Best music for kids Archives

February 3, 2022 by

NAPPA Award winning books and music.

Meet our latest NAPPA Award Winners announced in January 2022:

Kindie Rock Stars Podcast

Showcases the amazing talents of children’s musicians and family entertainers. Each episode features an artist story, song story and a song. Free, patrickadamsbooks.com

Shadow Play Books

Unfold the book, turn down the lights and switch on a flashlight to be transported into a world of imagination. These magic books will inspire parents and kids to share nightly stories. $39.90, ages birth+, shadowplay.store

Sharon, Lois & Bram Best of the Best Live

Features live tracks taken from tours in Canada and the U.S. during the band’s touring heyday in the 1990s. Compiled by super fans, this release is the ultimate throwback experience from one of the top enduring children’s music artists. $14.99, sharonloisandbram.com

Star Forest

An album filled with imagination, adventure and play. Musicians Hawk, Fawn, Sluuth and Rocktapus VII (and a whole bunch of star slugs) take you on a musical journey where anything is possible if you dream big. A mix of rich bodied melodies, dreamy ballads, toe tappers and pirate rapper. $11.99, ages 5-8, starforest.rocks

The Lively Forest by Ginalina and illustrated by Kelley Wills

What do you see, what do you see? The Lively Forest – wild and free! This book by award-winning children’s writer, Ginalina, presents a story on second nature rooted in the diversity of the west coast forest biome and the joy of outdoor community. $15, ages birth-8, beautifulworldbooks.com

You Are Magic

Through the 15 songs on debut album, You Are Magic, July Mees and her dad Jared explore the silly and sensitive sides of childhood. Dig deeper into emotions and issues for modern kids. $10, ages 3-9, tenderlovingempire.com

February 11, 2021 by

While every day is a great day to show your love and appreciation for your kids, Valentine’s Day gives all of us a wonderful opportunity to express our feelings — and nothing says love more than kindness. At NAPPA Awards, we are celebrating kindness and positivity all year long by showcasing books, music and other great products that will bring joy and connection to your family and remind us that we need to be kind to ourselves, to each other, to our community and to our world.

Best for Mom

Let’s start with all the moms who always put everyone else first. We know this past year has not been easy, parenting through a pandemic, that’s why we love KindNotes. These beautiful jars of 31 handcrafted messages, enclosed in mini decorative envelopes, combine the charm of handwritten notes with positive affirmations perfect for a little pick-me up. Comes in a variety of designs and themes and can be customized. Starting at $34.95, kindnotes.com

And we think every mom deserves some quiet time to reflect and recharge. MamaZen Mindful Parenting App provides the perfect space to relieve stress, fatigue and anxiety using a combination of meditation, hypnotherapy and mindfulness . The 150 brief audio sessions (5-15 min) cover common topics among moms. 30-day free trial, then $14.99/month, mamazen.com

Spread Kindness Through Music

We know you’re going to love these recent NAPPA Award winners as much as we do. Music is such a wonderful source of well-being and the messages of kindness in these songs are universal and great for all ages.

Make it Happen!

Cheery, charming and energetic songs celebrate the simple joys of life, while also delivering positive messages of empowerment, courage and strength. Packed with lyrical wisdom centering on creating meaningful relationships and experiences. $9.99, staceypeasley.com

Thank You, Mister Rogers – Music & Memories

A heartfelt tribute album featuring classic songs performed by award winning artists. Highlights include the spirited Latin rhythms on Jaci Velasquez’s playful take of “You Can Never Go Down The Drain,” Jon Secada’s Spanish interpretation of “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” and actress/singer Rita Wilson, whose husband Tom Hanks wonderfully portrayed Fred Rogers in the movie, provides a tender rendition of “Sometimes People Are Good.” $10.95, thankyoumisterrogers.com

A Mind of Your Own

Featuring Nashville-based songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, a Brooklyn-based, fiddle-playing child psychiatrist and an array of acclaimed Americana performers in a captivating and upbeat debut album filled with songs and skits touching on a variety of topics—making new friends, coping with failure, learning a new language, dealing with emotions and bullying. Invites listeners to think deeply on feelings and emotions that come with growing up, while focusing on resilience. $14.98, folkways.si.edu

Words to Inspire

Find a cozy nook and start reading together. Beautiful illustrations and words will inspire you to be in awe of nature and all the creatures around us. There is so much to be thankful for if we just take a look around and really notice.

