Some reviews, honestly, I beg for. And then there are some that just fall into my lap and end up being a big blessing in my life. Happy Kids Songs is one of those blessings!
We recently had the opportunity to listen to the following music sets from Happy Kids Songs-
These songs are geared for kids ages 3-8, but I am pretty sure that once you listen to them, even the adults will be humming along. Don't say I didn't warn you! ;) Each set has five toe-tapping songs and can be bought as a set for $4.95 or downloaded as individual songs for .99 each. You then have permission, of course, to burn them onto your own CD. You will also receive a free download of all the song lyrics plus coloring and activity sheets, which we reviewed as the Happy Kids Songs Workbook.($12.56)
About the songs- Written by singer, songwriter and child and family psychologist, Dr. Don MacMannis, each album is packed with songs that teach children good life lessons such as sharing, caring for others, and being a friend. "Dr. Mac" is joined by fellow songwriter Brian Mann and together they have produced some fun kid's music. While he may not look familiar, I bet many of you parents out there know him already- he was the music director and songwriter for the hit TV show Jay Jay the Jet Plane! Just as my olders could sing that theme song by heart, my 7 year old can now sing these all by heart as well.
How we used this- Originally, we just downloaded the songs on our laptop. Quite honestly, I thought we would simply listen to them a few times and move on. The best laid plans, so they say! In reality, what happened was that CJ asked to listen to the songs every day during school time. We finally compromised and let him pick 4-5 each morning. But then he continued to ask to listen to them. Instead of firing up the laptop several times a day, we finally burned the songs to a CD for him and he happily took it to his room to enjoy on his own. All. Day. Long. Several times I have asked him if he would like to listen to something different. "No, thank you" is the answer I get.
I will tell you, he does have his favorites. Sailing on the Seven Cs in set one is probably his top pick. Just guessing since it is the one that gets played over and over. And over. Hey, even I know all of the words now. So do his siblings. Let's face it though, there are worse things for a child to remember than the ingredients for being a good friend! He would also tell you that he likes the song Quirks from set 6, that talks about how each person has certain "quirks". He not only had fun identifying his own one day, but then everyone elses. We did have to talk about how we did not necessarily need to point out people's quirks! ;)
Additional collections include-
Social Skills and Bullying
Feelings and Fears
Practice and Success
Talking and Listening
Respect and Responsibility
A quick word about the Happy Kids Songs Workbook. You will love these free downloads. (You can also buy the workbook!) If you have crafty kids, they will enjoy the coloring sheets and projects included. I can also see that these would be a GREAT resource for a small group setting such as Sunday School, or for a rainy day project in your own home. There are activities from crossword puzzles and word searches to writing about your feelings. In addition, each song then has a list of activities with instructions for group or individual play. While they are secular songs, the lessons taught could easily be tied to a Bible curriculum or any character training program you are using.
I have to tell you I realized during this review that because he is the youngest of four kids, CJ has not been exposed to as many "kid" songs as his older siblings were. His love for these songs reminded me that kids need to be kids and have fun singing silly, "kid" songs. When they can learn good lessons from the songs- even better!
We will be purchasing the rest of the set for sure!
If you want to find Happy Songs on Social Media here's how-
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happykidssongs
Twitter: @howsyourfam
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/4DrMacMusic
Welcome! Follow our family of 6 on our military moving, God loving, homeschool adventure! We are honored you have joined us and look forward to hearing from you.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for commenting. I love hearing from you!