Family

Funny Songs For Kids

Are you on your eighth round of “The Wheels on the Bus” trying to figure out why on earth your child wants to hear it yet another time? One reason is that kids LOVE repetition. The other reason may be that you need to add more funny songs to your repertoire. 

You’re in luck! We’ve listed some of our favorite funny songs that your child (and you) will be sure to love! We’ve also explained some of the reasons singing with your kids is so important to their development. Try out these wonderfully funny songs and get ready for your kids to giggle and groove through them!

Down By The Bay

“Down by the Bay” is a super silly song that is full of rhymes. The best part is you can make a lot of it up, as long as you know the first part. After you sing, “My mother will say, did you ever see a…” you and your child can come up with all sorts of silly creations to this already-funny song. Not only is this song a lot of fun, but it helps introduce or reinforce those rhyming words.

Head, Shoulders, Knees, And Toes

For “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” you have to stand up! Kids love this song because of its easy-to-follow moves and lyrics. The dance moves are simple: just touch the body parts called out! 

These can help with their hand-eye coordination and motor control. To make this song even more fun, mix up the speed at which you sing it. The faster you sing this song, the harder the dance moves and the sillier the song gets!

The Wheels On The Bus

In “The Wheels on the Bus,” you and your child can take a pretend ride on a big bus, singing about all the different parts of the bus and people on it. Just make sure you’re quiet while the baby sleeps! 

You can make hand motions along with this song. When the wheels go round and round, rotate your arms in circles in front of you, or when the baby cries, bring your fists up near your eyes and pretend like you’re crying. Your kids will love learning all of the silly movements of this funny song. 

Next time your little one is on a voice-call with their grandparents on Caribu, they can find the book Wheels on the Bus and teach them the song and hand movements that go with it, all while following along with the colorful pictures. 

Old McDonald Had A Farm

“Old McDonald Had a Farm,” what a classic! Kids love this funny song with all its animal sounds. To make it extra silly, you can even add in some animals that may not be traditionally on a farm, such as a dinosaur. Your child can also get extra silly by acting out the animals they hear! 

To add more color to this song, pull up the Old McDonald Had a Farm book on Caribu. This book has funny pictures of different animals playing musical instruments. How silly! For younger kids, seeing the pictures can help them match the animal sounds to what the animals look like.

If You’re Happy And You Know It

“If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!” This funny song brings a smile to anyone’s face, and it’s super easy to follow along. If you want to make it extra silly, you can add in different emotions. “If you’re mad and you know it, stomp your feet!” “If you’re sleepy and you know, make a yawn!” Mix it up and make it fresh to keep your kids giggling and singing along with you. 

If your kids want to share their new funny song on their next voice-call with their Aunt Jen, they can pull up the book If You’re Happy and You Know It. They can clap, stomp, and shout “HOORAY!” along with all the silly animals.

Five Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed

Ah, the song that’s supposed to teach kids not to jump on the bed, but somehow they always end up on it acting like monkeys! “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” is a funny song all about silly monkeys and what happens when they jump on the bed. 

You can have your kids jump all around while the monkeys are jumping and fall down when they fall off the bed. Not only is this song super fun to sing, but it helps reinforce numbers to younger kids.

B-I-N-G-O

We have all heard of the dog named Bingo, but what about his friends Chico, Margo, and Bruno? In the book B-I-N-G-O, you will sing along with the farmer and meet Bingo and his friends. This is a fun song that brings spelling into the fun. 

While you’re singing this song, you drop letters out while you are spelling and clap in the place of the letter. It’s such a fun way to teach kids rhythm. Instead of clapping, change it up! You can bark, stomp, snap, and jump for the missing letters. Take this classic song and make it your own! 

Do Your Ears Hang Low?

If you’re really looking for a laugh, “Do Your Ears Hang Low” is the song for you. This song is all about, you guessed it, your ears! Most people know the first verse of this song, which is silly enough, but the longer version gets even better. 

“Do your ears give snacks?” “Can you wave them at your neighbor?” You and your little one will have a blast listening to all of the funny lyrics and imagining your own ears pulling off such stunts.

Hokey Pokey

Who doesn’t love to dance to the “Hokey Pokey?” In this silly song, you listen to the instructions and follow along. Stand up with your kids and get in on the fun. 

Put your arm in and out, leg in and out, hip in and out, and finally, the whole body! It’s so much fun to shake it all about. Not only will your kids love dancing along to this fun song, but they will also love seeing your silly dance moves. 

On Top Of Spaghetti

Imagining the meatball from “On Top of Spaghetti” rolling all over the place will leave you and your child giggling for days. That must have been one powerful sneeze! After you sing this song, you can ask your child where else the meatball might have gone. 

It’s always fun seeing where their imagination takes them. Whether you’re having an Italian night for dinner or just need a laugh, this song is a super silly song to add to the queue. 

Why Is Music Important For Kids?

Introducing music to your kids at a young age fosters a love for music. Music has many unbelievable benefits, even if they’re the silly songs that we all sing to our kids. Here are a few reasons why you want to keep music alive in your home. 

Gets The Sillies Out

Listening and singing to songs, especially if they have dance moves that go with them, is a great way to help your child get their sillies out. If they’re too little to do the “right” dance moves, don’t worry! They’ll probably try and follow along or make up their own moves. If you’ve been cooped up on a rainy day or stuck in the car for a long drive, singing silly songs can help work those sillies out. 

Boosts Their Mood

Music has this amazing power to make you feel happy, sad, and many other emotions. When you play a funny song, it can help boost the mood of your child. 

You’ll also get to benefit from their good mood. Just listening to music helps, but singing is even more powerful. Your voice may also be more calming to your little one than a recording of someone else, so start singing! 

Helps With Learning

Do you ever wonder why there are so many songs with letters, numbers, days of the week, and feelings in them? It actually has to do with how the brain works. 

When you teach through music, the brain has additional things to think about. This wakes up more areas of the brain, strengthening it for more complex tasks, like problem-solving, when they are older.

Sing Your Heart Out

There are so many funny songs out there to sing with your kids, and most of them include silly dance moves to help with their coordination. Singing these songs can help your kids get their sillies out, put them in a happier mood, and teach them new skills. Most importantly, singing funny songs with your kids fosters a love for music. 

Do you want to share the music from miles away? Open the Caribu App and give your loved one a call. Your child can share all their new funny songs and even find a book that goes with them!

Sources:

Dancing and the Brain | Harvard Medical School

Five Ways Music Can Make You Healthier | Berkeley

Music makes it memorable — Better Kid Care | Penn State Extension