Good Morning, Good Morning

The lyrical wordplay encourages children to explore their surroundings and notice the subtle sensations within their bodies, all while helping them develop their daily mindfulness practice. Written and illustrated by women of color and featuring diverse characters. $12, ages birth-4, bounlesblooms.com

The Mighty River

Celebrates the community we share through nature and the diverse animals and plants that call the river home. Includes beautiful illustrations, a wide array of information, ideas on how to protect our waterways and space to draw and describe river animals and scenes. $15, ages 2-8, years, beautifulworldbooks.com

Kindness Tales

A curated collection of children’s stories celebrating the timeless power of kindness to make the world a gentler, safer and even more loving place by author and highly-respected folklorist, Margaret Read MacDonald. $16.95, ages 6-10, augusthouse.com

The Book of Cultures

A 120-page picture book for young readers to discover the world, embrace its diversity and go on adventures near and far, all from the comfort of their home. Featuring 30 stories with buddies from different countries, followed by a 2-page activity snapshot on each culture. $35, ages 4-9, worldwidebuddies.com

Be Together

To teach our kids about their big feelings is a true gift. Sit together, talk and use these creative and colorful cards to enhance your child’s social emotional learning.

The Little Yogi Deck: Simple Yoga Practices to Help Kids Move Through Big Emotions

A colorful card deck featuring 48 simple yoga and mindfulness practices to help kids work through big emotions on and off the mat. Eight color-coded categories include anger, worry, excitement, sadness, joy, jealousy, shame and peace. Includes a practice booklet. $19.95, ages 5+, Shambhala.com

Mindful Moments: Guided Exercises and Mantras for Kids

Easy-to-follow guided exercises blending mindfulness meditation and empowering affirmations to build emotional intelligence and encourage kids to tap into the present moment and their unique strengths. Includes mindful tips booklet. $30, ages 2+, boundlessblooms.world

Imagine That

It is through play that kids learn about life. Give them a world filled with imagination, kindness, love and generosity.

Poppy the Kindness Unicorn & Pawley Bear

Join Poppy and Pawley on their journey filled with friendship, kindness, and lots of fun as they spread kindness through Sharewood Forest. $34.99, ages 3+, plushible.com

Care Bears: Love-A-Lot Bear

A group of huggable BFFs living that sweet caring life. Perfect for unlimited bear hugs and ready for you to take on your adventures of sharing and caring. Comes with a collectible Care Coin to spark on conversation and action on everyday acts of kindness. $14.99, ages 4+, Walmart.com

Sharewood Forest Friends

Enter a magical world filled with friendship and sharing. Each friend comes with an adorable outfit, pajama set and reusable packaging that unfolds into a unique playscape, where kindness grows as large as the mighty oak and spreads like wildflowers. $34.99, ages 2-4, sharewoodfriends.com

For more product reviews visit nappaawards.com

December 16, 2020 by

One of our favorite childhood memories is looking through toy catalogs and circling the ones we loved and hoped would arrive wrapped with a big bow. Flipping through the pages and dreaming about each item was a big part of the whole holiday experience – the anticipation of something wonderful. We want to give you that feeling again with our Jingle Holiday Gift Guide. We have been busy all year testing and evaluating to bring you this wonderful collection featuring more than 250 award-winning toys, games, books, family music and other unique finds. NAPPA Awards has been celebrating the best in family products for 30 years. This year’s selection includes products with positive messages of kindness, inclusion and community – products that celebrate diversity and uniqueness. This year, watching those smiles on our kids’ faces when they rip open their holiday gifts will be even more special. Happy Gifting!

