Customer Reviews

Kids: Playtime

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Elvis Costello and Jane Siberry were the names that attracted my wife and I to this CD, but there really is something for everyone on it. The whole thing maintains a great vibe, while traveling through disparate genres.

Yes, a couple of the songs have the adult male-female relationship as their theme, which was a bit unsettling at first. But then I decided that the terms of endearment and descriptions of affection in those songs could generally describe the way a parent feels about his or her child. ("I love you, always forever, near or far...", etc.)

My girls - ages 2 and 4 - often ask for this CD, both on car trips and at home and love to dance and sing along. A couple of the tunes may be a bit too esoteric for them at their ages, but that is totally made up for by the pure joy of "Mockingbird", the silly repetition of "Everything Reminds Me of My Dog" and the uptempo bluegrass energy of "The Fox". If you're on the edge of buying it, but can't quite decide whether you want to or not, this reviewer says: take the leap, you and your kids won't regret it!

My girls are starting to balk at "children's" music, so trying to find songs with clean lyrics is difficult--this CD has just that. My girls are nine and eleven and love this CD. My two year old likes it and, did I mention, that I love it too! I agree with a previous reviewer. It does have songs about male/ female love, but they are sung in such a way that it also fits the love a parent feels for his or her child. I wish Martha would put out more kids CD's as this one is just perfect.

I picked this CD up to raise my eyebrows at the omnipresent Martha Stewart, now having a go at children's music. My husband looked at the songs and artists on the back and said "This isn't a bad collection." So we purchased it. Personally, I love the CD. There's a mixture of songs anybody would know ("If I had a hammer", "59th St. Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy") as well as some more obscure numbers; likewise there are artists I know well (like Elvis Costello) and others with whom I was not familiar. All of the songs are melodic and G-rated. However, I just don't think this particular assortment of songs is especially suitable for the younger kids it is marketed for. The combination of songs is too disparate, and the songs themselves are too alternative and, in some cases, too complex for little kids to enjoy. And a lot of the songs pertain to male/female relationships, which is just not a topic that young children relate to. I'd recommend this CD to the adults and teens in the family, but don't expect your younger child to display much interest.

If you're not a Martha Stewart fan, don't be put off by the association. This is a great cd for kids, mixing adult artists with kid's artists. It's light and friendly, and won't drive you (the parent) crazy. It also doesn't buy into any of the current teen singers who I personally find annoying. Good background music when you don't want the tv on. It winds down at the end, perfect for working into naptime or bedtime routines. I have a 3 year-old girl who likes it and I expect it will last for many years to come.

I, too, thought this would be a typical MS white-bread perfection-type CD (I originally picked it up more out of curiosity) but was pleasantly surprised when I read the song titles and even more pleasantly surprised when I listened to them. For anyone looking for a CD of fun songs of many different styles for their kids to listen to on short or long car trips, and one that the Moms & Dads will also secretly play even when the kids aren't in the car, this is the one for you. Despite the other reviews mentioning the "male-female love" songs, you really shouldn't worry about that. My three kids (now 9, 7, and 4 years) have been listening to these songs (along with all the Nancy Cassidy "Kidssongs" -- see Klutz) for years. They love the tunes, recognize different styles of songs, enjoy the play on words which sparks their imaginations even more, etc. They don't worry about or get hung up on "male-female love" songs. They do hear the words, of course, but don't associate adult meanings yet to the words; it's all just good music to them. In this day and age of kids being exposed to way too much violence on TV and in advertisements and supposed "kid" films, I don't think a little male-female love song is going to damage them! Believe me, good kids' music that broadens their musical spectrum and that the parents will also enjoy is hard to find. This collection (plus the aforementioned "Kidssongs", the Roche sisters kids' CD "Will you be my friend?", and "Bananaphone" by Raffi) are the ones we play all the time in the car. In fact, we've played this one so much, a few tracks have skipped, so I'm buying another!

My three year-old loves this CD. Her favorite songs are "Everything Reminds me of My Dog" and "I Love You Always Forever." It's fun to listen to while driving withoug drive a parent nuts along the way!

We have had this CD since she was a little over 1, and she didn't show as much interest in it then. But since age 2 or 2 1/2, it's been one of her favorites.

Saw this in the record store and cringed when I saw Martha's name on it but listened to it and it is a great collection of music. A real variety of artists and very up beat. We play it all the time.