Welcome to Ping and Echo, a daily newsletter that links to one amazing podcast episode that is guaranteed to be a great listen for kids and their families. Each newsletter includes links to articles, videos and activities related to the podcast so you can turn every episode into an adventure.
Today’s podcast episode is from Vox Media’s Switched on Pop and it features musicologist Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Harding debating one of the best known songs ever: Happy Birthday. There are a few reasons why we chose this particular episode. For starters, our editor and producer Ruby is celebrating her 8th birthday this week. But even before that “Happy Birthday” has been on our minds recently since it was assigned as the official hand washing melody of the coronavirus. For a month now people have been singing Happy Birthday amidst a pandemic, so perhaps it is fitting that we chose an episode all about why the Happy Birthday song is terrible and should be replaced forever.
🧁 If you want to wish Ruby a happy birthday, you can send her a note, a picture, or share some of the crafts and adventures you make after listening to this episode, at pingandecho@gmail.com .
Podcast: Vox Media’s Switched on Pop
Episode: “Happy Birthday” is the Worst
URL: https://switchedonpop.com/episodes/happy-birthday-is-the-worst-with-anne-marie
Length: 30 minutes
🧐 You Should Know
We’ll always give you a heads up if there is anything in the podcast that might surprise or worry kids. A clip of Anne-Marie’s pop song “Happy Birthday” has a fleeting “damn” that goes by pretty quick.
💡 Try This
After you listen to the episode you can make a birthday wish of your own with the links and activities below:
Write your own Happy Birthday song - At the end of the episode the hosts suggest you write your own new Happy Birthday song. We thought that was a great idea, and if you want, you can send it to Ruby for her birthday.
Learn to play “Happy Birthday” (on ukulele)
Make a birthday cake bookmark
🔎 Explore More
Read up on the history behind this little tune and check out some new hand washing songs with these links:
Who really wrote the 'Happy Birthday' song? - USA Today
13 Things You Never Knew About the “Happy Birthday” Song - Reader’s Digest
We Wrote You a New Hand-Washing Song (In case you need a new song to wash your hands to) - New York Times
The name Ping and Echo comes from sonar technology which relies on sending out “pings” and receiving back “echos” to discover the world around you. You can send us pictures of the art and activities created by your kids. Email them to pingandecho@gmail.com and we’ll post all your echos on our Instagram and our Twitter page.
Thanks for lending us your ears and your inbox.
Josh, Toby and Ruby the birthday girl!
(Also, a big Happy Birthday to Ruby’s mom whose birthday is also this week. We are your biggest fans!)