Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Greater Los Angeles, CA

I've been known to gripe about the lack of grownup music that I listen to these days. The only time I ever get to play music anymore is in the car, and now that I'll be taking fewer calls during my long drives, music will be that much more important.

With two literal backseat DJ's, I've gotten pretty good at sneaking in tracks that were not recorded by The Wiggles or Elmo. The results are here in my Essential Summer Playlist Essential because Kyle loudly demands it, Summer because it reminds us all of summer, and Playlistwell, okay.

Der Kinderreigen, Thoma Hans

These 8 tracks last long enough to get us to the average-distanced playdate:

1. He Mele No Lilo Lilo & Stitch / Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus and Mark Keali'I Ho'omalu. This updated hula song debuted at #1 on our playlist last weekend, when Kyle watched a Polynesian drum and dance show at the Tarzana Community Kids Club. After the show, the dancers helped the children learn how to do that amazing hip-wiggle move. Kyle calls it 'shaking my body. When I play this track, he goes coconuts. (Rimshot!)
   
2. Surfin' USA The Beach Boys. My husband is a surfer, and the boys have watched Daddy paddle out into the waves. They've never actually seen him catch one because all the surfers look the same from the beach if you're 3 or 1 year old. Still, Kyle talks about Daddy surfing when he hears this song.
3. Three Little Birds Bob Marley. This song played during a fun day in a friend's pool. Plus, Kyle can understand the lyrics.
4. Under the Sea Little Mermaid / Sebastian. This is the only scene in The Little Mermaid that Kyle will actually watch. I like to play it before we go to the beach.
5. Bubble Toes Jack Johnson. One of our favorite outdoor activities is blowing bubbles. This year Kyle learned how to actually blow the bubbles, versus just spitting bubble stuff all over his toes.
6. Yellow Submarine The Beatles. I put this on the list because it's summer, and Kyle just learned Raffi's version of the song. While I love Raffi, I intend to replace all memory of that recording of the song with the one from its rightful artists.
7. Allergies Barenaked Ladies. We played the Ladies' new album Snacktime on a recent roadtrip down to SeaWorld. This track is the one Kyle demands every time we get in the car now. And with allergy season coming up, it's perfect.
8. Boogie Nights Heatwave. Aside from its appropriate title and artist, this classic disco track plays while Kyle dances and watches the iTunes visualizer during breakfast. Doesn't every kid do this in the morning? Stop looking at me like that.