Happy Kids Songs were created for building character and social and emotional skills for kids ages 4 to 8 years old. The songs are super catchy and fun to listen to (great car music!) – you can listen to some samples via this page. The creator Don MacMannis – also known as Dr. Mac – is a Child Psychologist and award-winning PBS children’s songwriter and music director, and his passion for empowering families through fun resources really shines through.
Music to Build Character
There are 8 Happy Kids Songs CDs in total with 5 songs each that focus on a theme such as “Talking and Listening” or “Respect and Responsibility.”
Sample Song Topics
- Assertiveness and dealing with bullies
- Taking turns with others
- Celebrating differences
- Including others in play
- Ways of expressing feelings constructively
- Handling unwanted thoughts
- Overcoming fears
- Being considerate
- and more!
Activities to Build Character
If you want to extend the conversations beyond the songs, there is also a 125-page activity book that includes lyrics to all 40 songs, a corresponding full-page activity for each one (which could be photocopied to use in the classroom), plus a list of 3-5 more hands-on activities per song. This workbook could be used in so many ways including after-school sessions, vacation care camps, playgroups, music classes, or kids counselling programmes. It would also be a valuable resource for a homeschooling co-op.
Sample Workbook Pages
This is a sample of the lyrics page with an accompanying activity. Each one is unique (i.e. they are not all colouring pages!).
In the back of the book you will find a list of activities to use along with the music to extend the lessons in each song.
I love the music and workbook and will be recommending it to all my friends who are in the character education field. A truly awesome resource!
Visit the Happy Kids Songs website to find out more about these awesome resources and to download free songs.
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I was sent a workbook and sampler CD to review for this post. All opinions are my own. To read more about reviews on my website, visit this page.
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