Vinyl Records for Kids?
December 15, 2014 10:16 AM Subscribe
My one year old nephew loves to listen and dance to music from his dad’s old record player, so for Christmas I’d like to get him some of his very own records! I’d like the music to be something that his parents can enjoy too, but I’m not quite sure where to start.
I am aware of They Might be Giants and Def Leppard, and am looking for more recommendations in that vein. Or anything that isn’t Barney, really.
I am in NYC, so if anyone knows of brick & mortar stores I can visit, I’d love some info! Otherwise, good resources for buying records online would be great. Thank you
I am aware of They Might be Giants and Def Leppard, and am looking for more recommendations in that vein. Or anything that isn’t Barney, really.
I am in NYC, so if anyone knows of brick & mortar stores I can visit, I’d love some info! Otherwise, good resources for buying records online would be great. Thank you
Honestly at one years old, the fact they they can make music out of a piece of plastic is magical enough. Go to any used record store and buy basically anything and they'll love it.
posted by empath at 10:29 AM on December 15, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by empath at 10:29 AM on December 15, 2014 [3 favorites]
You'd have to work backwards a little bit, but I would cruise through some playlists from Greasy Kid's Stuff (which, is a fantastic program, and they should be made aware of ASAP) and see what is available on vinyl.
There's a remarkable amount of enjoyable music that GKS plays.
FWIW, My kid has always loved old soul music, and that's what populates his end of the record shelf (nothing rare, mostly duplicates of what we already have).
posted by furnace.heart at 10:29 AM on December 15, 2014
There's a remarkable amount of enjoyable music that GKS plays.
FWIW, My kid has always loved old soul music, and that's what populates his end of the record shelf (nothing rare, mostly duplicates of what we already have).
posted by furnace.heart at 10:29 AM on December 15, 2014
I had a great collection of Vinyl as a kid. My folks got us A Child's Introduction...to Jazz, folk, etc. Narrated by Captain Kangaroo. I also had the Peter and The Wolf that you could only buy at IHOP. Played them over and over and over.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 10:43 AM on December 15, 2014
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 10:43 AM on December 15, 2014
Guardians of the Galaxy Sound Track
But yeah, hit up a used record store and grab a bunch of stuff.
posted by PlutoniumX at 10:50 AM on December 15, 2014
But yeah, hit up a used record store and grab a bunch of stuff.
posted by PlutoniumX at 10:50 AM on December 15, 2014
Trout Fishing in America (really, all ages, but they make great kid albums)
Mother Goose Rocks (parents can giggle along -- Weird Al for nursery rhymes)
Bare Naked Ladies have one kids album that's great
posted by acm at 10:53 AM on December 15, 2014
Mother Goose Rocks (parents can giggle along -- Weird Al for nursery rhymes)
Bare Naked Ladies have one kids album that's great
posted by acm at 10:53 AM on December 15, 2014
Jerry Garcia and David Grisham did a terrific children's album that is for both kids and adults.
Not sure if it is on vinyl, but worth a listen.
Fwiw, my kids loved to dance to Tennessee Jed by the Grateful Dead and most Reggae songs.
posted by 724A at 11:00 AM on December 15, 2014
Not sure if it is on vinyl, but worth a listen.
Fwiw, my kids loved to dance to Tennessee Jed by the Grateful Dead and most Reggae songs.
posted by 724A at 11:00 AM on December 15, 2014
Harry Belafonte, especially if the parents liked Beetlejuice.
posted by Candleman at 11:04 AM on December 15, 2014
posted by Candleman at 11:04 AM on December 15, 2014
Many years ago when I lived in Chicago, a band called Poi Dog Pondering played kids shows in the morning before their Saturday night shows for adults. I do not know if they ever released any music for kids, but my kids loved those shows.
posted by 724A at 11:11 AM on December 15, 2014
posted by 724A at 11:11 AM on December 15, 2014
I loved Tom T. Hall's Songs of Fox Hollow when I was a kid.
I think Discogs is the one stop record shop online.
posted by Duffington at 11:13 AM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
I think Discogs is the one stop record shop online.
posted by Duffington at 11:13 AM on December 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
Classic Kid's records should be found really cheap at any large used records store. I grew up listening to my dad's record player from a very young age. Some of my favourites from that time:
"Snoopy & The Red Baron" by The Royal Guardsmen.
