All good kids songs have three things in common:
- The songs are easy and fun for small children to sing and dance along to,
- The music is appropriate for their age and level of development,
- Children learn something new from them – a new skill, new words, new actions, playing instruments,…
Let’s dive into the second element in that list for good kids songs: what makes a song “healthy” for kids? What makes music age-appropriate for children?
Choosing a Song Tempo that’s Age-Appropriate
The song needs a good tempo: the speed of the song needs to be just right. For babies, it needs to be very gentle and slow; as our children get older, we can speed it up a bit.
For some age groups, it’s vital to have the tempo a little faster.
Here are a couple of great examples of songs with perfect tempos… (the links open in YouTube):
![What Makes Good Kids Songs? ⋆ kindyRock (1) What Makes Good Kids Songs? ⋆ kindyRock (1)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
Picking a Song that’s Pitched Right for the Age Group
The “pitch” of a song means how high or how low a song is. Singing is really important for our children; therefore, we need to ”pitch” the song so children can sing along… and it’s not too high or too low for them to sing along with easily.
Children under three have a very small pitch range. They can only achieve around four or five notes, so we need to choose songs that include these exact notes….songs that include these exact notes….so small ones can sing along easily.
A good example of a song with the perfect pitch for small kids is “Peter Penguin”, an animal action song for toddlers and preschoolers. Watch it on YouTube: click here!
Including Age-Appropriate Learning Elements in Children’s Songs
We know that music is great for children to learn things. Of course, the content needs to be right for that age range.
For a six week old baby, for instance, eye tracking is important. That’s why we create eye-tracking songs like “Watch my Finger”.
For a six-year-old, an eye-tracking song wouldn’t be much fun! That’s why we include lots of different learning elements in the kindyRock songs.
Examples (will open in YouTube) are
And many, many more!
You’ll find lots of songs to teach children, help them develop new skills and move to the music on the kindyRock app. Click here to learn more!
Are you a teacher or early childhood educator? Our membership platform for early learning professionals has lots of extra resources to add to our music. Lesson plans, activity ideas, extra training and more. To get a sample, check out our free songs with teaching notes on this page!
FAQs
Build The Chorus. The chorus is the most significant portion of a children's song. It's generally something simple to memorize, sing, and occasionally dance to. The repetitive nature of the chorus also makes it more catchy and helps it get stuck in your head, as heard on the most popular modern kids songs.
What are the five features of children's songs? ›
Five musical properties — tonality, meter, melody, structure and grouping, and means of ending — are analyzed in each song, and similar results are grouped and counted in order to have an idea of the abundance of a particular characteristic within the sample.
Why is singing songs good for children? ›
In addition, singing helps children to develop a good sense of rhythm and pitch, which are important for language development. Singing also helps children to learn new words and to remember information: By hearing new words in a song, children can learn the meaning of the words and how to use them in context.
What defines a good song? ›
- Chord Progressions: Chord progressions are the musical structures that determine the chords that you'll hear in a song. ...
- Key: A key makes a song genuine. ...
- Melodies: ...
- Lyrics: ...
- Solid Song Structure: ...
- Reaction and Emotion: ...
- Special Hook or Riff: ...
- Genre and Style:
What makes something a good song? ›
The song is well crafted.
The structure helps the listener follow along. Lines that rhyme are just as good as the line they rhymed with. The song is easy to follow and communicates clearly. Great songs are usually products of great craftsmanship.
What is children's song explanation? ›
"The Children's Song" by Rudyard Kipling is a patriotic and heartfelt poem in which the poet pledges loyalty and dedication to their homeland. The poem is addressed to their country, which they refer to as the "Land of our Birth" and "Motherland."
What kind of music is good for children? ›
Here are some musical genres you and your child can explore together:
- Children's Music. Most children's music has two things in common: lyrics that appeal to young ones and fun corresponding movements. ...
- Popular Music. ...
- Classical Music. ...
- Jazz. ...
- World Music.
What are the characteristics of a song? ›
- Tempo: Overall pace of the song; speed of the music. ...
- Rhythm: In songs, words usually match the rhythm. ...
- Pitch: High or low tones.
- Timbre: Color of the sound. ...
- Dynamics: Loudness or softness of the sound. ...
- Melody: The tune. ...
- Harmony: The blending of tones or sounds played or sung simultaneously to make up chords.
How does songs help a child's development? ›
It helps the body and the mind work together. Exposing children to music during early development helps them learn the sounds and meanings of words. Dancing to music helps children build motor skills while allowing them to practice self-expression. For children and adults, music helps strengthen memory skills.
What are the five benefits of music in child development? ›
Here are our top five reasons why music can be beneficial to the development of your child.
- Music increases toddler's sensory development. ...
- Music can improve literacy and numeracy. ...
- Music is a mood lifter. ...
- Music helps toddlers build coordination. ...
- Music can help toddlers develop their vocabulary. ...
- Learn new tunes at playgroup.
Benefits of music on child development
Music is important in the early years, as it affects children's intelligence and emotions, and helps them develop their skills, including: Early language development. An increased ability to learn foreign languages. Improved mood and emotional regulation.
What do you teach kindergarteners about music? ›
Kindergarten
- Exploring Long and Short Rhythmic Patterns. ...
- Exploring Steady Beat with Percussion Instruments. ...
- Call and Response Songs. ...
- Musical Patterns. ...
- Musical Expression Through Movement. ...
- Telling a Story with Music. ...
- Moving Melodies. ...
- Performing and Arranging Using Our Voices.
What makes a children's song? ›
All good kids songs have three things in common: The songs are easy and fun for small children to sing and dance along to, The music is appropriate for their age and level of development, Children learn something new from them – a new skill, new words, new actions, playing instruments,…
What is the definition of song for kindergarten? ›
: a short musical composition of words and music. b. : a collection of such compositions. 4. : a distinctive or characteristic sound or series of sounds (as of a bird, insect, or whale)
What is the central idea of the children's song? ›
In the poem "The Children's Song" by Joseph Rudyard Kipling, children pray to God to enable them to serve their motherland when they grow up. They seek the blessings of God to serve the country along with the other countrymen without any discrimination.
What is the key to making a good song? ›
The answer may be the melody. If you're trying to write an earworm, the melody is the most important part of the songwriting process. Successful melodies typically move in stepwise motion (up or down either a half-step or a whole step) with a few leaps (up or down any larger interval).
What key do kids sing in best? ›
The strongest notes in a child's vocal range are right in the middle of their range, around pitches F and G. While they may be able to hit higher or lower notes, these few notes are where they can sing the loudest and most comfortably.