Hands up if you have a music-loving family! I sure do! Music has played a significant role in our household, especially during the preschool years. We’d spend hours singing and dancing in the living room or in the car, and those moments made for some fun, quality family time. Even into our early homeschooling years, listening to enriching songs became an essential part of our school day. On field trip mornings, we’d pop in a CD (back when kids knew what those were), and let it play on our way to the Children’s Museum or to the beach.
Finding the right songs for your tots can be a bit of a chore, especially if you don’t know where to look, which is why we’re sharing our favorite albums for your little ones to enjoy! These albums were blasting through our house all the time, and we still play them sometimes just for that trip down memory lane. The cool thing is that most of these are not just your average rhymes – many of the songs on these albums are original numbers, mostly acoustic with simple sounds, funny and wholesome lyrics, and catchy melodies.
So without further ado, here are our top 5 acoustic albums for toddlers and children!
The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band (Deluxe Edition) by The Laurie Berkner Band – Y’all, this album is a VIBE! You might’ve heard of this lively group. Consisting of four musicians, including lead singer and guitarist Laurie Berkner, this band will have your kids moving and shaking around the house for hours at a time. This collection has a ton of engaging songs such as “Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz)” or “We Are The Dinosaurs,” which had my children stomping around the living room for hours. Usually, we’ll ask our Amazon Echo to play songs by The Laurie Berkner Band, and she’ll pull from the entire repertoire, but if we had to choose just one of their albums, this would be it.
Macaroni & Cheese by Tom’s Fun Band – My kids were ecstatic whenever we listened to this album! With fresh acoustic songs like “Fun Band Party” and “Macaroni & Cheese,” this was one of those CDs we just left in the vehicle so we could listen to it whenever we went anywhere. The cherry on top is that Tom is a local artist from Houston who performs at children’s events in and around our area. My kids and I have gone to a few of his performances, and wow, were they parties to remember! If you can stand your kids screaming “Macaroni” from the backseat, cue up this album on your next road trip for 41 minutes of complete fun.
* It's worth noting that Tom's Fun Band will be playing the "High Noon Countdown" at The Woodlands Children's Museum on December 30, 2023 this year. Make plans to atend!
Wiggleworms Love You by Old Town School of Folk Music – This is one of the very first albums we enjoyed when my youngest was a toddler. Wonderful for little wiggle-worms, this classic collection holds a special place in our childhood years. You’ll probably recognize a lot of the songs on this album, so it’s a good one to play to get your kids acquainted with popular tunes, as well as some lesser-known but just as amazing ones. The fact that only a few instruments are used, along with the occasional a cappella track, almost puts you in the setting of “circle time.”
Family Tree by Tom Chapin – It’s family time with these fun kids’ songs by Tom Chapin! We used to spend so many days dancing around the living room to these country tunes when my oldest was three or four years old. The lyrics and tunes are pleasantly nostalgic, and my daughters got a kick out of “The Nick of Time” and “Big Rock Candy Mountain.” Please be aware that one of the songs “Uh Oh, Accident” does use the word “stupid,” which my kids weren’t allowed to say at the time. When singing this particular song, we like to substitute the word with “silly,” but little mouths may not always be so careful, so just a heads up for you.
You Are My Little Bird by Elizabeth Mitchell – Oh, how we love songs by Elizabeth Mitchell! This artist is known for her soft voice and sweet melodies, almost like a lullaby. Our favorite songs from this album are “Little Liza Jane” and “Three Little Birds.” Some of the songs also include a child singing, and your kids might enjoy hearing other little voices. This album is perfect to set the mood for a rainy day or on a morning picnic. I’ll be honest with you, sometimes I’ll turn this album on more for myself than for my kids!
