When one of my kids feels grumpy or sad and can’t seem to shake it even after hugs and talking through what happened, I bust out one simple but powerful parenting move that helps them get back to happy: music.
Research shows that music can quickly boost your mood, even more so if you want to improve your mood. Plus, listening to music with your child creates healthy bonds and builds positive memories.
But Here’s the Problem
When you search for “funny songs for kids” or “silly songs for kids,” you’ll find either saccharine-sweet kids’ music or the same ol’ boring nursery songs—or a mix of both. And while I don’t mind hearing “On Top of Spaghetti” or “Ripped Pants” by Spongebob once in a while, those aren’t exactly songs I want in my ears every single day, and certainly not multiple times a day.
The truth is if you want a go-to playlist of funny songs for kids, you don’t need to resort to the kind of children’s music that sets your teeth on edge.
In fact, if you pick music you actually enjoy too, you’ll get a mood boost as well. And goodness knows in between the daily parenting slog of tantrums and sibling scuffles and power struggles, we could all use a pick-me-up of our own.
30 Funny Songs for Kids That Make Parents Giggle, Too
As a mom of four, over the years I’ve curated a handful of go-to playlists to meet the needs of different situations, from love songs for kids to kids’ dance music. But my favorite playlist for cheering up one of my kids is a collection of the best funny songs for kids.
Here’s why: If you can get your child to giggle, that stimulates endorphins, which are feel-good chemicals that reduce stress and put you in a better mood. In other words, funny music can help your child feel better lickety-split.
Below, you’ll find a list of the absolute best songs that will get your child laughing and smiling in no time. Not only that, when you listen to these funny kids’ songs together, you’ll strengthen your bond with your child. And a stronger connection pays off in the form of greater cooperation, fewer power struggles, and the kind of loving parent-child relationship that will last into the teenage years and beyond.
To be clear, I’ve double- and triple-checked the lyrics to make sure they are 100 percent kid-friendly. Feel free to use this list to create your own playlist now so that the next time your child needs a mood boost (or you do!), you’re ready to go with some great funny songs for kids.
Related: 20 Best Kids’ Dance Songs That Parents Actually Love, Too
1. Family by Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors
This upbeat song is a sweet but funny ode to family:
You don’t choose em, you can’t lose em
We all have a song to sing
Some are crazy, some are amazing
All got a little bit of everything
2. All Ways by Elliott Park
This is probably my favorite of all the funny songs for kids in this list! Starting when my youngest was two years old, he loved the “stinky feet” line. Giggles guaranteed, every time!
Quick heads up: If you live in an area where this word might be an issue, beware that this song mentions a “fanny pack” near the end. This is the American name for what’s referred to as a “bum bag” in some other countries.
3. Everybody Gets a Kitten by Jeremy Messersmith
Gotta say the future’s awesome
Everything is a-okay
All the work is done by robots
Everyday is Saturday
Future people all have jet-packs
Fly around in flying cars
There’s so much I could tell you
But the coolest part by far…
4. So Long by Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward
You test my nerves it makes me stronger,
So can you bother me a little bit longer?
5. Alphabutt by Kimya Dawson
A is for apple
B is for butt
C is for cat butt
D is for doo doo
E is for elephant doo doo
6. The Song of LIFE by Scribblemonster
Every time that I play LIFE
I choose you to be my wife
Ride around in a plastic car
Tiny pegs are all we are
7. Little Bitta You by Andrew and Polly
8. The Puppy Song by Harry Nilsson
If only I could have a puppy
I’d call myself so very lucky
Just to have some company
To share a cup of tea with me
9. Busy Doing Nothing by Richard M. Sherman
I’m busy, busy, busy doin’ nothin’
Doin’ nothin’, that’s the life for me
For when I’m doin’ nothin’, I’m busy doin’ somethin’
Somethin’ that suits me to a tee
10. Simple Song by Elliott Park
It begins as just a flutter deep in you
As it grows, you feel some yellow in your blue
You can run but you can’t hide
When a smile begins to rise
Like the Terminator wearing big red shoes
11. Brothers and Sisters by Vered
Brothers and sisters can make you laugh
And sometimes make you cry
Sometimes they tickle you til it hurts
And sometimes they even lie
And sometimes they kick you and hit you and bite you and squeeze you with all of their might
12. Bathtime in Clerkenwell by The Real Tuesday Weld
Wale-den-de-bobo-den-di-bili-dan-lo-no
Wale-den-de-bobo-den-di-bili-dan-lo-no
Wale-den-de-bobo-den-di-bili-dan-lo-no
Wale-den-de-bobo-den-di-bili-dan-lo-no
13. Birdhouse in Your Soul by They Might Be Giants
I have a secret to tell
From my electrical well
It’s a simple message
And I’m leaving out the whistles and bells
So the room must listen to me
Filibuster vigilantly
My name is blue canary, one note spelled l-i-t-e
14. Your Personal Penguin by Davy Jones
I want to be your personal penguin
I want to walk right by your side
I want to be your personal penguin
I want to travel with you far and wide
15. Little Potato by Metamora
They must have grown you wild,
You make a grown man a child,
I’ll go and play in the mud
To be with you, my spud.
