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Here Come the 123s (by They Might Be Giants, Children's Music)

common sense media says

Musical and magical songs about math.

parents & educators say
  • 43% say there are positive messages
See all 8 reviews | Review it

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that if they want to make the fundamentals of counting and arithmetic fun, this is the perfect CD. Appropriate for toddlers to grade schoolers, this album takes a creative approach to learning math.

Positive messages: Not applicable.
Violence: Not applicable.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Here Come the 123s

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about counting and having fun with numbers. Can you make up a song about a number?

What's the story?

What's the story?
They Might Be Giants make learning to count a funky musical journey through the number line. There's a song for every number from 1 to 10, plus others exploring math concepts like infinity and odd and even numbers.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Silly lyrics mixed with quirky, likable melodies equals a fun time for kids and parents. Who said math had to be boring? Although there's nothing ground-breaking here -- the concept of using well-written tunes to make learning fun has been around for a while -- the group does a solid job of bringing a modern feel to this old tune by employing a variety of musical styles from Dixieland jazz to alt rock. Some of the best tracks include "Seven," "Infinity," and "Ten Mississippi." Kids will have fun signing along to lyrics that are always insightful, creative, and honest: "There's only one everything. And if you go out and count up everything it all adds up to one."

Music themes & details

Music Details
Released on: February 5, 2008
Label: Disney Sound
Genre: Children's Music
This review was written by Jacqueline Rupp
 
 

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What parents & educators say

3
Based on 7 parent & educator reviews:
  • 43% say there are positive messages
Read the reviews

Most useful reviews by all members

wilfre_000
parent of 27 year old
4
 
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helped me decide (6) | had useful details (5) | read my mind (4)
BabyJake
adult
 
Fun fot Kids and adults
I get a kick out of listening to this. I grew up with there music now they are catering to kids! Alot of there songs are on some disney CD's too. I listen to them with my 2 and a half year old. It's refreshing to see a group have a come back but even more surprising when they come back strong for a new generation of listeners! You go boys!
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helped me decide (9) | had useful details (3) | read my mind (4)
snutter
parent of 2 and 5 year old
3
 
Love it! Perfect for 3 and up.
My 4 year old has been listening to it and watching the DVD for over a year and it's her absolute favorite. She knows every song by heart and dances with the entire DVD. It really simulates learning about numbers and she doesn't even realize it's happening. :) Didn't think their ABCs DVD & CD was as good.
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shriya
kid, 10 years old
 
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helped me decide (7) | had useful details (3) | read my mind (5)
BlueJade
parent of 11 year old
2
 
Clever, lively & smart counting music for all ages
Such fun music! If you are tired of cliche educational lyrics, the approach that They Might Be Giants takes will be quite refreshing. These songs stick in your head in a good way. The tunes are great for the toddler set, but even older kids, maybe even up to teen-agers won't mind listening to the smart lyrics, catchy riffs. Check out They Might Be Giants' A, B, C CD as well as DVD. They also have had podcasts of much of this music.
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laribrook
parent of 3 and 4 year old
3
 
Fun way to learn math, numbers and about music
This album is great, and entertaining as well as educational. But it's not as good at Here Comes Science in my opinion. Still, it's fun. A few songs are very annoying, but most are really fun to sing/dance along to!
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ChiCat
parent of 6 year old
2
 
Excellent Kids Music That Parents Will Actually Enjoy Too...
They Might Be Giants write and perform what is easily some of the highest quality and most clever lyrics for kids music I have ever heard. Educational and fun, but also enjoyable for kids and adults.
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kelliemejia929
parent of 6 year old
4
 
Fun for parents and kids to listen to
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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age
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