2025 Children’s Music Roundup
Welcome to Kids Rhythm and Rock’s annual Children’s Music Roundup! 2025 got away from me a little bit so this is coming to you a tad later than usual. Luckily, it’s never too late to celebrate great children’s music!
At the end of each year, rather than doing a “Top 10” or a “Best of” list, I compile a list of albums that have come to my attention during the last 12 months and separate them into fun categories. While the total number of albums that are included varies from year-to-year, the richness and depth that is family music just keeps growing and this past year was no different.
Let’s kickoff 2026 by taking a look back at the “year that was” in children’s music. Don’t see your favorites? Please add them in the comments.
Introducing…
Debut albums you should know
Hang Out with Raven from City Birds
I Like the Sounds You Make from Eeme and Shan
Tunezies Vol. 1 from Jesse Palter
Alphabops from Bug Friend
Be Mindful, Be Kind
Empathy, inclusion, and loving one another (as kids and parents) are at the heart of these albums.
Together from Heather Feather
I Am Enough from Hopscotch Songs
Change is Inevitable from Mama Nous
Fun Machine Dream Vol. One from You & Us
Oh to Be Young
Music with the littles in mind. Many of the songs would be great for storytime.
My Voice from Andy Z
Imagine Shine Play from Miss Jessica
Family Friendly Songs, Vol. 5 from Tom Foote
Go Go Stop: Music and Movement for Kids from Shawny
Super Duper Awesome Day from Ashley Mills Monaghan
Warm Fuzzies from Katie Dwyer Music
Funky Fun
Silly, thoughtful fun for everyone!
Big Kid Stuff from Mr. Jeff
The Color Weasel from Todd ‘n’ Tina
Jesse Jukebox Sells Out from Jesse Jukebox
Slippery When Peeled from Go Banana Go and Flula Borg
Sweet Home Chicago
These artists all call Chicago home.
Get Your Sunny Side Up from Wendy and DB
After We Roam from Little Miss Ann
Brain Freeze from Justin Roberts
Keeping It Real
These albums all feature stories and experiences from real people.
Dandelion Songs: Inspired by Military Kids and Families from Greg Lato
The Story of U.S. Vol. 1 from Griot B
Herstory from Flor Bromley
Arise & Shine: Piano Music by Black Composers for Kids
Naturally
These albums celebrate the Earth, the animals, and the plants, and how we all fit together on this planet we call home.
Belong from Musiquita (bilingual)
Tree Sounds from Marko Polo
Pop Jams
The title says it all!
Wonder FULL from Dana
M.Y. F.A.M.I.L.Y. from Scott & Mark Hoying
Oopsie Daisy from Teacher Peter (bilingual)
Carry On! from Princess Backpack and Benjamin
Our Friends to the South
Just a sampling of the vibrant children’s music scene in New Zealand
Little Wild Singable Songs: Play, Help, Wonder from Claudia Robin Gunn
The Prose and Cons from Captain Festus McBoyle
BeetBite vol. 3 and 4 from BeetBite
Unstoppable Beats
Glam pop, hip hop, space folk and more!
Micro Party from Electric Blue Yonder
On the Stoop from Rolie Polie Guacamole
Buddy’s Magic Tree House from Mega Ran
A Non Fiction Fairytale from Twinkle Time
We Are Family
This year’s top duets were provided by two children’s music artists and their young daughters.
Ageless: 100 Years Young from Joanie Leeds & Joya
Harmony from Fyütch & Aura V
Potpourri
As in my favorite Jeopardy category, not the dried flowers.
Arise Together: Songs to Inspire from various artists
Sunny Side Up from Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could
Dinosaur Spaghetti from City Love
Try Try Again from Mike Bryden
Hooray for the World! from Red Grammer
To kick things off, here is “
From defending the Earth to celebrating the Earth, next up is the third album from St. Louis’s own 
Finally, here is a 
One of the many great things about children’s music is how it can make learning fun. Sometimes it’s little things like ABCs or counting to 10, but other times, it’s bigger things, like scientific concepts. Over the next two album spotlights, I’m focusing on amazing albums that take science and make it fun. First up is the water-themed album, Aqua Phonic, from Marko Polo. In his second album for families, Marko Polo, aka Mark Pagano, a teaching artist based in St. Louis, takes listeners from the smallest drop of water to the greatest oceans of the world.
Along with the animals, Pagano also focuses on water as place. He takes listeners to the deepest depths where everything glows at the “Bottom of the Ocean” before taking them back into the light with “Follow the Water.” This lovely duet with New Zealander Claudia Robin Gunn features a melody and lyrics that eddies and flows just like the current of the water. The album closes with the beautiful, “Drip Drop.” This final track, so skillfully designed, aptly details the water cycle while also speaking to the experience of parents and caregivers – “Time keeps moving like a river/Feels like it’s going quicker as I watch you grow.”
