Kid-Appropriate Pop Songs, Part 3

1. “My Girls,” from Make it Pop.

Can’t get much more kid-friendly than this Nickelodeon song celebrating female friendship.

2. “I Don’t Know My Name,” by Grace Vanderwaal

This one by America’s Got Talent-winning Grace Vanderwaal is literally written by a child and comes with a nice message about finding the real you instead of just trying to fit in.

3. “High Hopes,” by Panic! At the Disco

How can you not sing along with this one? It’s just about following your dreams, even when the going gets rough (although he says it in a less cliched way than I just did).

4. “Lost Boy,” by Ruth B.

I can’t believe I haven’t featured this one yet. Children and adults alike love this lovely tune about an imaginary life in Neverland.

5. “Cups,” by Anna Kendrick

Pitch Perfect may be several years old now, but kids are still loving this one, actually a cover itself of a much older song called “When I’m Gone.” Whether or not you perform it with a cup, it’s pretty catchy.

6. “A Million Dreams,” from The Greatest Showman

It’s from a movie, but I think at this point we can safely call this a pop song. It’s just what the song sounds like it’d be about: a person with a million dreams (in this case, P.T. Barnum).

7. “Speechless,” by Naomi Scott

Same deal…from a movie, but I think this one’s popular enough that we can call it a pop song. This one is a great one about female empowerment (or really, the empowerment of anyone who wants to sing it and wants his or her voice heard).

8. “Real Friends,” by Camila Cabello

This song about not having real friends may seem kind of dark for a kid, but children have real pain that they need to address through music just like adults do, and it’s important to not sugarcoat every lyric they sing.

9. “Dreamer,” by Martin Garrix

Such a lovely song about being a dreamer and always having something to believe in.

10. “Human,” by Christina Perri

This one is also on the darker side of child-appropriate music, but human limitation and weariness is something that kids and adults alike can relate to.

If these child-appropriate pop songs are helpful to you, check out part 1 and part 2.

Molly Webb

Molly is the founder of Molly’s Music. She is a dedicated singer and pianist whose musical journey spans 2.5 decades, with stops along the way to sing for the pope, pass Certificate of Merit at the highest level, study with Gwen Verdon and Ben Vereen, and record an original album.