Here’s what you’ll find inside:

Gifts with a Positive Message
Unique finds, including items perfect for those who love cozy and warm
Toys to spark imagination
Products that are all about creativity
Outdoor Fun
Book, music and games

July 2, 2019 by

Summer is a great time for music and we have wonderful new NAPPA Award winners to share with you. Listen and Enjoy!

This Is Our Time

“This Is Our Time,” by Sir Dapp & The Paw Prints, embraces meaningful messages for kids about self-image, kindness and respect, and the power of words while providing toe-tapping, dance-worthy fun! The album incorporates multiple music genres the whole family will enjoy. The real-life singers on the album are Eli Jacobson (“Sir Dapp”), of NBC’s “Sing-Off” and the popular acapella group VoicePlay, and Rachel Potter (“The Dollie”), of Broadway and Nashville’s Steel Union band. $9.99, ages 3+

Positronic

Marsha and the Positrons clever lyrics about science and how the world works, positive messages and catchy sound will definitely entertain kids and grown-ups alike. This 12-track album skillfully weaves science with themes of friendship and kindness, underscored with an infectious rock beat. Playful, educational, and engaging, this record features collaborations with other children’s musicians such as Barry Louis Polisar, Lori Henriques and Billy Kelly. Produced by talented indie rocker, TJ Lipple. $15.00/physical or $9.99/digital, for the entire family.

For more award winning music, visit nappaawards.com

August 30, 2018 by

We have some great tunes for your whole family. Check out these great NAPPA Winners!

Howdy Do! Songs of the Urban Cowpoke

Hailing from the wilds of New York City, Hopalong Andrew populates Howdy Do! mostly with witty Western-style parody updates of old standards. He cleverly turns the old Gene Autry classic “Back In The Saddle Again” into “Back In The City Again,” and “Jingle Jangle Jingle” into “Ice Cream Dude,” for example. Most impressive is his nimble-tongued name-checking of NYC neighborhoods on “I’ve Been Everywhere In New York City (based on Johnny Cash hit “I’ve Been Everywhere”). See if you replicate his rapid-fire recitations! While Hopalong Andrew’s twangy tunes may be parodies they never cross the line into being camp hokum. Written with affection and a fun-loving spirit, his “urban cowpoke” music provides a great soundtrack for barn dances and cattle drives – or backyard parties and car rides.
$12
Ages: For the entire family

Songs for Sisters and Brothers

The songs on Songs For Sisters And Brothers are certainly for sisters and brothers, but they will entertain mothers and fathers too. Vered not only has composed a wonderful set of songs that explore various aspects of childhood and parenthood, but she has done so in an inspired variety of ways. She uses an African-style melody on the stand-out song “Little Bit Tough,” and veers into doo-wop on another highlight, “Library of the World.” Notable numbers too are “One Family,” with its “we are all brothers and sisters” message,” and “It’ll Be,” a charming duet with Walter Martin where they imagine growing old together. And parents, you will not want to miss the funny confessional “PR Agent” that closes this fantastic family album.
$10.99
Ages: entire family

Snorkel by Randy & Dave

Randy Sharp & Dave Kinnoin have established themselves as one of family music’s top duos on their first two collaborations. On album three they continue their high standards, filling Snorkel with a dozen great tunes. They are particularly expert on constructing wildly hilarious story-songs, and numbers like “Everybody’s Ignorant,” “Mr. Berschmicker,” “Oh, Wait, That Wasn’t Me,” and the title track will draw big laughs from listeners of all ages. Randy & Dave also excel here on their “maybe-not-as-zany” tunes, where they serenade you about curly cat, a berserk squirrel, a cute little dog, and the joys of having “absolutely nowhere to go.” Snorkel is a superb CD whether you have somewhere to go or not.
$14.98
Ages: 4-8 years

