Let me just tell you that my brother volunteered me to DJ at an elementary as well...


and all they wanted to hear was Radio bullshit. Of course, you gotta play the clean versions. And, the stuff that's too suggestive, you cannot (or shouldn't) play. But, to be honest, the adults there (including the principal) didn't care cause all the kids were having a blast and it wasn't like last year when the DJ sucked.

Don't be that DJ. lol

my neck... my back...

Hey man I've played a couple of dances
The kids usaually just go ape shit but play what the kids can dance to. It's almost like reading a club scene. The school that I played at was crazy. I ended up playin shit like the hokey pokey, sponge bob square pant theme, hanna montana, Jonas Brothers, basically disney channel. Check the website, but that is what these kids were into. I've also done hip hop (clean) at another.

We like to party by Venga Boyz and that I like to move it song from the Madagscar soundtrack are good songs for this type of crowd.

www.mobilebeat.com

It all depends on the grades. 1st - 3rd I usually play Spongebob theme song and other random nonsense or instrumentals. 4th & 5th grade I usually treat like a middle school gig and go for clean hip -hop

I played hanna montana "Everybody makes mistakes" and they went wild. I had to play it like 3 times in 4 hours. lol

please elaborate?? especially the new disney stuff?? what are the good songs? =)

Email me djnevoc @ Yahoo [dot] com

I will hook you up with my new Hannah montana remix!!

NeV

Heres a list (roughly)
sponge bob square pants
hokey pokey
chicken dance
electric slide
boot scootin boogie
bunny hop
bare nessacities....?
oops i did it again
ymca
cha cha slide
thriller
the twist
ice ice baby -no shit
cant' touch this
grease theme song
butterfly kisses
i like to move it
best of both worlds
since you've been gone
(famous disco songs always work)
shrek -allstar -funkytown etc

roughly - those type of songs
basically fun, disney, disney movie songs. Line dances. Elementary kids are just learning alot of these dance but shit parents know some of the dances. I hope that helps. Enjoy it man. A kids dance is tough but can be fun when you get the kids and their parents into it. You'd be amazed at the stuff that is popular to kids now days. You know that old ass billy ray Cyrus (dont break my heart) theres a line dance to that now - along with ice ice baby. It's some shit to see.....

here another idea
if you get radio disney in your area, just listen to it for a couple of hrs- you'll pick up on the latest & greatest kids jams. Im tellin ya, check out radio disney's website for song list.

guess i won't be doin an elementary school dance ever.

Eminem- "Cleanin' Out My Closet"
Prince- "Erotic City"
The Doors- "The End" :)

LOL

Yoooooooooooooooou about 5 or 6 times

Can you say Cheeeeeese?

Everyone here is on point with the music that needs to be played, but more importantly is that you need to take on the role of "entertainer" and not "DJ". I always give my elementary gigs to my one jock Mike who turns on the cheese and puts the kids in the palm of his hand (no pedofile).

The school districts keep calling, so it must work.

I'd do the dances, and musically I could handle it, but I don't have the passion to be babysitting, leading in dances and clowning around. 21+ crowds for me, please.

I DJ a ton of "kids" events.

Many of the songs mentioned are great--line dances are great Cha Cha, even Macarena if they are young enough, Hokey Pokey, Limbo, Electric Slide,....High School Musical 1 and 2 are must haves....play the song Bop to the Top--they will go nuts

Hannah Montanna--rock star, see you again,
Cotton Eye Joe
Jailhouse Rock *any 50s or 60s hits are good
kelly clarkson
Walking on Sunshine - Katrina..
Walk Like and Egyptian
Locomotion
All Star - SmashMouth
We will rock you-Queen
Life is a Highway (it was in the movie Cars so they know it)
Disco or 80s hits always work

Alvin and the Chipmunks --new soundtrack

Jock Jams CDs are good, esp the Jock Jam song itself --the medley of all the hits

Anything on Disney records--Vanessa Hudgens, Jonas Brothers, Zach Efron, Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana, Corbin Bleu, Ashley Tisdale

Bratz Soundtrack

Crazy Frog Cds--they do these remixes of all the dance songs and the kids love em

Good Luck....best tip I can give you is to tell all the kids you want to hear how loud they can scream, tell them you did another school and they were the loudest, sounds dumb, but this works. I get the kids to scream sooo loud 3 or 4 times a nite...they love it, the parents hate it.

thanks..I played most of these songs!!! They all worked great!!!

