. My favorite is M-o-m-m-y needs c-o-f-f-e-e...
Suzanne
I like the Veggie Tales CD's. There is one in particular that I like that is Veggie songs sung by Christian artists (I think it is called Veggie Rock or something like that). So, it is the silly words from the Veggie songs, but they are not sung with silly voices.
Hi Christina,
I have a suggestion! :)
I am a children's musician and my CD is called 'By The Sea'. You can try mine.....you can hear song clips online at www.bridgettemichaels.com.
I am originally from the Caribbean and then lived in Florida and this is my third year in Annapolis and I love it.....my music has an island feel!
I hope you enjoy!
Let me know!
Bridgette
Check out Milkshake!
Just brainstorming (I don't know your age or musical taste)-
*Disney sountracks (such as Lion King, Little Mermaid, etc) have some nice songs as well as fun songs that parents and kids can have fun with.
*They Might Be Giants are incredibly fun to listen to for everyone. They do have a kids album also, but even their regular album releases are quirky and interesting.
*Oldies music like the Monkees and Beatles are great (I remember listening and singing along to those with my parents when I was young). also oldies like "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," Beach Boys, etc.
I think just exposing them to the music you listen to is a good thing, it's a shared experience for the family. It will give children appreciation for wide variety of sounds and styles, And at a young age, the kids don't care that it may not be trendy or popular. My stepdaughter LOVES 80's music, which is hilarious to me, but very fun to listen to the music with her. I can reminisce about my favorite songs like "Walk Like An Egyptian" by the Bangles, and she gets to experience the songs with a fresh viewpoint.
You Are My Little Bird by Elizabeth Mitchell -- all of her music is very soft and sweet, not as rowdy as TMBG or Barenaked Ladies, but really sweet to listen to and sing along with in the car. We have a couple of her CD's and they always calm the kids down.
The Baby Einstein CDs are excellent. They are not just for babies. Also the Beethoven's Wig series is terrific! My kids love it. They make classical music really fun by putting silly words to classical tunes. AF