As I began to write this post, it didn’t take me even an hour to come up with way more than 100 songs every child show know! One of my most favorite classes in college was Elementary Music Methods, and one of my most favorite jobs was elementary (K-4) music teacher at Willie Brown Elementary school in Mansfield, Texas. I taught some of these songs to my students, and today I’m happy to share them with you.
The Top 100 Songs Every Child Should Know
The songs below are linked to a YouTube video so you can learn it and teach it to your kids. It was my goal to include a variety of types of videos. Some modern, some old, some specifically made for kids, and others not. I hope you enjoy the mixture! (As usual, if you are extra careful about the content your child sees or hears, please preview each video first.)
Scroll to the bottom to download a printable version of this list.
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Folk Songs
Inch by Inch (the Garden Song)
I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
Make New Friends But Keep the Old
She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain
There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea
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Sampler Music Appreciation Mini-Course
Patriotic Songs
Hymns and Christian Songs
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Spirituals
When the Saints Go Marching In
Lullabies
Hush Little Baby, Don’t Say a Word
Lullaby and Good Night (German Cradle Song/ Brahm’s Lullaby)
Preschool Songs
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
If You’re Happy and You Know It
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10 Songs All Preschoolers Should Know!
Historical Songs
Christmas Carols
See MANY Christmas Songs in this course
Music of Christmas
Other Holiday Songs
Over the River and Through the Woods
Cowboy Songs
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Singing Made Easy ~ Level for beginning singing lessons from age 3 through adult!
Songs in Other Languages
Did I miss any of your favorite songs? Leave a comment below to let me know!
It’s a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
My Favorite Things – Julie Andrews – Sound of Music
These are two songs we have fun with at our house!
Wonderful additions!
We had fun with “Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be?” today.
Yay! Very fun. 🙂
~Gena
TV THEME SONGS OF THE PAST (50s-90s) i.e. Animaniacs
Ducktales and other TV Theme Songs of the Past
I started elementary school in 1960. Music was always a huge part of my life and our lives in school. In 1965/66, our music teacher had all the 5th and 6th graders from the city get together for a couple of programs. One song that my best friend and I sang throughout our lives went something like this : Spring whispers in the wind, stirs among the sprouts, wakes the tender buds with its call, spring murmurs through the trees, rushes in the brook, something in the steep waterfall. Loud sounds the shepherds horn ‘mong the rocks, calling to summon home snowy flocks. Gay, gaily in the night, gaily in night sings the water sprite.
I know I missed quite a bit of it, but do you know of this song?
I did a Google search, but couldn’t find the song. I’m posting here in the hopes that someone else will know. 🙂
~Gena
I am searching for the origin, too! My mother and aunt taught me the song as a child (Michigan). I cannot find it anywhere on the internet.
This is what we know (and we know the melody that our family sings it to).
“Spring whispers in the wind, stirs among the boughs, wakes the tender buds with its call. Spring murmurs in the stream, surges in the brook, rushes in the clean waterfall. Loud sounds the shepherd’s horn among the rocks, calling to summon home snowy flocks. Gay, gaily in the night, gaily in the night, plays the water sprite.
Yet, in my beating heart, sorrow lingers on, colder than the touch of the snow…when I remember joy and the lovely days of a happy spring…long ago.”
Hoping someone can help you!
Blessings,
Gena
We’ve also enjoyed Froggie Went a courting, Crawdad Song, Los Pollitos, Little Liza Jane, The Happy Wanderer, Molly Malone, Down in the Valley, Cumberland Gap, Goober Peas, Loch Lomond, Will You Go Lassie, Country Life and Auld Lang Syne.
Thanks for these great additions!
~Gena
Hi everyone. I also grew up in the 60s. I remember the lyrics to a song going like this (remember, this is my 8-year-old memory working here, so I might be wrong): Olé, olé, olé. Come dance to the music gay. Olé, olé, olé. We’ll sing and we’ll dance and play. Oh, what fun to go dancing together, with a swing and a sway and a swirl. Every step is as light as a feather. Oh, what fun to go round in a whirl!
Hope someone remembers this and can add to or correct the lyrics. I couldn’t find anything on the internet.
I don’t know that one. Yes, hope someone else can chime in with the answer!
~Gena
Well, the words fit to the music of Mexican Hat Dance. You can hear a version here: https://youtu.be/XrEg2mL1jmY
Looking for the lyrics to a song sung prior to the 1960’s with the words…. GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING TO YOU , GOOD MORNING AND HOW DO YOU DO?”
Anyone?
I wish there was a printable list!
Just added it!
~Gena
Yay!!! Thank you!!!
How ’bout My Darling Clementine?