COOL, Im glad I could help

YYOOOOUUUUU

what about the "Kids-Bop" cd's
nice clean songs :)

Try "Dancing On the Ceiling" mixed into "Baby, I'm A Star" by Prince. Some of the 80's hits really get the kids and their parents going. "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" is good. Also "Land Of 1000 Dances" by Wilson Picket gets the crowd shouting the anthem! Oldies, but goodies.

The above lists are great too. Have fun.

P.S. I have been DJing for 15 years and I'm also a school teacher. I've done dozens of Elementary School Dances.

Anything by 2 Live Crew.

Im so glad i found this.....the owner of my bar asked me to DJ his kids Valentines Party tomorrow....this is a life saver as i have never done any type of school dance before....strictly club dj....this will be interesting

When I played for an Elementary, some dumbass parent kept asking/telling me to switch the song because of what the song said. He was saying that the lyrics were too hard for the kids. Funny thin is that almost all the kids in the crowd new every single word to the song. So if their parents allow them to listen to it then its ok to play.

Top 40 radio edits no alcohold drug references, i played " what is love" at elementary school dance everybody loved it

David Banner- Play

This is good to know, thanks. Those are songs I never would've thought to play. Great thread.

I might add that Willow Smith Whip My Hair, Miley Cyrus Party In The USA and some Bieber might be ok for recent stuff I would think.

Im a security officer at an elementary school and i DJ at the events for the school. Ill just play some kidz bop and they go crazy. pretty simple.

A lot of the DJ's don't understand.. Don't matter If you have the radio edit. Sometimes it's the Message in the songs. A lot of top 40 music today is Trash... Just listen to the words. One other important thing. It's the schools Party not yours... They write check and If you wanna be hired again Lose your EGO at the door.

Very true when it comes to the lyrics. This is why I can't edit a popular song for content, I just won't okay it. Doesn't matter how pissed off the kids get.

nm

Did two elementary and middle school Halloween parties recently. Got a few requests for some shady stuff, but for the most part, the kids had fun with the decent songs I chose. I got a few compliments from parents too (elementary party) about the song selection. Fun music is fun without the trashy side of it!

I do a lot of school dances, if this is an elementary school dance you can't go wrong with sound track from "Teen Beach Movie" or katy perry.

schooldancenetwork.com


See also for a quick guide, also a cool site if you find yourself doing more schools.

^^ Cool - Thanks. ^^

Nice, I have a elementary school dance next week. Thanks!

Taylor swift.

Just did a school recently. i played some interactive songs, top 40 and a few old school song....the few "newer" songs didn't go over as well like 5 seconds of summer or some of the other bubble gum pop artists...kids like to hear the same stuff they are used to, so like party rock anthem, some stuff like that works....all things taylor swift...checking your ego in at the door is some great advice...you don't really even need to mix everything...just relax and play smart, your night will be over before you know it...

I call all "the best dancers" up front and I make them copy me as I do all the cheesie dance moves like
the lawn mower
the sprinkler
the jump rope(act like your Jump ropin' with no rope)
the swim(air swim)
the surf
the shopping cart
the dice(shake and roll the dice)
the fist pump
the running man
well you get the point... elementary school kids go ape shiz over it to be "the Best".
I usually end it with the surf (with wipe out playing on loop) and after the surf have them fall down"wipe out"

theres also the congo lines, try n get them to break a "record # of kids in line"

But I cheese it up for the kids and they love it, how much cheese you use is up to you.
good luck!

I Mostly DJ school events and I have noticed that the radio music goes off more then the line dances. Also EDM Instrumental tracks are great too!!