Song and dance DVD recommendations

Braxton and Caleb are both very musical and love dancing and singing. We tend to sing the same songs over and over (we only know a few that have gestures and they squeal with delight when we sing them). But now that they're standing and walking more, I'd love to have a dvd full of songs we can sing and dance to together. At the story time we go to at our library, they sing this silly song to the tune of Are You Sleeping that says "walking walking, walking walking, hop, hop, hop....". They LOVE it and it's actually motivated them to stand up and try jumping after hearing it a few times. So I'm looking for more songs that encourage movement and dancing that we can all participate in. I've been looking at the Laurie Berkner Band (I think dfaut mentioned her in another post) and Dan Zane but I'd like to hear what you great moms recommend . Please know that I am not looking for a sit-down-shut-up-mama-needs-a-break dvd. I'd like it to be one of our daily "activities". Thanks!

 

QUOTE(serranoboys @ Nov 10 2008, 07:05 PM) [snapback]1064479[/snapback]
Braxton and Caleb are both very musical and love dancing and singing. We tend to sing the same songs over and over (we only know a few that have gestures and they squeal with delight when we sing them). But now that they're standing and walking more, I'd love to have a dvd full of songs we can sing and dance to together. At the story time we go to at our library, they sing this silly song to the tune of Are You Sleeping that says "walking walking, walking walking, hop, hop, hop....". They LOVE it and it's actually motivated them to stand up and try jumping after hearing it a few times. So I'm looking for more songs that encourage movement and dancing that we can all participate in. I've been looking at the Laurie Berkner Band (I think dfaut mentioned her in another post) and Dan Zane but I'd like to hear what you great moms recommend . Please know that I am not looking for a sit-down-shut-up-mama-needs-a-break dvd. I'd like it to be one of our daily "activities". Thanks!


Great question - I cannot wait to read the suggestions. We have stayed away from tv and videos (with the exception of "animal planet" which Lily LOVES to watch) and are also enjoying the songs and dances at storytime at our library. I would love to hear of some song and dance videos we can enjoy TOGETHER at home!

 

The Wiggles! :good:

 

We have DirecTV and have 2 different kids music channels. I have just turned those on and started dancing myself. Doing all sorts of crazy dance moves, walking like different animals, stuff like that and they just follow my lead. It is lots of fun. I also bought a collection of "Wee Sing" CDs and they have hours of kids songs. You can act out the words and they will catch on and pick a favorite. I find that the sillier I am, the more exhausted we all are afterward!!

Have fun with it!!

 

I second The Wiggles and if you already have cable or satellite, you have it for free. My kids also like Imagination Movers and Jack's Big Box (Music Box???). Check Sprout and Noggin, my kids love these channels.

 

QUOTE(carmenandwhitsmom @ Nov 10 2008, 07:52 PM) [snapback]1064597[/snapback]
I second The Wiggles and if you already have cable or satellite, you have it for free. My kids also like Imagination Movers and Jack's Big Box (Music Box???). Check Sprout and Noggin, my kids love these channels.


Is Imagaination Movers geared towards the bigger ones? I've been trying to load youtube all day and it's being a jerk.

 

QUOTE(thetaphi_62 @ Nov 10 2008, 12:46 PM) [snapback]1064581[/snapback]
We have DirecTV and have 2 different kids music channels. I have just turned those on and started dancing myself. Doing all sorts of crazy dance moves, walking like different animals, stuff like that and they just follow my lead. It is lots of fun. I also bought a collection of "Wee Sing" CDs and they have hours of kids songs. You can act out the words and they will catch on and pick a favorite. I find that the sillier I am, the more exhausted we all are afterward!!

Have fun with it!!


Hi - if you check this thread again, do you know which channels are the kids music ones from DirectTV? I would love to find those for background noise! Thanks.

 

QUOTE(idril @ Nov 12 2008, 02:10 PM) [snapback]1067109[/snapback]
Hi - if you check this thread again, do you know which channels are the kids music ones from DirectTV? I would love to find those for background noise! Thanks.


I think it is 868 and 867!

 

QUOTE(ahmerl @ Nov 12 2008, 11:56 AM) [snapback]1067582[/snapback]
I think it is 868 and 867!


Thank you thank you! I need a break from Laurie Berkner.

To answer the original question... we have the first Laurie Berkner CD and really like it. My girls are fascinated by most songs and smile and sway. However, they don't get up and dance around. They just watch the people moving around on the screen. None of the songs have hand movements or specific dance parts for kids, it's mostly just three adults jumping around with a few kids thrown in for certain parts of the songs. If you're looking for something for dancing, I wouldn't really recommend it. But the songs are catchy and not very annoying.

 

We do classes with The Music Class (www.themusicclass.com) -- and every song on the CD has an associated activity. Lots of times it's just running around in a circle, pretending to drive, marching, twirling, etc. Or, we play with sticks and instruments....

