How To Find New Music For Kids

From early-morning sing-alongs to late-night lullabies, music is a big part of most kids’ (and parents’) lives.

Those early duets of Head And Shoulders and endless repetitions of The Wheels On The Bus Go Round And Round are a great way for families to bond. They also set the foundation for a lifetime of musical appreciation.

But what if you’ve already heard Teddy Bears’ Picnic a million times and you can’t take another round of The Ants Go Marching?

If you’re tired of singing or listening to the same old songs, how can you find and listen to something new?

Find New Songs Through Streaming Services

Music streaming services like Songza, Spotify and Rdio all offer kid-friendly streams and playlists with titles like:

• Smart And Silly Sing-Alongs
• Hip-Hop-Scotch And Reggae Recess
• Dancing Music For Kids Of Hipster Parents

There's even a Kids' CBC music stream on CBC Music (select Kids' CBC from the Web Radio Stations). 

Streaming services are a great way to discover both new and classic kids’ music, drawn from vast digital libraries. Many allow you to download selections to your phone or tablet, so you can take tunes on the road without worrying about wifi or data (this feature is often only available to paid subscribers—but lots of streams are available for free). 

Streaming gives you a huge music selection without having to buy individual tracks or albums.

Streaming gives you a huge music selection without having to buy individual tracks or albums. They’re like all-you-can-eat music buffets! Some allow you to search for and listen to specific songs, while others give you curated playlists (with less control over individual songs).

If you’re not sure which service is right for you, Common Sense Media offers pros and cons of individual streaming services, with a focus on kids’ music.

Sarah Payne, a Vancouver mother of two tends to skip over kiddie tunes in favour of the radio app on her Apple TV. “African stations and reggae are on fairly heavy rotation,” she says. “I tried putting some kids’ music on when we had friends over a while ago, but my daughter asked me to turn it off.”

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Read Kid-Specific Music Reviews

If you’d rather search out new musicians on your own, Zoo Globble is an excellent resource. It’s a perfect combination of Rolling Stone and Pitchfork for the world of kids’ independent music (also known as “kindie”). Zoo Globble brings together reviews, artist interviews, videos, podcasts and downloadable songs.

Common Sense Media also offers hundreds of kids’ music reviews and curated music lists.

Share Your Own Favourites

For many parents, the easiest way to introduce their kids to new music is to share their own favourites. There are tons of fun, bouncy tracks that feel like they were written specifically with children in mind.

“We had big plans to play [our kids] the records we liked as kids, but we never seemed to get around to it,” says Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, who runs the music and food website Rolling Spoon. Chornley-Booth and her musician husband are raising two children in Calgary—their kids know some kids' songs from school, but at home they listen to their parents' favourites. 

“I think...we never gravitated to kids’ music is because there’s a lot of grown up music that is perfectly appropriate for children,” Chorney-Booth explains. “A kid can’t read an adult novel or watch Breaking Bad, but they can enjoy a Beatles record. We can comfortably play 90 per cent of our record collection without worrying about it being offensive or too much for a kid to digest.”

There’s a lot of grown up music that is perfectly appropriate for children.

Alec Crawford, a Toronto dad, has taken the same approach with his two-year-old son. 

“He listens to what we listen to, with the odd Putumayo children’s album thrown into the mix,” he explains. “Music is always on in the house. Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles is a great waking up song and Octopus’s Garden signals bathtime. Here Comes the Nighttime by Arcade Fire tells him it’s time for bed.”

Music-loving parents may find it tricky to find the time to discover new kids’ music. “I have a hard enough time keeping up with new music for myself,” says Crawford. “I’m very pleased we can all listen to and enjoy the same music.”

In the end—no matter what kind of music you listen to, sharing new songs with your kids is an amazing experience.

What music do your kids listen to? How do you find new songs to keep them—and you—happy?