Instructify

Before Hannah Montana, before the Wiggles, before the Backyardigans and other execrable music for the younger set came the great children’s records of the 1940s and 1950s. Now that I’ve reached the age where I believe everything older is automatically better, I’m considering turning my own kids onto some of these classics from a bygone age.

Kiddie Records Weekly plays vintage music for tots from the golden age of children’s music. You can download these records, or listen to them in streaming audio. When they were originally released, several of these records came with a read-along storybook. Kiddie Records Weekly provides digital versions of these books, allowing you to follow along just as your parents (or grandparents) might have. The album covers are a treat as well, featuring colorful illustrations, classic childhood characters, and the long-lost art of cursive writing. So if you’d like a change of pace from another Dora the Explorer sing along, let your elementary students try out something from Kiddie Records Weekly. -BILL FERRIS

Kiddie Records Weekly

Related stuff:

The sounds of history on PBS Kids Jazz website