Words for Children's Music

Brief History of Children's Lyrics

Though no one can say exactly when mothers, fathers and nannies began using music to entertain and sooth cranky children, nearly every culture in the world has a history of children's songs and hard-to-forget lyrics that are passed down from generation to generation. Whatever the subject, words for classic children's songs all seem to carry the same basic stories and ideas: this is how you should behave and "what" you need to know.

Like fables, fairy tales, bible stories and nursery rhymes, most children's songs are all about learning, though the lessons are cleverly hidden, they are obvious at the end. Even the silly songs of childhood are melodies to learn from, with the lesson to take a break and have a little fun. From the drum beats of Africa to the folk songs of North America, children's music will continue its journey through time, teaching kids' life lessons and the basics of knowledge.

Finding Words for Children's Music Online

If you don't have your first grade music book handy, there are plenty of places on the Internet to find the words to your favorite childhood songs with the option to listen to music online. One site on your "to surf" list should be Kididdles.com where you can search through an alphabetical list of kid's song lyrics and have handy access to an online store selling children's CDs and DVDs. In addition, check out BusSongs.com, which features words for children's music related to motion, activities, food, animals, camp songs and many more.

For lyrics featuring letters of the alphabet, Jazzles.com provides twenty-six different songs, all showcasing a different letter of the alphabet. TheTeachersGuide.com also has a list of traditional, and some non-traditional, kids' songs and most of their selections are available as audio files, in case you've forgotten how the melodies sound. You can also browse various other music lyric websites to find the specific songs on your list.

Children's Songs from Around the World

Looking to inject a little culture into the lives of children? Visit MamaLisa.com, a website with a major focus on nursery rhymes and children's music, to browse pages and pages of children's lyrics from nations all over the world. All songs have English translations and some are also available as sound files.

A Few Links To Get You Started

• Songs from the UK
• Songs from Germany
• Songs from France
• Songs from Italy
• Songs from Russia
• Songs from Africa
• Songs from Japan

Children's Music and "Toys" Today

Electronic gadgets of some type are common to see when walking down the toy aisles in stores today, even the local mom and pop shop probably has a handheld item of electronic bliss for children to enjoy. From sound boxes in books to sing-a-long DVDs, CDs and even computer software, children are introduced to music in highly technological ways. In the age of the iPod, they only continue to appreciate it more as they get older.

On the Internet you can also download free music, and sound files and copy them to discs to listen to away from the computer. Free music downloads, though, are not often legal downloads so be sure to do some research before downloading music for your children to listen to.

Getting Kids Involved in Music

Playing music with appropriate lyrics and singing to your kids, even if you're just making up a song as you go about your daily business, is an excellent way to stimulate a child's brain and encourage learning. With sounds, words and ideas presented in fun ways, knowledge and understanding continue to develop throughout your child's life.