Price Tag: $14.95
Official URL: musictogether.com
Rating:

Music Together is a successful early music program for children that has locations all over the United States. They recognize that classes aren’t always the best fit for every family, and so they’ve released some of their “Family Favorites” onto CD and incluced a little booklet of activity suggestions to go along with the music so that you can createy our own ‘circle time’ at home. 

This CD and booklet set is great for small daycare centers, families with young children, playdates, parties or even just one on one time for mom or dad with their child (and possibly even your child’s fifty favorite stuffed animals.) 

PACKAGING 

“Family Favorites” is packaged in an attractive cardboard fold-out CD case with a booklet in the center and a plastic CD tray at the back. It is fairly durable although my exhuberant two year old managed to rip the booklet out rather quickly when he grabbed it while I was reading. 

The packaging is attractive with varying shades of earthy green and tan, and tribal “wood cut” style art. Beautiful. 

SONGS & ACTIVITIES 

This CD has 19 tracks: Hello Song, Biddy Biddy, Splishing and Splashing, Ridin’ in the Car, Stick Tune, She Sells Sea Shells, Playin’ in the Kitchen, Palo, Palo, John the Rabbit, Spin and Stop, Mississippi Cats, One Little Owl, Goin’ for Coffee, Obwisana, I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, Dancing with Teddy, Allee Galloo, May All Children, and Goodbye, So Long, Farewell.  The songs earlier on the disc are fast paced and active, and the later songs wind down with “May all the Children” and “Goodbye, So Long, Farewell”. So even though your child will be quite worked up at the beginning of the CD, by the time it’s over they are frequently ready to fall over for a nap or some quiet reading time. 

The little booklet is CD-sized, 29 pages long, and is illustrated with black and white photographs of happy children, and the same “woodcut” art as the packaging. 

The introduction to the disc is well worth the read. It talks about how you can ease yourself into a playful music experience, and how valuable it is to both the adults and the children that participate. 

The activities are fun, active, and you can start many of them gently when your child is just a few weeks old. Older toddlers and preschoolers will love the “make believe” play suggestions. Parents will love that the suggestions are open-ended, require no special equipment, and that they will be challenged to come up with new activities while not feeling as if they’re being handed a directionless “Now, make music fun!” command. 

The music is all well-produced and a lot of fun. 

BOTTOM LINE 

This CD is more than just music, it’s activities and it’s encouragement to engage in imaginative musical play. Your kids will love it and so will you. It’s a great excuse to jump around, get some exercise, and delight your children all at the same time. It’s a great gift for any young child, and it’s a truly awesome experience to see your child blossom with the music, come up with their own ideas and activities, and run to put this CD on and dance along whether you join in or not. Music is more than a passive activity, and “Family Favorites” by Music Together reinforces this very nicely.