Kids Vinyl Records: Nursery Rhymes, Stories and Lullabies on LP
What you'll find among these children's records
This collection of kids vinyl records gathers stories, nursery rhymes, circle songs, lullabies, learning records and children's songs. Much of it comes from the French-language tradition of children's music, with artists such as Anne Sylvestre, Henri Dès, Chantal Goya, Dorothée and Steve Waring, household names for generations of French-speaking kids in the way Raffi is for North American families. You'll also find animated movie records and plenty of nursery rhyme compilations.
Vinyl has real appeal for children: placing the record, watching the turntable spin and following the illustrated sleeve turns listening into a small ritual away from screens. For decades, the read-along book and record was the classic children's format, pairing a picture book with a 7-inch or LP and a chime to signal each page turn.
How to choose vinyl records for kids
Think about how the record will be used. A new record or recent reissue handles little hands better than an old pressing, and it often costs less than a collectible original. On the other hand, children's LPs and read-along records from the 1960s to the 1980s appeal to collectors, provided they're complete: the original sleeve, booklet and stickers matter as much as the disc, since those pieces often took a beating.
- the age range: lullabies for babies, stories and songs for older kids
- the book included with a read-along record
- sleeve condition on used copies
- a simple turntable, handled with an adult at first
Classic children's songs and stories on vinyl
Anne Sylvestre's "Fabulettes" series has been sung by generations of French schoolchildren, as have the songs of Henri Dès. Chantal Goya became a star of French kids' music with "Bécassine" and her big stage shows, while Dorothée ruled children's TV. With "La Baleine bleue" ("The Blue Whale"), Steve Waring, an American-born artist who built his career singing in French, brought a folk touch to children's songs.
For stories, Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" remains a staple of children's records, available in many narrated versions. Prokofiev wrote it in 1936 to introduce children to the instruments of the orchestra. Disney read-along records introduced generations of kids to the classic animated films, and Le Petit Ménestrel, the French book-and-record series launched by Lucien Adès in 1953, long set the standard for recorded tales.
Stories, lullabies and learning: the subcollections
The section splits into three subcollections: stories / rhymes / lullabies for bedtime tales and songs, kids / educational for early-learning records, and kids / other for everything else. Cartoon and children's TV music can also be found in the soundtracks section, under kids' show soundtracks. On each record page, you can compare offers from several partner stores to find the edition that fits your budget.