We Are One by Animal Farm

On We Are One, Animal Farm has assembled a marvelous menagerie of songs about animals – which probably isn’t a surprise considering the band’s name. These songs, however, aren’t your typical little ditties about lions, tigers, and snakes. There are imaginative tunes about an awesome possum and a two-headed tortoise. “Snow Bird” actually is about a penguin who longs to fly, while “Nocturnal Me” concerns a bat with a fear of the dark. Then, there’s the delightful “Ear Worm,” a funny, hummable number about getting a song stuck in your head. We Are One, in fact, is stocked with many songs that will stick in your head.
$15
For Ages: For the entire family

Move, Move, Move

Little ones will be shouting “more, more, more!” after listening to Move, Move, Move. As the CD’s title suggests, Vincent Nunes creates very active music. On his upbeat album, he sings about dancing, bouncing, walking a tight rope, moving his feet, playing guitar, and (on the “bonus track”) banging on the drums. While these tunes certainly add up to a highly enjoyable, energetic album, two other tunes are particularly worth noting: the clever alphabet song “ABC Jones” and the delightfully kooky “Fly Like A Dog.”
$15
Ages: 2-6 years

Shoebox Town by Tracy Newman

What will you find in Shoebox Town? There will be a “little bitty fish (in a) little bitty pond,” a “zilli billionaire,” and “a sticky little lollipop (and ) a little kitten curled up in daddy’s shoes.” It also has old-fashioned amusements like a “magic penny” and a merry carousel down by a pier. Tracy Newman’s follow-up to her equally excellent I Can Swing Forever reveals her gift for writing songs filled with a kid-like sense of wonder and whimsy that are dusted lightly with some gentle messages too. On the title track, for example, she lovingly sings about making her “Shoebox Town,” complete with a cereal bowl pool, while also portraying the brother as being helpful (and not destructive) to his sister’s creation. Newman makes Shoebox Town a great place to visit.

$14.99

For Ages: 0-7 years

On The Road with The Music Class

The Music Class receives high marks for their new album. Guided by Rob Sayer, the large ensemble of singers and instrumentalists takes listeners on an entertaining musical road-trip. The songs touch on some familiar kids music topics – animals, vehicles, counting – but the Music Class presents them in an impressive variety of songs and styles. Mixing originals and traditionals, the CD’s 20 tracks hold touches of African and Spanish music as well as jazzy and folky numbers. The enthusiastic performances and spirited songs make On The Road quite a fun ride.”
$9.99
Ages: 1 to 5

La Luna by 123 Andres

This is a truly lovely collection of lullabies from Latin Grammy winner Andrés Salguero and his wife Christina Sanabria. The songs basically are all sung in Spanish; however, the music has a soothing, gentle quality that is perfect for quiet times whether you know Spanish or not. They also welcome a number of guest musicians from around the Latin American world: Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Mexico, to name a few. While it would have been nice if the lyrics and translations were included in the CD package, they are available on the artists’ website.”
$15
Ages: 0 to 5

Enjoy the music! #PlayLearnConnect with #NAPPAAwards!Elena Epstein is a mom of two and the director of NAPPA Awards, the longest running and most respected awards program in the industry, celebrating the best in family products for 28 years. For more product reviews, visit nappaawards.com.

July 5, 2018 by

We have some great summertime tunes that your whole family will enjoy. Perfect for your next road trip, a day at the beach or just an impromptu dance party in the kitchen! Listen and enjoy!

Strawberry Wind by Jessie Baylin

Jessie Baylin, a Nashville based songwriter and mother of two young children, aimed to create an honest album for kids and parents that represents what she calls the “beautiful divide” of juggling family life with her creative life. Strawberry Wind is a dreamy collection of original tunes produced by Baylin’s longtime collaborator, producer-songwriter-musician Richard Swift (The Shins, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Nightsweats, Foxygen). Our NAPPA music judge calls this album “a gorgeous set of songs drawing upon pop, country and rock sounds from mainly the 60s and 70s. Exuding a dreamy, child-like quality, the music is not tied to any one generation. This is an album that you will be playing even when the kids aren’t around.”
$11.98 CD, $9.49 digital, $16.69 vinyl
Ages 3+

