One of the most important things you will need on a family road trip besides fun family travel games are some good kid CD options that kids and adults alike can enjoy. These kid CD suggestions are likely to keep everyone in the car humming and toe-tapping along, no matter what age. They're also great for listening to while relaxing at home.
1. Where the Wild Things Are Motion Picture Sountrack - Karen O and the Kids
PriceGrabber
Karen O and the Kids deliver songs full of energy, joy, and melancholy. You can practically picture the wild rumpus or imagine the wild things resting peacefully with their new king, Max. The rhythms and hums are infectious; the lyrics and melodies quietly thoughtful or raucous.
2. Gustafer Yellowgold's Mellow Fever - Morgan Taylor
Apple-Eye Productions
This latest CD/DVD from critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter/artist Morgan Taylor about Gustafer Yellowgold, a winsome little yellow fellow from the sun, and his equally engaging friends are beautiful to see. But the Mellow Fever CD (and two previous releases, Wide Wild World and Have You Never Been Mellow?) can also stand alone by themselves without the accompanying moving images, and are perfect mellow tunes for a long car ride. Choose any or all three kids CD DVD sets; each is packed full of songs that are little gems of poetry.
3. My Trampoline - Peter Himmelman
Sugar Mountain PR
With a soulful, rockin' voice and style that can sometimes be reminiscent of Elvis Costello and lyrics and music that are somehow cool, catchy, and kid-friendly all at the same time, Himmelman’s songs will make you think, "Wow." Like all great kids’ music, Himmelman’s work crosses age boundaries and speaks to listeners of all generations.
4. Two Flowers - Danielle Sansone
Waldmania!
If you want to turn things down a bit and play some lovely melodies to quiet your kids down for a nap or just some relaxation time, put on this kids CD by Danielle Sansone. These lyrical love songs -- written by Sansone for her two daughters -- serve as a reminder that sometimes, quiet songs can pack a big impact.
5. Welcome to the Kids Music Underground - John Carlin & the Kids Music Underground
John Carlin
Indie rocker John Carlin unleashes his soulful voice and clever, catchy lyric-writing talents in songs for the preschool to early-elementary age set (though older kids and adults will definitely catch themselves singing along to way-beyond-just-kids'-music tunes like "One Family," which is about the universal brotherhood of man). Oh, yeah, and there are songs about playing hide-and-seek or going to the playground, too, for those members of the family who can really relate to subjects like that.
6. Field Trip - Recess Monkey
Waldmania!
Recess Monkey’s songs almost dare you to not groove along to their irresistible beats (bet you can't do it). Best of all, these teachers from Seattle understand exactly where kids are coming from and what's on their minds. Just listen to songs like "Haven't Got a Pet Yet," "New Shoes," and "Hot Chocolate" -- your kids will feel like they've found kindred souls in the Recess Monkey guys.
