Happy Kids Songs Review

Happy Kids Songs Review – I LOVE teaching with music.  Take multiplication facts and history dates for instance.  If you pair them with music/lyrics, facts become fun…kids learn them…and they tend to remember them for years, if not their entire lifetimes (When did Christopher Columbus sail the ocean blue?  I bet you remember)!  And because music makes learning fun…lots of times kids don’t even know they’re learning.  So, why not teach everything with music?   Well…maybe not everything…but the important stuff for sure…

Character and kindness?  You can certainly teach these through music!

There may be no more powerful method of learning than through music, and no more important lessons for children than those that focus on character and social and emotional skills.

That’s a quote from the Happy Kids Songs website, and I couldn’t agree more.  When I read this, and learned more about the company, I couldn’t wait to listen to their songs.

We had the chance to spend time on the Happy Kids Songs review and I am so glad we did. Even after we completed the Happy Kids Songs Review, we still play Happy Kids Songs in our home and in our car. (I don’t know about you – but I use car time as an extension of home/homeschool time.  I always have something educational and interesting playing – and this music is a great fit.)

We play these songs A LOT! That’s because Happy Kids Songs has TEN downloadable albums.  Each album has 5 songs on it, and they cover a variety of important themes, including shyness, friendship, responsibility, dealing with feelings, manners, kindness, and much more.

Here’s a little more info on each of the albums in the Happy Kids Songs Review:

	1. Friends & Sharing  This album contains five highly entertaining kids songs about the essential ingredients of friendships, tools for reaching out to others, sharing time together, saying goodbye, being happy with friends and including others in play.  Age-appropriate for kids ages 4 to 8.
	2. Social Skills & Bullying This album has five songs that provide tools for assertiveness and dealing with bullies, taking turns with others, celebrating differences, and including others in play.  Again, for kids 4 to 8.
	3. Feelings & Fears  For kids ages 4-8. Themes of songs include ways of expressing feelings constructively, the handling of unwanted thoughts, overcoming fears, and the need that children have to stay connected with people they love.
	4. Practice & Success  Songs on this album deal with overcoming shyness, handling life’s up and downs, persistence, the importance of practice in achieving goals, and rising above adversity.
	5. Talking & Listening  The songs on this album help children learn about the importance of working through conflict, expressing feelings through words, the value of listening, speaking to others in a constructive manner, and being assertive. Again – great for kids ages 4 to 8.
	6. Manners & Character  The value of honesty, manners, appreciating differences in others, being considerate, and honoring multiple perspectives are all covered.  Great for kids ages 4 to 8.
	7. Happiness & Attitude  This album focuses on positive thinking, giving compliments, handling limitations, and ways to achieve happiness.
	8. Respect & Responsibility  A fun and entertaining way for kids ages 4-8 to learn about respect for possessions, responsibility to others, responsibility for actions, and love and respect for others.
	9. Gratitude & Kindness  This album focuses on connections to others, bullying, positive thinking, kindness and being grateful.
	10. Greatest Hits Ages 2-5  The topics of this album include appreciating differences, practicing manners, keys to happiness, taking responsibility and saying goodbye.

If you’d like more info on the songs we used and listened to in our Happy Kids Songs Review, you can click on album covers for song samples here. I have also included a handful of songs, and a few lyrics you might find interesting, below.

An Attitude of Gratitude  – Thank you for the sky that’s blue…for the pouring rain…flowers that bloom. Thank you for the air I breathe…for the morning dew…thank you for the sun and moon….

H-o-n-e-s-t-y  – if you want people to be honest to you, you should tell the truth to them; if you tell the truth the whole day, you’ll feel really good inside; being a good friend is an honest friend…

In the Same Boat – You and I are in the same boat…whatever I do to you, I do to me; you’re my left hand I’m your right… hands together.

More Kind – I wish we could be more kind…being kind like doing good deeds…the kind of kindness everybody needs…

Sailing on the Seven Cs – Sailing on the good ship  Friendship – sailing on the 7 Cs – caring, consideration, commitment, communication, concern, curiosity, cooperation…

Shake It Out and Dance – I can, I can,  you can…I can…

Stand Up –  Don’t Stand by…it’s never OK to be unkind..stand up for each other…don’t be a bystander standing by…this is a rap-type of song, and one of my kids’ favorites.

Talk It Out  – It’s a magical moment when everyone feels heard…why don’t we work it out face to face and sit here and talk it out…

The Golden Rule – If you want to be my friend, there’s one thing that’s got to end… your teasing me is not OK let’s find another way…Yes I want to be your friend…I forgot the Golden Rule…say something nice or nothing at all…

The Magic Word – The most powerful and magic word of all…  PLEASE…the magic word…

We’re the Chorus – Take us back where we belong…where’s my basket said the trash…where’s my shelf said the book…we hope you won’t ignore us … take us back where we belong… This is a funny song about putting your stuff away/where it belongs.

As you can see from the lyrics, these songs definitely have value!  I play whichever one I need to, depending on what’s going on in our home.  The kids aren’t sharing – there’s music for that!  They aren’t grateful?  Again, there’s a song for that!  Too much bickering in the car?  There’s an album….well…you get the idea…

And if it’s clean-up time, I put on We’re the Chorus – and play it on an endless loop until the mess is cleaned up – the kids don’t even mind!

That’s because my kids like the songs. They aren’t “kiddy” songs – they’re full production kid songs. There’s a difference.  My children like how kids talk within the songs – and they talk along (instead of sing along).  My kids especially like the rap songs, the theme songs, and the funny songs. I have to admit, these are my faves too.

In addition to the songs, there is a workbook that accompanies them (not necessary – but a great addition).

Happy Kids Workbook: Hands-on Activities to Build Character, Social and Emotional Skills
The 125-page activity book includes lyrics and coloring pages plus more than a hundred lessons and activities.  You can see sample pages on Amazon.  And you can easily make this part of your homeschooling day!

We really enjoyed spending time working on the Happy Kids Songs Review. Not only do I believe that music should be part of teaching every day homeschool subjects, I believe it can have a huge impact on character and kindness education and training as well.