Dominic has gotten really into listening to music lately… those of you with kids… what are some songs they like? (Dominic is 6)
I highly recommend Tom Chapin’s stuff for kids that age. The songs are funny and clever, cover a wide range of musical styles, aren’t typically cloyingly sweet (a lot of them have a edge that only parents will notice or appreciate), and my kids (ages 5 and 3) love him, even though most of the songs seem to be written for a slightly older audience (say, 6 to 10 years old).
Amazon has some samples from Family Tree, if you want to try him out. Libraries tend to have most if not all of his stuff as well, so you ought to be able to find out whether he meets with Dominic’s approval.
Please, for the love of all that is Holy, do NOT let him listen to Raffi!
I play and sing a lot to my boys. David (The Littlest Doper) - you’ve met him- LOVES everything off of Peter, Paul and Mommy Too. (course, he’s 19 months old)
My 4 year old nephes loves Tom Chapin and a couple of songs that may or may not be TC stick in my mind. One is about shoveling snow and the other is called “In the Nick of Time”. I’ll look them up now.
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They are called " The Nick of Time" and “Shoveling”, both on the Family Tree album mentioned above.
So, it gets my vote too.
Opal: Have you ever heard Maurice Sendak and Carole King’s album Really Rosie? It’s Carole King and Maurice Sendak, so it has to be good. I especially recommend “Pierre” about a boy who gets eaten by a lion. But he deserves it, so it’s ok. 
Fenris
Maurice Sendak as in Little Bear? Hmm.
Keep the suggestions coming (please!)
The board ate this the first try, darn it!
When I was a kid, I loved Rick Charette. He’s a local New England/ Maine artist, and his stuff is really good. Fun for kids but witty enough to interest adults, and a nice mix of upbeat and slower songs. Of the CDs listed on Amazon, I would recommend Alligator in the Elevator, but Where Do My Sneakers Go at Night? is nice too.
I just noticed that Amazon is out-of-stock on all the CDs. You can buy them straight from the record company here. They also are advertising some of the older stuff that I remember better.
Huh. My son likes John Hiatt.
Carly & Lucy Simon - also billed as “The Simon Sisters.” I d/led a bunch of stuff I recall from my childhood…“The Lamb,” “Winkyn, Blynkyn & Nod,” “The Owl & the Pussycat”…
I also recommend “The Point.” Not the Ringo Starr-narrated one, but the one with Harry Nilsson playing the songs AND doing the narration.
I dunno. There’s still Muppet stuff I listen to…“Big Blue Frog” (which Peter, Paul & Mary also did…they have (had) an album of kids’ songs called “Peter, Paul & Mommy” IIRC that was wonderful), “Menamenah,” “Titwillow”…
I have entirely too good a memory for songs I loved when I was little. Now, if only the CD players on both of my kids’ boomboxes hadn’t died…snarl
I’m a big fan of Free to Be You & Me, but then I grew up in the 70s, which helps.
My nieces and nephew (2.5, 5 and 8) totally rock out to “Shake Your Booty”, by KC & the Sunshine Band. Don’t know what it is that gets to them, but they love it and dance like crazy every time.
Geez, I’m such a bad mommy.
When we’re in the car, my kids listen to what I like. They’re well acquainted with Paul McCartney, The Beatles, Billy Joel, and so many other great singers and groups.
Now they’re discovering Ozzy Osbourne, since I bought a CD the other day.
When we’re at home, the kids pretty much watch any kids show they want. But the car, that’s my territory. I just can’t drive with kids music playing.
Sheri
The series by Greg and Steve are awesome! They are especially good for days when you have to play inside. They are fun, active, and don’t drive the grown-ups batty.
Also, compilations of Disney movie music are always a hit in the car and stuff.
I really like For Our Children, which was put out by Disney I believe a few years back. Imagine Little Richard singing “itsy bitsy spider” and Bruce Springsteen singing about pie…
My two, 3 and 5, along with cousins up through 12, like Mr. Ray’s album, Start Dreaming. I like it too.
Mr. Ray is on the Sugar Beats label, but don’t dismiss him for that…
I’ve never been able to stomach Raffi and his sort.
As far as made-for-kids music goes, we like:
Not For Kids Only, by David Grisman and Jerry Garcia
Grow Big Songs, by Woody and Arlo Guthrie and the Guthrie Family
Choo Choo Boogaloo, by Buckwheat Zydeco
We really don’t confine ourselves to “kids’ music” though. The little girls (3 and 7) also listen to Beau Soleil and Dixie Chicks. My son (10) likes reggae as background for playing and blues for falling asleep.
I’m another one who doesn’t play kids’ music in the car, so they listen to whatever I’m listening to at the moment.
Dominic LOVES “Shake your bootie” and has a number of other cheesy disco songs that he enjoys. He has Winamp on his computer loaded with Weird Al, disco, Sesame Street stuff, some old Pink Floyd, and anything else I find.