On The Go Chicago

Nothing makes me smile like watching my children dance.   Kids have this innate love of music, which has been the source of hours of fun for my family.  From living room dance parties and car ride sing-alongs to enjoying live music together around Chicago and taking Wiggleworm classes, much of our time together as a family includes music.

I was at Old Town School of Folk Music earlier this week and I picked up the Wiggleworms Love You CD! It is a collection of over 40 sing-along songs performed by your favorite Wiggleworms’ artists ($15).  I LOVE it!  We have been playing it in the car ever since we got it.  Not only does it remind us of Mr. Angela and our Wiggleworms class, but many of the songs are also ones I sang at camp as a kid.  According to their website, you can purchase the CD on iTunes too.

This was the first children’s music CD I’ve purchased that I truly liked as much as my kids did, and it inspired me to investigate what’s hot in kids music.  I am no music guru, so I found a cool blog that focuses on kids music, Kids Music That Rocks.  The author of this blog also writes for About.com and recently did an article titled The Best Kids Music of 2009.  My husband also recently found an article in U.S.A Today called These kids’ songs are…awesome.

Both lists included three of the same CDs.  I spent some time on iTunes today sampling each of the CDs from both lists.  Honestly, some I liked and some…not so much.  I tended to enjoy the CDs recommended by Kids Music That Rocks the most.  They tended to be more of the folk music genre.

I ended up purchasing a couple songs from a few of the CDs and creating my own CD.  Don’t you just love the flexibility of buying music online.

Here are the two lists.  I noted the ones I really liked in parenthesis.  Let me know what you think.

The Best Kids Music of 2009 by Warren Truitt (Author of Kids Music That Rocks)

1. Caspar Babypants – “Here I Am!” (Thumbs up!)
2. Ziggy Marley – “Family Time” (Thumbs up.  Classic reggae and found on both lists)
3. Billy Kelly and the Blah Blah Blahs – “Thank You for Joining the Happy Club”
4. Apple Brains – “Get Fruity!!”
5. They Might be Giants – “Here Comes Science” (Thumbs up. Typical They Might Be Giants sound and on both lists.)
6. Kesang Marstrand – “Hello Night” (Thumbs up!)
7. Recess Monkey – “Field Trip” (Thumbs up and on both lists)
8. The Dreyer Family Band – “Family Photograph” (Thumbs up!)
9. Dog on Fleas – “Beautiful World” (Thumbs up!)
10. Lunch Money – “Dizzy” (Thumbs up!)

These Kids’ Songs Are Awesome! by Korina Lopez of USA Today.

• They Might Be Giants – “Here Comes Science” (Thumbs up and on both lists)
• Yo Gabba Gabba Music Is….Awesome
• Peter Himmelman – “My Trampoline” (Thumbs up!)
• Secret Agent  23 Skidoo – “Easy”
• Dan Zanes and Friends – “76 Trambones” (Thumbs Up!)
• Ziggy Marley – “Family Time” (Thumbs up and on both lists)
• Sarah Lee Guthrie & Family – “Go Waggaloo”
• Robbert Bobbert – “Robert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine” (Thumbs up!)
• Bill Jonas – “Happy Accidents” (Thumbs up!)
• Recess Monkey – “Field Trip” (Thumbs up and on both lists)