The "Ballads for the Age of Science" series by Tom Glazer (fans of They Might Be Giants might recognize this as the source of the original "Why Does The Sun Shine?").
Bubblegum pop like 1910 Fruitgum Company and The Archies?
Classic recordings of kids songs like "How Much is that Doggy in the Window" and "On Top of Spaghetti" (the latter of which is also by Tom Glazer!).
My local used record store in Pittsburgh (Jerry's) was just awash in the stuff, so I'm sure a trip to yours will be fruitful.
posted by namewithoutwords at 11:17 AM on December 15, 2014
"Snoopy & The Red Baron" by The Royal Guardsmen.
The "Ballads for the Age of Science" series by Tom Glazer (fans of They Might Be Giants might recognize this as the source of the original "Why Does The Sun Shine?").
Bubblegum pop like 1910 Fruitgum Company and The Archies?
Classic recordings of kids songs like "How Much is that Doggy in the Window" and "On Top of Spaghetti" (the latter of which is also by Tom Glazer!).
My local used record store in Pittsburgh (Jerry's) was just awash in the stuff, so I'm sure a trip to yours will be fruitful.
posted by namewithoutwords at 11:17 AM on December 15, 2014
From my own biased personal experience: Beatles and Dave Brubeck Quartet. Maybe some Simon and Garfunkel thrown in for good measure. (I hated "kids' music" when I was a kid, it always seemed so patronizing.)
posted by usonian at 11:20 AM on December 15, 2014
posted by usonian at 11:20 AM on December 15, 2014
Don't get hung up on "music for kids." Kids like music, and they'll latch onto all sorts of weird stuff. Little light thief, now 3 years old, has been a huge fan of Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Rocky Horror Picture Show (though we skipped a lot of songs due to language he probably shouldn't blurt out), The Bombay Royale, The Beatles, The Mamas and the Papas, The Clash, Madness, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and more electronic dance stuff. Raffi is decent, but as close as I'm willing to get to kids music, because I really don't want to hear most of that more than once, and if little light thief likes it, he'll ask to hear it again and again and again ....
In short, anything upbeat and fun, which the parents won't mind hearing on repeat. My only words of warning: watch out for language, because at this age, they're little sponges who pick up a broad assortment of phrases, especially if it makes someone laugh.
And if you're giving records to a little person, definitely go to a thrift store, or any used music place, so you can get anything cheap and hopefully available elsewhere, should the first record meet an unfortunate fate in little, uncoordinated hands.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:56 AM on December 15, 2014
In short, anything upbeat and fun, which the parents won't mind hearing on repeat. My only words of warning: watch out for language, because at this age, they're little sponges who pick up a broad assortment of phrases, especially if it makes someone laugh.
And if you're giving records to a little person, definitely go to a thrift store, or any used music place, so you can get anything cheap and hopefully available elsewhere, should the first record meet an unfortunate fate in little, uncoordinated hands.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:56 AM on December 15, 2014
Cat Stevens, Pete Seeger, and The Chipmunks sing the Beatles were my favorite records as a kid. Have fun picking them out!
posted by shortyJBot at 12:35 PM on December 15, 2014
posted by shortyJBot at 12:35 PM on December 15, 2014
any reasonably bombastic classical music is popular (it is Nutcracker season, after all).
the soundtrack to any musical THAT GROWNUPS STILL WANT TO HEAR (I weary of requests for the Leialu song)
real wildcards like albums of bird calls, whale songs
These are all things I've tried out with my own toddler, and all of them picked up in good condition from thrift stores in good condition (except for the Sound of Music, which my mother appears to have purchased around 50 years ago)
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 4:14 PM on December 15, 2014
the soundtrack to any musical THAT GROWNUPS STILL WANT TO HEAR (I weary of requests for the Leialu song)
real wildcards like albums of bird calls, whale songs
These are all things I've tried out with my own toddler, and all of them picked up in good condition from thrift stores in good condition (except for the Sound of Music, which my mother appears to have purchased around 50 years ago)
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 4:14 PM on December 15, 2014
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posted by ODiV at 10:27 AM on December 15, 2014