You probably know that music is awesome for kids, but did you know that music promotes language development, builds emotional intelligence, and adds some zest to your child’s everyday routine?
Singing songs or playing music even assists children in transitioning from one activity to the next.
I’ve seen it in action at my son’s school. His teacher, the “pied piper of preschool”, starts singing a transition song and the next thing I know, all the kids are putting away their toys. Zero crying. It’s magic!
That’s why we’ve hand-selected 10 Spotify playlists containing the best songs for toddlers. These playlists fit seamlessly into your child’s life for maximum fun and minimal effort. Turn up the volume, and let’s get started!
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Find The Right Plan For Your Family On The Spotify App
The Spotify web, phone, and desktop applications do not require payment information to start listening.
If you’re fine with the occasional ads between audio tracks, don’t mind connecting to wifi/data to listen, and your kids aren’t the type to listen to one song on repeat, Spotify free is perfect. Don’t change a thing!
On the other hand, if you and your family want your favorite tracks on demand and must skip over songs you dislike, you’ve got a good case for adding a premium Spotify subscription.
What About The Spotify Premium Family Subscription?
Our family shares an individual premium membership. It’s great for two adults and one preschooler. (The only downside is our Spotify “Wrapped” is always ridiculous with one-third Indie Pop, one-third Movie Soundtracks, and one-third Sesame Street).
As our son gets older, we’ll likely switch to the premium family membership.
For $5 more a month, the premium family plan allows up to 6 individual accounts, offline play with zero ads between songs, and the ability to block explicit content on your children’s accounts.
(Keep in mind, you can also block explicit content on a regular premium account too. You just may not be able to listen to your favorite songs if they contain adult themes or language).
Finally, the most significant benefit of a premium family plan is access to Spotify Kids. This is not available on any other plan.
Spotify Kids allows children to use Spotify independently of their parents. If your child is constantly asking to play music on your phone, this is a game changer!
Tell Me More About The Spotify Kids App
Spotify refers to its kid-friendly app as a “playground of sound” full of age-appropriate music, podcasts, and audiobooks. Explicit songs are not available and won’t show up even if a child searches for them.
Based on the limited content for young children, Spotify Kids seems most beneficial for ages five and older. Keep in mind some songs geared at older children contain innuendos or feature album covers with sexual imagery.
Grown-ups receive full access to a child’s song history and always have the option to block certain songs. Customize the app to your family’s comfort level.
On Repeat: 10 Spotify Playlists Jam-Packed With Songs For Toddlers
Children of all ages benefit from music every day. It reduces stress, increases family bonding, and adds a little sweetness and joy to otherwise monotonous daily activities.
The following Spotify playlists fit easily into everyday toddler routines. They’re fun, silly, and expose children to a variety of musical styles, instruments, and concepts. Let’s go!
Songs For Toddlers: The Spotify Playlist For Your Next Family Road Trip
This vehicle and travel-themed playlist created by Bounce Patrol packs in a diversity of performances from male and female vocalists across the globe.
You’ll find familiar favorites like The Wiggles or Laura Berkner Band as well as some indie gems from Caspar Babypants or Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band.
Clocking in at just over 2.5 hours of music, families cruise along to this playlist without fear of constant repeats. It’s our family’s go-to music for driving.
Songs for Toddlers: The Spotify Playlist For Getting Outside
The Australian children’s band Tiptoe Giants assembled a playlist full of folksy campfire singalongs and jangly guitar ballads. You won’t find a more chilled-out playlist for relaxing outdoors with the family.
Don’t forget to pack a fully-charged Bluetooth speaker and of course, plenty of snacks. No one gets hungrier than a toddler in the wild.
Planning an outing in a place without any mobile networks? With a Spotify premium subscription, download this playlist to your device’s internal storage for up to 30 days at a time.
Songs For Toddlers: The Spotify Playlist For Grocery Shopping
While not every grocery trip requires a soundtrack, there are days when you simply need to get in and get out without any kid-wrangling.
On those days, be ready to pull out some headphones and fire up this fun food-themed playlist. (We recommend these headphones for young listeners).
Pro Tip: If your little one begs for sweets at the mere mention of candy or cookies, click the “…” symbol at the top of this playlist and select “create playlist.” You’ve now got your own personal foodie playlist. Delete any songs that might cause candy aisle drama.
Songs For Toddlers: The Spotify Playlist For Impromptu Dance Parties
It’s rare to find a toddler-centric playlist like this one that’s full of movement, motor control practice, and straightforward lyrics.
