The big girls are arguing, the boys have decided that throwing their clean socks at each other is a good idea, there are piles of unfolded washing all around the house, I have lost that very important form, and I forgot to defrost dinner.
It’s late afternoon and I’m hitting the slump.
When the kids were little it used to be called ‘the witching hour’, but these days it’s definitely more of a slump.
Everyone is tired, and hungry, and cranky, and it feels like I will never make through the next few minutes let alone hours.
It feels like I am buried under that never ending list of things I have to do.
It feels like I am wading through honey, and it’s so hard to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
It feels like every word that comes out of my mouth is an order, or a plea, to “please, please, just find something to do that doesn’t drive me insane!’
I just need something to change the mood.
Something to break the spell.
Something positive and fun to banish the slump.
Lately that something as been music.
Loud music and wild dancing will banish a slump, until at least tomorrow!
Sure, my big kids roll their eyes at me and remark on my ‘ancient’ choice of music, but the louder the music and the more wild the dance, the more likely they are to join in.
If nothing else, it makes us smile… and a smile is the beginning of better things.
Here are our top ten kid-friendly songs to get you grooving and banish the late afternoon slump!
Kid-Friendly Songs to Get you Grooving!
Why Does the Sun Shine? by They Might be Giants
This is just one of many great songs by They Might be Giants from both their kids and adult albums.
Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves.
You simply have to dance when you hear this song.
I like to Move It – by Will I Am and sung by King Julian!
The Madagascar movies are having a bit of a revival in our house, and so is this song.
Shake it Off by Taylor Swift.
My girls love Tay Tay and I find her songs to be some of the most appropriate of the current teeny pop play list.
Pollywog in a Bog by Barenaked Ladies
This whole album, Snack Time, is great. Seven Eight Nine is another favorite, as well as the Ninja song.
Wake Me Up Before You Go Go by Wham
Ok so this is one of my all time favs and I will make my kids love it, I will!
I’m a Gummy Bear by Just Dance Kids
As an added bonus if you watch the video you can follow the dance moves.
I Wanna be like You Ooh Ooh from The Jungle Book.
Jump around like a monkey… go on, it will make you feel better I promise.
Holiday by Madonna
Bonus points if you can do the ‘Bus Stop’ to this while also cooking dinner!
Friend Like Me from Aladdin.
Learn the words and lip sync while you dance… really, it’s fun!
Please make sure you check out these songs and make your own decisions about whether they are appropriate for your family. Also be sure to check the video and the Youtube ads if you’ll be playing them to your kids.
Just Keep Dancing.
I’m talking about dancing your blues away because it’s an awesome way to get out of a slump, but also to support childhood cancer awareness.
The #justkeepdancing project was started by Ellen DeGeneres to increase childhood cancer awareness, so this week, in support of all children fighting cancer we are sharing a little dancing!
How can you help?
- You can donate to Childhood Cancer Research via The Kid’s Cancer Project, to give children who are diagnosed with cancer a better chance of winning the battle.
- You can share your own photograph or movie using the #justkeepdancing hashtag to increase awareness of childhood cancer and the need for further funding for life-saving research
- And you can just keep dancing… dance to get out of a slump, and dance to show support for childhood cancer awareness!
What’s your favourite kid-friendly dance song to banish a slump and to send love and support to families battling childhood cancer?
Great ideas for songs! My boys favourite would have to be “happy” by pharell Williams :)
Oh that is a great dancing song!!
So many great songs!!! How funny, we are so in tune (ha!) as we chose ‘walking on sunshine’ for our video… the kids cant stop singing it now! thanks for linking my post up too. The more awareness we can get for our little hero Finlay, the better :) xx
It’s such a fun song isn’t it!
Beautiful post Kate and some great dancing songs! My girls love the gummy bear song… but it would have to be the original film clip for them! ;)
Oh I didn’t know there was an original film clip?
We know this song as my boy’s teacher from last year used to get the kids up and dancing with the wii dance kids videos as a brain break and gummy bears was a fav!
I’ve been using this list the past few days – love it :-) Thank you x
One of our personal favorites around here is “Lemonade” by Alex Boye. If you haven’t heard it, you should look it up on YouTube–my 3-yr-old and I LOVE to dance around the house to it, and it has a great, positive message. His cover of “Happy” is pretty fun, too. :-)
This never fails to change the mood ( but you will be singing it for days!)
Animal Beatbox, Tropfest winner 2011