They're awesome songs -- started when Nadia was tiny, and now she's in the 4/5-year-old class, and K&K are in the little-kid class. I think we're on our seventh song book/CD. And, we listen to them every night...

Problem is, I learn all the motions in class from the teacher, and I'm not sure the song book does a great job of telling what to do. I have them all as mp3's -- I'd be happy to email you some of my favorites, and describe the motions if you like!

 

QUOTE(serranoboys @ Nov 12 2008, 08:31 AM) [snapback]1067078[/snapback]
Is Imagaination Movers geared towards the bigger ones? I've been trying to load youtube all day and it's being a jerk.

Not sure of their target audience, let me check... Okay, it took a minute. Disney says that it is geared for preschoolers. My thoughts, they do music and the kids learn something "by accident". Check it out on Disney and let me know what you think.

 

Imagination Movers are geared toward preschoolers, but my boys love any kind of live music and dancing, so they love to watch it. They also love The Wiggles, The Doodlebops, etc. But Mommy's sanity can only take so much, so I like to put the tv on the music OnDemand channels. I also like to throw on my concert DVDs every once in a while including Bob Marley, Seu Jorge, The Smiths, basically anything typically mellow

 

My boys (& my daughter) love Hi-5. It has dancing, art, and they teach colours and shapes too. It gets them moving my boys can't really dance yet but they bend their knees and try to jump up and down when the music comes on.
We put it on every night when we are eating dinner (the boys eat earlier) and it gives us the 20 mins we need to get everything done in the kitchen while they have some fun.

 

QUOTE(Becca34 @ Nov 12 2008, 08:25 PM) [snapback]1067732[/snapback]
We do classes with The Music Class (www.themusicclass.com) -- and every song on the CD has an associated activity. Lots of times it's just running around in a circle, pretending to drive, marching, twirling, etc. Or, we play with sticks and instruments....

They're awesome songs -- started when Nadia was tiny, and now she's in the 4/5-year-old class, and K&K are in the little-kid class. I think we're on our seventh song book/CD. And, we listen to them every night...

Problem is, I learn all the motions in class from the teacher, and I'm not sure the song book does a great job of telling what to do. I have them all as mp3's -- I'd be happy to email you some of my favorites, and describe the motions if you like!


This sounds PERFECT! I'm going to look online to see if they offer those classes here (or a dvd). If not, I may take you up on that mp3 offer. Thanks ladies for all your suggestions.

 

My girls always loved singing to the Signing Time videos and CDs. The videos would teach a few signs and then follow with a fun fast-paced song. The CDs play the same songs and we've never gotten sick of them. They are wonderful sets.

 

QUOTE(carmenandwhitsmom @ Nov 10 2008, 02:52 PM) [snapback]1064597[/snapback]
Jack's Big Box (Music Box???)

Jack's Big Music Show. My girls :wub: this show!!! We all do the Mel Polka together. :blush:

 

Mine loved the Wiggles too at that age. Now they're too cool for the Wiggles (they're 2 after all). Thye are into Elmo and Diego (I'm sorry I-go-go) now, and neither have a ton of music (but they do have some).

I bought the Ralph's World CD and it has a DVD with music videos that go with it. They love singing and dancing to it; especially "I wanna be a puppy dog". His music is way more tolerable to me than Laurie Berkner. Don't know why but she bugs me. Maybe cause Ralph used to be in a "real" band when I was in college and we used to see them in the bars. My, have times changed....


Hope you find something your boys like!

 

The "Wee Sing" series is great, they have cd's and dvd's...

 

I happened upon a DVD called "Mommy and Me Playgroup Favorites" (I got mine through Amazon, 3rd party seller), and my kids LOVE it. It is a dvd of moms and dads singing and dancing to different songs. My kids are so absorbed in this, that I found the sequel "Mommy and Me, More Playgroup Favorites" and got that as well. They love these things. They sell CDs and DVDs. I have both on DVD and on on CD as well. Big hits with my kiddos. I often get up and dance and do the moves with them, and the LOVE that

 

Did anyone one mention Dan Zane? He's great and lots of fun and dancing.

I love all the suggestions! I'm going to check some of them out.

 

You know what? My new discovery. The best playlists for dancing, cleaning, studying, or anything else can be found on YouTube. Most people listen to music on Spotify or Apple Music, but I like to find something new and maybe even more interesting on YouTube.

 

Is it convenient for you to listen while watching the video? I struggled with that for a while because when I’m at home, I don’t really care where or how I listen. But when I’m traveling, obviously, it’s way easier to listen as an audio file rather than watching a video. Now I often convert YouTube videos through ytmp3 directly into MP3 files, save them on my phone, and I don’t even need the internet to listen. And the sound quality is the same as it was in the original video.