Why Why Why? by Ants Ants Ants

With stylistic nods to the Beatles, 1970s era Sesame Street, School House Rock, and “The Point” by Harry Nilsson, Why Why Why? celebrates a childlike wonder at the natural world, beginning with the first track, “Morning Song” and continuing with songs about where the moon goes, what the largest mammals on Earth are like, the lilting “Willow Tree” and the soothing “Stars” above. Our NAPPA music judge says “Ants Ants Ants is great, great, great. The main characteristic of Why Why Why is the hooky, sunny quality of this Portland, OR-based group’s songs. If you like the Beatles (particularly George in his “Apple Scuffs” mode) or the heavily Beatles-inspired power pop line of music, then you will be dancing around with joy to tunes like “Helicopter Leaves,” “Morning Song,” “Where Does The Moon Go,” “Pinwheel” or the title track. Meanwhile, children will dig the catchy little tunes about the fun little things in life. So, why, why, why not give this delightful disc a listen?”
$15, $9 digital
Ages 2 to 10

Hand in Hand by Suzi Shelton

Hand in Hand is Suzi Shelton’s fourth album filled with sweet songs that delve into more sophisticated stylings and production. The nine original songs encourage self-discovery, expression and kindness. Some of the tunes are childlike and whimsical, about things like ladybugs and raindrops and blue fin fish. Others are meant to be inspiring and socially conscious. Our NAPPA music judge says “it is easy to imagine youngsters immediately responding to such friendly, upbeat tunes” and many of lively numbers “will engage kids and have them acting along with the songs.”
$10
Ages 2+

Camp Andyland by Andy Z

Camp Andyland is the camp every kid will want to go to. Filled with strikingly crafted pop songs for kids, with stick-in-your-head lyrics and catchy melodies – plus a memorable cast of characters that bring kids into Andy Z’s world. An infectious collection of songs compiled from the popular Andyland series that takes kids on a destination-based musical adventure. Our NAPPA music judge calls this album “a marvelous amusing CD populated by all sorts of creatures (bees, butterflies, squirrels, and dinosaurs) and kooky characters like Cecil the Serpentine Dragon (not to be confused with Cecil the Sea-Sick Dragon from the old Beany and Cecil TV show), the Spanish-speaking Como C. Llama, and the laidback Rancher Dude. Additionally, Andy Z keeps the album zipping along with a whimsical range of musical styles (poppy ditties, camp-fire sing-alongs, funny tunes and message songs) as well as boosting the humor level by singing in a variety of different character voices. Highly entertaining.” $14.98
Ages 3 to 7

I am 4, 5, 6 by Margot Bevington

“I am 4, 5, 6” is twelve original songs about imagination, creative problem solving, and finding your heart. As the name suggests, families with children ages 4-6 can enjoy this fun and reflective mix of folk, rock, and classically inspired tunes- all about the 4-6 year-old’s tremendous developments of creativity and empathy. Our NAPPA music judge says “enjoying I Am 4, 5, 6 is as easy as 1, 2, 3. The dozen tunes here deliver a cheery set of music that adds up an entertaining album for youngsters. Bevington composes songs that hold subtle complexities in the music while keeping the lyrics easy for youngsters to understand.”
$12.97- CD $9.99- digital
Ages 4 to 6

Wild Is Everywhere by Sara Lovell

An award-winning songwriter and producer known for “imaginative lyrics, sparkling harmonies, intriguing musical layers” and “a voice rich in both purity and nuanced detail,” offers a new album, Wild is Everywhere, of 14 original songs. With a wide range of topics and musical styles, Sara takes listeners on a journey through a landscape populated with flying children, misplaced animals of a certain size, and insects or flowers that turn up in the most unexpected places.
$15, $9.49 digital
Ages 5 to 9

Happy Listening & Dancing. Remember to #PlayLearnConnect with #NAPPAAwards!

Elena Epstein is a mom of two and the director of NAPPA Awards, the longest running and most respected awards program in the industry, celebrating the best in family products for 28 years. For more product reviews, visit nappaawards.com.