When you came out looking red as a beet,
You had wrinkles on the bottoms of your feet.
16. Oh My Goodness, Look at This Mess by Sweet Honey in the Rock
Oh my goodness, look at this mess!
I’m the one who made it, I do confess.
Oh my goodness, look at this mess!
I think I’ve got to clean it up.
…
Why are these crumbs all over the floor?
My mama asks when she comes in the door.
Is it from the cookies I gave you to eat
When you asked me for a treat?
17. Jungle Gym by Jack Johnson, G. Love, and Special Sauce
Trolley cars and buses too
All the big kids going to school
I’m going to get a treat from the ice cream man
Catch me catch me if you can
18. I Want It Now by Julie Dawn Cole
I want the world
I want the whole world
I want to lock it
All up in my pocket
It’s my bar of chocolate
Give it to me now
19. Piggy by Jenna Nicholls
No one’s gonna take my piggy away
It’s just you and me, honey
Someday I’m gonna spend all that money
On me, just me
20. Anyone Else But You by The Moldy Peaches
Squinched up your face and did a dance
Shook a little turd out of the bottom of your pants
I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you
21. Sleepy Tigers by Her Space Holiday
Oh, I like you so very much
So much in fact, I gotta wake you up
It’s not that I have words to speak
I just wanna see you looking at me
22. Octopus’s Garden by The Beatles
I’d like to be
Under the sea
In an octopus’s garden
In the shade
23. Crayola Doesn’t Make a Color for Your Eyes by Kristin Andreassen
I went to see the doctor, I’d come down with the blues
She said that “I can’t cure you, but here’s something you could do
Take out a piece of paper and go sit down for a while
And draw a pretty picture of something that makes you smile”
Well, I know what makes me happy, I didn’t have to think for long
But when I tried to draw it, it always came out wrong
I had a box of 12, 48, and 64
But nowhere could I find that one shade I was looking for
24. Love You by The Free Design
Roll like a circus clown, put away your circus frown
Ride on a roller coaster upside down
Waltzing Matilda, Carey loves a kinkatchoo
Joey catch a kangaroo, hug you
25. Gaston by Josh Gad and Luke Evans
No one hits like Gaston
Matches wits like Gaston
In a spitting match nobody spits like Gaston
I’m especially good at expectorating
(Ten points for Gaston!)
26. Grilled Cheese by Peach Face
One heads up: If you live in an area where this word might be an issue, you should know that this song mentions a “fanny pack.” This is the American name for what’s referred to as a “bum bag” in some other countries.
Monday
I fell in love with a grilled cheese
Oh, would you bring it to me pretty please
It’s not the same at home
27. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke
Oh, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough
You’ll always sound precocious
28. Everything is Awesome by Tegan and Sara & the Lonely Island
I feel more awesome than an awesome possum
Dip my body in chocolate frosting
Three years later, wash off the frosting
Smelling like a blossom, everything is awesome
29. The Muffin Song by Sean Bertram and Amanda MacDonald
I’m your muffin man
You’re my muffin girl
Let’s get together we can see the muffin world
In a car, in a plane, we can muffin every day
Always forever in our little muffin tray
30. I Forgot That You Existed by Taylor Swift
How many days did I spend
Thinkin’ ’bout how you did me wrong, wrong, wrong?
Lived in the shade you were throwin’
‘Til all of my sunshine was gone, gone, gone…
But then something happened one magical nightI forgot that you existed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xmx-DJbvls
Get the Spotify Playlist: Funny Songs for Kids
If you use Spotify, head over to this Spotify playlist and click the heart button to add these silly kids’ songs to your own Spotify library. Bonus: As I discover new funny songs for kids, you’ll get extra songs not yet featured in this post!
Want More?
For more fun songs to share with your child, check out 20 Best Kids’ Dance Songs That Parents Actually Love, Too.
Your Turn
What are your favorite funny songs for kids? Share in a comment below!
