If you have young kids, you know about “Baby Shark.” Love it or hate it, your kids love it so much there’s no way it’s getting out of your house – or your head – any time soon.
That said, there’s actually a reason why your kids can’t get enough!
Linda Nelson, a senior content director and creator of KinderCare’s Music Explorers Learning Adventures program, told Romper that “Baby Shark” doesn’t have just one thing that appeals to kids – it has everything.
“The repetition, the beat, the hand motions, the engaging graphics that include real kids over an exciting, animated background, the fact that real – and diverse – children are shown, and that kids are the main voices.”
And that’s not all, because Nelson gives more reasons!
Photo Credit: YouTube
“Also, the theme of focusing on family members is a topic most children can easily relate to. The family is the circle of influence for kids, and something that they are already knowledgeable about. It’s an environment that they spend their time in – the center of their world. So having a child and their family going on an adventure is something kids can relate to. And it’s got a great story arc – the song details a full story from beginning to end, even in its simplicity.”
Rebecca Parlakain, a senior director of programs of early childhood development nonprofit Zero to Three, agrees.
“When you think about a toddler, they have limited language skills, are engaging in parallel play (play next to, but not with a peer), yet they have a huge desire to be independent. ‘Baby Shark’s’ repetition and strong patter helps them learn and remember the (fairly simple) lyrics.”
So they can learn the lyrics and the hand motions and do them by themselves – bonus!
Photo Credit: YouTube
In case you didn’t know, music is a great thing to expose your children to early and often – it has a positive influence on a child’s development, including helping their brains process speech and a slew of other amazing things.
So listen up, and not just to kids’ songs, because experts agree that a wide variety of music is best.
Like everything in family life, compromise is probably the answer here – a little Baby Shark, a little Death Cab for Cutie, some Baby Shark, then some Weezer.
Balance is everything!