Kids of all ages love to dance. Even the youngest toddler can bounce along to music in time, while teens aren't too proud to try out complicated group steps to the latest top hits. Hokey Pokey and Other Great Dances for Kids has 20 different popular dances chosen for and designed to appeal specifically to kids of all ages. This CD creates an instant dance party with songs like the ever popular Hokey Pokey, the crazy Ketchup Song, the Macarena, Locomotion, Car Wash, Nut Bush City Limits, or Time Warp getting kids of all ages oving together in a coordinated fashion. Most of the songs chosen has specific dances which go along with the music and which most children will know. Other allow for free dancing. All of the songs encourage dancing and will help your children stay fit while improving gross motor skills and overall coordination (as indeed any dance music will).

The CD features reworkings of the popular songs, but they are close enough to the originals that only the most dedicated fans will notice (in some cases the songs improve on the original). Some of the sillier songs like The Hamster Song, which reminded me of the Alvin and the Chipmunk craze for doing popular songs speeded up to sound like rodents which was popular during my childhood, or Tchip Tchip, will appeal to the younger children. You might be surprised at how well they can copy the falsetto. Others like Locomotion or Car Wash will probably appeal to older children. There are just a few, namely Macarena, and Time Warp which may not really be appropriate for children. Macarena has that awful voice track, and, well I recall Rocky Horror's quite campy dance from my own teen years. YMCA is also a little suspect, but it would be a rare child or even adult who would worry about the connotations of these tunes, and maybe they don't even apply anymore so many years after the songs have been released. Most people won't even notice. Besides, the sight of a group of happy children dancing energetically in time to the music with big smiles and lots of giggling is gratifying.

The CD contains a good variety between thoughtful concentration requiring dances and more freestyle boogying. From kiddie rock to disco, boot scoot, 50s R&B to Spanish congo, it's all here. Use this for your next 4-7 year old party, and you might not even need Pass the Parcel.

Hokey Pokey and Other Great Dances For Kids, ABC Music
Produced by John Kane, 2003

This review first appeared at Preschool Entertainment. It is reprinted here with permission.

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