Help me make an awesome playlist for an elementary school field day

May 19, 2015 10:00 AM

Help me make the ultimate school field day playlist!

I teach music at a public K-8 school in Chicago, and one of my favorite things is getting to be the DJ for big school events like this. Field Day is still a few weeks out but I'm already thinking ahead about what music to play.

I need several hours of music, so I'm looking for any and all suggestions. Some guidelines:
- school-appropriate but not cheesy (must be accessible to K-8 students) - Kidz Bop versions are OK for some songs but for others they're just too silly
- that said, things like the Chicken Dance are ok in small doses
- anything that qualifies as a "summer jam" and/or "jock jam" works great - stuff like Happy, Rather Be, Jump, anything from the Space Jam soundtrack, etc
- music that adults will recognize and appreciate is great too
- availability on Spotify preferred
- I don't want all music by white dudes

posted by rossination to Media & Arts (16 answers total)

Best answer: My son is 11 (5th grade) so he's right in the middle of the age of kids you're talking about.

His current favourites are:
Titanium by David Guetta featuring Sia
Shut Up & Dance by Walk the Moon
Pompeii by Bastille
Riptide by Vance Joy
posted by dotgirl at 10:11 AM on May 19, 2015 [2 favorites]

Are you looking for current hits? Because if this were me I'd toss in a bunch of Beatles stuff, maybe some (kid safe) Public Enemy, Red Hot Chili Peppers and maybe a track or two off Who's Next.

I might also add some old school Stevie Wonder. Kids will be bopping along to Superstition or Higher Ground without even knowing who it is.
posted by bondcliff at 10:16 AM on May 19, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Will Smith is going to be a great choice. Very summer/jock jammy, and notably clean. Specific tracks:
Boom Shake the Room
Summertime
Parents Just Don't Understand
Miami
Get Jiggy With It
Switch
posted by Rock Steady at 10:40 AM on May 19, 2015

Anything by The Jackson 5.
posted by zizzle at 10:46 AM on May 19, 2015

Matt and Kim - Let's Go

(Really almost anything of theirs would be great for kids running around, but I can't remember off hand which have curse words in them. This one is definitely safe.)
posted by maryr at 11:33 AM on May 19, 2015

Best answer: My elementary school plays "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO and "School's Out" by Alice Cooper over the loudspeaker on the last day of school, and kids like them both.

I'd add in "Boogie Shoes" by K.C. and the Sunshine Band and other oldies, and "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas. And, I think with kid events, it's okay to play repeats of their favorites or requests.

Have fun!
posted by shortyJBot at 11:39 AM on May 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

Heads Up by Karen O and the Kids
See You on the Moon by the Great Lake Swimmers
Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:58 AM on May 19, 2015

Best answer: Energy by The Apples in Stereo
D.A.N.C.E. by Justice
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by Daft Punk
The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News

I'd probably also mine through a few of the preteen bands du jour, to mix it up, but I'm afraid I can't help you with like, the next One Direction's breakout single.
posted by deludingmyself at 12:37 PM on May 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

As much as I hate to say it... Frozen soundtrack. Mixed into other stuff so the adults don't go insane. Only guaranteed way to get a room full on 5-13 year old of both genders instantly singing along? Turn on Let It Go.

(source: elementary school teacher who just witnessed this phenomenon last week)
posted by raspberrE at 2:18 PM on May 19, 2015

Best answer: If you use songs from Frozen, I would suggest finding dance mixes of the songs, or versions in other languages. Familiar but fun.
posted by Morrigan at 2:43 PM on May 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

The penultimate happy song, Pharrell and Happy.

I went to an event last year with high school kids who got to meet the Dalai Lama, and Pharrell sent them a very nice video, and then played this song and the sight of over 300 teenagers all dancing to this song is absolutely a highlight of my life.
posted by kinetic at 3:24 PM on May 19, 2015

Best answer: Perhaps throw a few 80s vaguely sporty/activity-related classics into the mix? Any 40-something teachers or parents present will love you as much as I now do for having inspired me to just look up and listen to all of these:
Flashdance
Fame
Eye of the Tiger
Footloose
posted by penguin pie at 3:55 PM on May 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best Day of My Life - American Authors
Ain't it Fun - Paramore
Nothin On You - B.o.B
Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars (I don't know if it's clean enough? It's ok for my kids school apparently)
Shake it Off - Taylor Swift
Lips Are Movin - Meaghan Trainor
We Are One (Ole Ola)
Tightrope - Janelle Monae
posted by biscuits at 4:11 PM on May 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

Dynamite by Taio Cruz, Let's Get It Started by The Black Eyed Peas
posted by Fig at 5:05 PM on May 19, 2015

My kid's field day features a lot of clean Black Eyed Peas and LMFAO.
posted by k8t at 6:38 PM on May 19, 2015

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. Some of the songs, while definitely jams (Tightrope, Dynamite, and others) are marred by one or two f bombs or non-school appropriate words. As much as I love me some Monae, I can't play a song that has the line "kinda like a thong in an asscrack" at a school event.

I'm working on a master Spotify playlist of all of these tunes (supplemented by a few Taylor Swift and Beatles songs from my iTunes library). If anyone cares to check it out, here it is: 2015 Field Day.
posted by rossination at 8:57 AM on May 25, 2015 [2 favorites]