Each week at the end of Preschool Music Class, a cardboard school bus full of sock monkeys arrives and we wind down with a slow, calm rocking song. Ideally, kids sit with their moms/caregivers to rock with their sock monkey, but a lot of kids prefer to rock their monkeys to sleep all by themselves.

It’s a really sweet and (mostly) quiet part of the class, which is a nice way to end after all of our activity and movement!

Most kids love to be rocked but this gentle movement so beneficial because stimulates the child’s vestibular system which is crucial to develop balance and motor skills.

I always select calm, peaceful music for the rocking song. A lot of classical music works great for rocking, but I like to include other styles as well.

Here are 2 of my favorite albums that I often select our rocking song from.

The Most Relaxing Classical Music In The Universe

I’ve been listening to this album for years and it’s a really great collection of classical music. It has 30 pieces of music. It’s a good mix of well-known music like Canon in D and lesser-known pieces. I’ve always loved the Adagio in g minor by Albinoni and the Pavane by Ravel.

This music is perfect for rocking with a child, but also makes a lovely soundtrack for your daily routine around the house. These are all fantastic pieces to expose your family to to help them become familiar with and appreciate classical music.

Turn Turn Turn by Dan Zanes and Elizabeth Mitchell

When I started teaching preschool music class, I was on a quest to find children’s music that wasn’t too cheesy, childish or annoying. I discovered both Dan Zanes and Elizabeth Mitchell are awesome children’s musician that appeal to the whole family. This is an album that they collaborated on and it’s just lovely! Some songs a little more upbeat, but they have a pretty mellow style, so it works well for rocking or quiet time. Dan Zanes and Elizabeth Mitchell both have several of their own albums too, and I highly recommend checking them out!

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