My Current Top Two ABC Songs for Toddlers

If you haven’t had a child yet or haven’t worked in the childcare industry, the idea of “ABC songs for toddlers” (yes, songs, plural) probably seems foreign.  After all, isn’t there just that one ABC song that everyone learns in school, with maybe slight variations for “now I’ve learned my ABCs” versus “now I’ve said my ABCs”? No. Not quite. Yes, the alphabet never changes, but the way it can be sung varies widely. After listening to a variety of ABC songs for toddlers, from the painfully excruciating to the so-fun-I-listen-without-my-kids varieties, I give you my top two:
Best ABC Songs for Toddlers #1 – “Elmo’s Alphabet Rap
Number One does not mean that this is the best song, just that I am mentioning it first. This race is a true tie. I know, I know, I know. Most toddlers would consider it a sin to put Elmo as anything except “number one”; but hear me out.
“Elmo’s Alphabet Rap” is without a doubt one of the best ABC songs for toddlers out there, and probably one of the best toddler songs period. Like all things Elmo, the song is just as cute as it could possibly be. Elmo raps one verse, and then asks you to “Come along and rap with me. Doot. Doot. Doot. Doo Doo Doo Doo..” and then raps again at a much slower pace, breaking the alphabet, “A.. B.. C… … D… E… F… G…,” but the real beauty comes with the “Q. R. S… doot doot. Doot doot do-doot. T. U. V. Ha ha! Yeah! W… X. Y. Zeeeeeeeeeeee!” before Elmo breaks into another fast rap. I know, sounds silly to go on and on about an ABC song for toddlers, but this little ditty is super catchy. I’ve caught myself continuing to listen to it after I’ve already dropped my daughter off at school. <head hangs in shame>.
So why, if Elmo is so darn catchy, does he only manage a tie? Well, as cute as Elmo is, he just can’t absolutely beat out Alpha Pig.
Best ABC Songs for Toddlers #1 (TIE) - Alpha Pig’s “Amazing Alphabet Song
For those who are unfamiliar with Alpha Pig, are you parents?? Just kidding (sort of). Alpha Pig is one of the Super Readers on PBS’s “Super Why!”. Alpha Pig often sings his “Amazing Alphabet Song” while hammering. The sounds of his hammer hitting metal as the letters of the alphabet fly out make up part of the background music for his song.
Alpha Pig’s “Amazing Alphabet Song” is so different from any alphabet song I’ve heard before. Yes, Elmo’s rap is different, but other than the second verse where Elmo changes up the tempo, it’s still your regular alphabet song in rap format. The “Amazing Alphabet Song,” which ends “W, X, Y and Z. Sing with me.” is just unique. Maybe it’s the background music, or maybe I’m just in love with that little pig, but this song gets my blue ribbon (tie).
We don’t have the song in MP3 format, so I haven’t found myself listening to it without my daughter present [okay, okay, maybe I watched the You Tube video a couple of times at work. Like you haven’t done something similar!], but it has frequently been stuck in my head during the day to the point of someone asking me what I am humming under my breath [Busted!].
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