If your toddler is anything like my two-year-old, he or she will want to listen to the same song again, and again. And again. Over. And OVER
You get the picture…
I can’t tell you how often my little one screams “WHEELS ON THE BUS!” before I’ve even clicked my seat belt in the car. While I don’t have anything against kid’s songs per se, I do crave a little more diverse selection of tunes, especially if I’m trapped in a moving box. And I just can’t with Kidz Bop. In order to appease the tiny backseat dictator, but also try to sneak in some music appreciation, I’ve combed through my music library and put together a simple, not-too-annoying playlist to bop around town to, that will please both bigs and littles.
Here are some of our favorites:
- “The Wheels on the Bus (Ska)” – Mr. Eric – This snazzy version of the classic is actually pretty fun. It reminds me of high school, when ska music was my jam.
- “Poker Face” – Lady Gaga – My son is in his “parroting” phase, and loves to repeat everything. The repetitive “my, my, my, my!” and “pa, pa, pa, poker face, pa, pa, pokerface” is so fun for him to sing.
- “Shake My Sillies Out” – Raffi – How can you not love Raffi? Ok, “Baby Beluga” gets old real quick, but this is a short fun one that gets the kiddos moving and can be done in a car seat without too much complaint of confinement.
- “24K Magic” – Bruno Mars – There is nothing cuter than listening to a toddler try to sing “Amma dangerous MAAAN with samoney in my pocket! KEEP UP!”. Bruno Mars songs are always catchy and fun.
- “The Eeensy Weensy Spider” – Sharon, Lois, & Bram – I was obsessed with Sharon, Lois, and Bram’s Elephant Show growing up. I could listen to their songs all day (even now). This is a fun one, because it’s easy to learn, and has a couple variations to the classic ditty that gets kids to use different voice pitches.
- “HandClap” – Fitz & the Tantrums – A catchy beat and hand clapping? Talk about a perfect toddler tune!
- “Fun, Fun, Fun” – The Beach Boys – Like other songs, this one has a lot of repetition, and is easy for kids to sing along to. Pretty much any Beach Boys song will do, this one is just particularly fun (fun, fun). Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
- “Peanut Butter and Jelly” – Sharon, Lois, & Bram – The eternal classic. Kids love to alternately shout and whisper the words. It’s a quick one, and super nostalgic for adults.
- “Jamming” – Bob Marley – Such a great song. It’s relaxed, easy, and soothing.
- “7 8 9” – Barenaked Ladies – I’m biased because Barenaked Ladies is my favorite band of all time, but they really do have an amazing children’s album. Anything from Snacktime! is entertaining and clever.
- “Hot Potato” – The Wiggles – Yes, the Wiggles can get a little annoying, but there’s a reason why they’re such a successful children’s group. They have super catchy, easy to learn songs, and this one is pretty cute.
- “Move Your Feet/D.A.N.C.E./It’s a Sunshine Day” – Trolls Film Cast – To me, this movie is beyond weird, but the music is great. I’m sick of “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” so this one is my go-to if my little one is “requesting” a song from Trolls.
There are so many other great songs out there. I try to mix traditional kid’s fare with some adult-friendly tunes, too. You don’t need to be a slave to your kiddos music requests – they will enjoy a wide variety of music if you sprinkle it in. If you’re looking to expand your children’s music library, I suggest renting some of these jams from your local library. I’ve rarely paid for any music, as you can request these CDs any time.
Can never go wrong with Raffi! When my oldest was a toddler, we played a lot of Caspar Babypants (aka Chris Ballew from The Presidents of the U.S) my hubs and I still love listening to “Stompy the Bear”. We also listened to a lot of Bruno, Bob Marley, and Jack Johnson.