Father's Day is hardly a holiday that inspires much in the way of music (it probably ranks just above Arbor Day and below Flag Day in that regard), but at least the kids music genre has a few entries if you're looking to put together a kid-friendly list. You can read last year's list, but there's always new stuff to add. (Along with stuff I've forgotten, overlooked, or cruelly dismissed. You'll let me know, I'm sure, what falls in those categories in the comments.) The list, after the jump:

It's that time of the year once more, when I pull out my list of songs for Mother's Day so you can burn an iTunes playlist and send it to your mom (because who burns CDs anymore?) I've pulled out last year's list and given it a tweak or two... Here's a list of songs for mothers or songs about mothers, in no particular order. I've avoided lullabies (songs by moms, typically), as well as songs about general parentual units, or songs about moms and dads. (If you're looking for songs about moms and moms, might I recommend AudraRox's excellent "Moms & Dads," which, song title notwithstanding, is about all sorts of families.) If a song isn't on the list, it's because of one of the three "O"s: Oversight (I knew about the song and just forgot), Omission (I knew about the song and chose to exclude it), or Obtuseness (I didn't know about the song at all). I expect the third category to be fairly large -- it is every year -- so feel free to add your suggestions in the comments section. List after the jump...

I'm traditionalist in not too many things, but the idea that baseball's opening day should be, well, in the day, and, well, in North America (as long as all the teams are, you know, based here) is something I firmly believe in. So for once I am timely with this updated list of baseball songs. (Read last year's list here.) Enjoy, and may all your teams have a great season. (Yes, I realize that's a statistical impossibility. Doesn't matter -- it's the first day of baseball...) ********* There are very few sports-related children's songs that come to mind. I can understand why, as sports like football and hockey require a lot of equipment and are typically for older kids (this is especially the case for football). Basketball and baseball are easier to play, perhaps -- less equipment, introduced at an earlier age. Since the major sports typically become mostly a spectator sport as we grow up, perhaps it's good that there isn't much children's music about sports since a song about watching other people do something is kinda depressing as a kids' song. (It does make me think that the genre of children's soccer songs is a niche waiting to be filled.) Here goes:

No, not songs by dinosaurs -- you know me better than that -- songs about dinosaurs. My latest article for Education.com, Crazy for Dinosaurs? 13 Songs to Try Now, is up. Note: this was written a long time ago, otherwise I might have added song #14.

I'm not a huge Halloween fan, which explains why I'm updating my list of Halloween songs on, er, Halloween. Here's last year's original list. And if you have more suggestions, leave 'em in the comments... (Devon has a lot more suggestions, including this list of songs. Also Eric Herman has a review of an interesting sounding family-friendly CD here.) First, 3 CDs that might be appropriate (if a little late to order) for the season: -- Sue Schnitzer's Boo, Cackle, Trick or Treat is a fairly tame (read: appropriate for preschoolers) celebration of the holiday that matches Schnitzer's folk-pop songs (and some traditional songs) with Halloween themes. If Halloween is more about the candy in your household than the scary, this is for you. (The album is also available on iTunes.) -- Katherine Dines' Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta Spooky! is for older kids (ages 6 and up). It's a little scarier, though many of the songs and stories (they're about evenly split) have a purpose -- overcoming fears. The song arrangements are a little more electronic, but it's still most folk/pop. (This album is available on iTunes as well, though it'll come without the excellent liner notes, which include all the lyrics and stories, plus other stuff.) -- Magic Maestro Music's The Sorcerer's Apprentice is for kids of all ages. It plays Paul Dukas' famous "Sorcerer's Apprentice" (you know, Mickey and the nightmare of the ever-multiplying broomsticks in Fantasia) both with and without narration. There are plenty of versions available, of course, but this one does provide some context for kids to help them enjoy the piece. -- Plus, potentially, that Thirteen For Halloween disk by M. Ryan Taylor. Next, if you ever wanted the theme to Rosemary's Baby done in an inimitable kid-not-unfriendly style, Twink's got you covered -- go to the bottom of the Music page to download it for a limited time. Next, a couple podcasts:

I originally did a list of songs for dad last year, but I thought I'd update it, even if the idea of making a mix CD for your dad for Father's Day just seems weird. It's not really a mix CD holiday, I think. I've updated the list a little bit, but I'm sure you can tell me what I've inexplicably left out: The list, after the jump: