Kids Classics

In a world where kids' stuff is a major marketing op, we like to remember what's important about choosing tunes for the little ones. We're talkin' tradition here, that golden thread that connects the days when you sang your wee heart out to "Old Macdonald," to the glee of your favorite tot's here-and-now take on the beloved barnyard jamboree. This is prime together time, so enjoy a fun family dance to a N'awlins-flavored "The Hokey Pokey" with Dan Zanes, Dandelion Chorus & Father Goose; learn to sing rounds with Susie Tallman and Mark O'Connor's "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"; then get ready for bedtime with Karen Banks-Lubicz's sweet and sparkly "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

And, when you've done "I'm a Little Teapot" for the millionth time, and your brain waves are going round-and-round like Raffi's "Wheels on the Bus," hit Next Steps for a fresh crop of Kids Classics.

For pure, top-of-the-lungs joy, it's hard to beat Elmo's irresistible version of "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt," and if you find yourself belting it out alongside the chil'ens, you're just one of many who've never lost the taste for good Kids Classics. Take jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald, who swings it silly and sublime on "The Muffin Man," or the legendary singing cowboy, Gene Autry, crooning for his wide-open "Home On the Range." Your kids might not know that the Weavers were a part of American folk-music history, but that won't make the soothing, sleepytime tones of "Hush Little Baby" any less effective.

More lovable Kids Classics await in Deep Cuts.

So, you've been working on the railroad and skipping to your lou 'til you can work and skip no more, and still the tykes are clamoring for more! Enter Deep Cuts, with the efficient energy-drainage system of the Tinseltown Players and a jumpin' "Bunny Hop," the Happy Animals' let's-play-circus theme song "The Man On the Flying Trapeze," and Michael Feinstein's kid's-cabaret take on "The Teddy Bear's Picnic." "Yes, We Have No Bananas," sings Louis Prima, but now you'll never run out of great Kids Classics.

When you twist your fingers just so and warble "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider" along with a wide-eyed child, you're doing more than just singing a song — you're sharing a part of your own childhood, and connecting on a level that only music makes possible. That's the beauty of a great Kids Classic, and the beauty of our long-playing set of long-loved tunes for tots is that it brings an at-the-ready treasure trove to your fingertips. So, stage a road-trip sing-along with Rosemary Clooney and "Buffalo Gals," introduce the idea of a foreign language with Pat Hamilton and "Alouette," or simply enjoy some active play time to the tune of "Ring Around the Rosey" from Ingrid DuMosch. Just be sure to savor the musical moments — these are the songs that, before you know it, the moppets of today will be sharing with their own kids tomorrow.