Well I, for one, resent you, apple, and I'm not ashamed of that

December 30, 2005 7:51 PM

So I'm in China teaching English to a batch of little Asianlings, and both I and the kids despise the English-language music they're forced to learn. "Apple apple I love you"??? We can do better, folks. I've tracked down the original "Bananaphone" by Raffi and had amazing success with it, but I need more kooky, interesting, easy-to-understand music for kids. Ideas?
posted by saysthis to education (18 comments total)

How about the Kid-oriented stuff from They Might Be Giants?
posted by Good Brain at 7:53 PM on December 30, 2005

Apples? Screw that, eggs.
posted by kcm at 7:58 PM on December 30, 2005

Barry Louis Polisar (whee, I just discovered that he has free samples on his website!). I grew up with Naughty Songs for Boys and Girls, his first record. "Never cook your sister in a frying pan" >>> "Apple apple I love you"

Not sure what his newest stuff is like, but I'd say he's pretty kooky. iTunes had individual downloads, as does MSN Music. You might also try Free to Be You and Me, but several of the pieces are spoken rather than sung, and it might be too dated and/or 1970s-ish.
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:34 PM on December 30, 2005

MUSHROOM MUSHROOM!
posted by divabat at 8:49 PM on December 30, 2005

Woody Guthries children's songs are catchy and repetive, and I think they would be perfect for teaching enlgish to kids.
posted by afu at 9:33 PM on December 30, 2005

When I taught English in Prague I used the Hokey Pokey and the kids really seemed to like it, especially the physicality of it.
posted by captainscared at 9:40 PM on December 30, 2005

Sharon, Lois and Bram all the way! I have fond memories of singing Skinnamarink as a kid in school and the silly motions that went along with the lyrics....(eye [love] u!)
posted by phoenixc at 9:42 PM on December 30, 2005

You might consider a series of small music books called "Wee Sing and Play."

Otherwise, I'm kind of fond of Trout Fishing in America's childrens' music.
posted by ilsa at 9:52 PM on December 30, 2005

Teach them this, and you'll never hear the end of it (ALERT: UNUSUAL CRUELTY, EARWIG VARIETY) —

It's a world of laughter, a world of tears,
It's a world of hopes and a world of fears;
There's so much that we share,
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all....
[all together now]
posted by rob511 at 11:08 PM on December 30, 2005

Fatcat and Fishface. Very, very good. I particularly recommend Horrible Songs For Children.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 11:32 PM on December 30, 2005

Ralph's World. Get 'em cheap on emusic.com.
posted by dobbs at 12:25 AM on December 31, 2005

They Might Be Giants!
posted by phrontist at 12:41 AM on December 31, 2005

Laurie Berkner
posted by tremendo at 1:56 AM on December 31, 2005

The sesame street music cds are a favorite of my daughter's. If they've had any exposure to sesame, the kids you're teching should like them, too.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:04 AM on December 31, 2005

My siblings and I used to sing Fred Penner's version of The Cat Came Back long after we should have grown out of it.
posted by Popular Ethics at 8:14 AM on December 31, 2005

Garcia and Grisman--Not for Kids Only. Most songs are written by "Trad.", whoever that is.
posted by gilgul at 4:15 PM on December 31, 2005

John Lithgow's Singin' In The Bathtub is a great album of kid's songs. Some of them might be a little too pun-filled for non-native speakers, but "A, You're Adorable" seems like a great one to learn the alphabet. (I'm always skeptical of actors-turned-singers, but Lithgow has a very good voice, and his singing has as much warmth and humor as his acting. I listen to this album all the time, and I don't even have kids.)
posted by yankeefog at 5:39 AM on January 4, 2006

Oh, also get a hold of Mother Goose Rocks - it's nursery rhymes set to modern music styles. The U2esque version of "Heads Shoulders Knees & Toes" is BRILLIANCE.

There's a Mefi thread on it which appeared a few months ago.
posted by divabat at 1:50 AM on January 11, 2006