As the mother of a toddler, I understand how important music is to a child and how much they love to just dance. When my daughter was an infant, I would just purchase regular music CDs from Wal-Mart and not even really think about it. They generally contained standard baby songs and I usually went for the cheapest ones, until I heard an artist on Noggin. Noggin is a television station that offers preschool programming for toddlers in the morning, afternoon, and early evening hours. They will regularly do a “Move to the Music” segment and one day Laurie Berkner performed and at that moment my daughter and I were hooked.
As most parents know, it is not just the child listing to the music. I cannot tell you how many hours out of the day I am signing kids songs around the house. You are listening the music as well; therefore, many parents will want to pick out something fun and original that will also keep them interested. The first time that Laurie Berkner appeared on our television screen she was singing “Victor Vito.” I could not help but laugh at the silly lyrics and my daughter could not help but dance. Later that week another Laurie Berkner music video was shown and it was called “Buzz Buzz.” Once again the lyrics were funny, the beat of the music was nice, and my daughter danced for the whole song. At twenty-one months it often hard to keep a toddler occupied; however, I found something that peaked my daughter’s interest.
Although it was nice to see the music video on the television screen, I decided to just purchase a music CD to begin with. I traveled to a local department store and purchased two of her music CDs. The Buzz Buzz CD has over 20 fun and catchy songs. Each and every song is fun to sing and dance along with. The other CD that was purchased was Victor Vito. Victor Vito has 22 songs and is just as fun as the other CD. Additional Laurie Berkner CDs include Under a Shady Tree and Whaddaya Think of That. Each music CD is jam packed full of fun tunes, sure to brighten up any child’s or parent’s day.
Laurie Berkner’s music can be found in most department stores or music stores in the children’s section. Generally her CDs can be purchased for around twelve to fifteen dollars. I personally feel that the fifteen dollars is well worth it because while some of the songs are silly, some are informative and interesting to toddlers. There is also a VHS tape of her music available; however, it is not as good as her performances on Noggin or even the regular music CDs.
If you need a quick gift idea for a toddler or are interested interesting in purchasing a music CD for your own, I would recommend one from Laurie Berkner. If you would like to sample her music before purchasing it, you can often see her on Noggin’s Move to the Music or occasionally on Jack’s Big Music Show, also on Noggin.