There are so many dance mixes for children that include pop hits like Katy Perry’s Firework. There’s nothing wrong with listening to grown-up songs with toddlers, but keep in mind they’re still working on motor coordination fundamentals like clapping and balancing on one foot.
Songs with simple rhythms, clear instructions, and repetition help toddlers practice these movements more effectively. Check out our list of the best activity songs for toddlers here.
Songs For Toddlers: The Spotify Playlist For A Trip To The Zoo
Putumayo World Music creates award-winning compilation albums featuring regional artists from around the world.
This epic Spotify playlist combines Putumayo’s most popular children’s albums, including “Asia Playground,” “Africa Playground,” “Indian Groove,” and “Animal Crackers.” Listen on your way to the zoo, at lunch, or days later as you recall the animals your children saw and where they live in the wild.
With such an extensive list, I recommend finding your favorites and adding them to a new, shared playlist. Your whole family can access it whenever the mood for a safari adventure strikes!
Songs For Toddlers: The Spotify Playlist For Tidying Up
Unless you’ve got a child that is particularly neat and methodical (amazing ), your little one likely needs some external motivation to clean up (we feel you). Keep tidying time upbeat (and short) by playing songs full of energy and excitement.
Packed with sugary pop songs about cleaning up, this Spotify-curated playlist is ideal for a speedy two to five-minute toy tidying.
Set a timer to see how fast everyone can put things away or ask every kid to pick up five things. My son loves to clean up his cars and trucks, so I tackle the remainder. However you clean, add a little music to transform your daily chore into a dance party!
Songs For Toddlers: The Spotify Playlist For Bath Time
Any bathtime playlist worth its soap contains the toddler anthem “Baby Shark,” but why stop there? This playlist by The Mik Maks has everything you need for bathtime play from pirates to bubbles to an octopus’ garden in the shade.
What keeps me coming back to this music-soaked playlist are the parent-approved tracks like “Pollywog in a Bog” by Barenaked Ladies or “Singin’ In The Bathtub” by John Lithgow.
A bubbly bathtub also makes for a playful, fun environment to experiment with new genres. On Mondays, we do “disco bath” where we dim the lights, add a rainbow lamp, and play some Kool & The Gang.
Songs For Toddlers: The Spotify Playlist For Trying New Foods
Most toddlers enjoy a full sensory experience–something they can taste, smell, touch, see, and hear. If you’re introducing a new food or simply re-introducing a food in a different way, why not sing a food song while you’re preparing it?
This fruit and vegetable-themed playlist features songs about plums, mangos, avocados, beans, and more. Singing also helps children practice and recall the names of each food.
The child feeding experts at Feeding Littles recommend listening to music at low volumes while your kids are actually eating. For music during meal times, introduce your child to some of your favorite songs and artists. My husband and I love The Rat Pack on pasta nights.
Songs For Toddlers: The Spotify Playlist For Family Movie Night
Family rituals like movie nights are opportunities to share your family’s culture and values with your children.
Start the night with a special meal (breakfast for dinner, pizza, etc.) and put on your favorite playlist. May we humbly suggest this sing-a-long extravaganza of a playlist regularly updated by Spotify?
We’re talking Disney box office hits like the Lion King or Frozen as well as lesser-known movies like Over The Moon or Vivo with music by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
I distracted myself way too many times while pouring over this playlist. Film soundtracks capture so much of the magic of the movies. It’s the perfect accompaniment to any family movie night preparations!
Songs For Toddlers: The Spotify Playlist For A Peaceful Bedtime
The band Renee and Jeremy got their start making lullabies after the birth of Renee’s son in 2006. On their “Best of” playlist, expect slow-paced songs backed by lush vocals and cleanly strummed acoustic guitars.
My favorite songs include “Night Mantra” and “It’s a Big World,” but they’re known for whispery folk covers like “Sweet Child O’Mine” or “Daydream Believer.”
Bedtime is not complete without a little Renee and Jeremy. It’s our son’s call to wind down, cuddle up, and get ready for rest.
We Can’t Get Enough Of These Spotify Playlists! They’re The Best Songs For Toddlers (And Parents)
From breakfast to bedtime, music is a beautiful and beneficial part of a toddler’s daily life. ( I’m especially excited to bring some kid-friendly music to our next camping trip this spring).
Our family uses the Spotify app daily to get instant access to a variety of artists and musical styles. Whether you’re on the free plan or have a subscription, it’s a fantastic parenting tool.
Finally, I hope you’ve discovered some brand new songs for toddlers that fit easily into your child’s routine and make your life a little bit easier. Happy listening!
There are so many ways to add music to your routine. What songs for toddlers are on your everyday Spotify playlist?
