17 Best Kids' Dance Songs That Parents Actually Love, Too

Inside: Next time you or the kids have a case of the crankies, fire up this playlist of dance music for kids and boogie away the bad mojo. (No Yo Gabba Gabba here!)

In our family, the person who makes it home first from work or school on a Friday afternoon has an important responsibility: Set everything up for our official Friday night family dance party.

Here’s how it works:

Clear the living room floor of LEGOs and baby teethers,
Queue up our playlist of the best kids’ dance songs, and
Crank the volume.

And if you’re the last person home?

Nothing beats that feeling of walking in the door, hearing the notes of happiness reverberate through the house, and stepping into the living room to see your whole family dancing and giggling.

A family dance party is one of the best ways to connect with your kids after a day apart – or if you’re just feeling cooped up indoors because of cold/rainy/sweltering weather. Plus, dancing is good for your health in lots of ways, from heart health to stress levels and more.

Related: How to Connect With Your Child: The Magic of the 5:1 Ratio {Printable}

Happy Songs: Dance Music for Kids and Parents, Too!

17 Happy Kids’ Dance Songs That Parents Love, Too

Here’s a playlist that’s fun for the whole family to shake their booties to. These contemporary, upbeat tunes have clean language, but unlike most dance music for kids, they’re not so kiddish that you’ll lock yourself in the bathroom til they’re over. Yo Gabba GAG ME.

Next time you and/or the kids have a bad case of the crankies, fire up a few of these songs and dance away the bad mojo. (Research shows that babies and toddlers especially get a big dose of happy when moving their bodies to a rhythmic beat.)

You’ll tire the kids out before bedtime, plus you’ll burn a few calories yourself. Which means you can skip working out, or at least skip feeling guilty for not working out.

You’re welcome!

17 Happy Kids’ Dance Songs That Parents Love, Too

1. When Can I See You Again? by Owl City

2. Hey Mama by Mat Kearney

3. Be OK by Ingrid Michaelson

4. More of This by Vetiver

5. Hey Na Na by Katie Herzig

6. Brand New Day by Lindsey Ray with Tim Myers

7. Sleepy Tigers by Her Space Holiday

8. A-Punk by Vampire Weekend

9. Riptide by Vance Joy

10. The Sound of Sunshine by Michael Franti and Spearhead

11. Kids by MGMT

12. Black Horse & The Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall

13. Happy by Pharrell Williams

14. Can’t Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake

15. Try Everything by Shakira

16. Safe and Sound by Capital Cities

17. Let’s Be Young by Evan McHugh

Before you go, download my FREE cheat sheet: 75 Positive Phrases Every Child Needs to Hear

Want More?

Your Turn