Photo credit: BFA/Darian DiCianno/Deonte Lee/Matteo Prandoni
New York City residents and visitors alike have made countless memories in each of Central Park's 21 playgrounds. While climbing the Egypt-themed jungle gym near the Met or swinging to the sound of hooting monkeys near the zoo, anyone can delight in the beauty and magic of the park, and kids can do what they do best: play.
Keeping the playgrounds clean and safe is an important task, one that the Central Park Conservancy's Playground Partners takes on with pride. Yesterday, the Playground Partners hosted their Annual Family Party at Heckscher Playground, the largest in the park. Kids and families flocked to games, sports, a magic show, arts and crafts, and much more. And since you can't have a party without great music, Spotify was in attendance as the Family Party Main Stage Sponsor to entertain the next generation of listeners and their families.
The family-friendly musical performances included a DJ set from 14-year-old Annie Red, the award-winning resident DJ for the Brooklyn Nets. PAW Patrol's Skye and Rubble were on a roll leading the Pup Pup Boogie and a PAWsome game of freeze dance.
KIDZ BOP, the most popular artist on Spotify for families, headlined. Since 2002, KIDZ BOP has recorded kid-friendly versions of today's biggest pop music hits sung by kids, for kids.
KIDZ BOP has been an established brand that families love for years-before Spotify even existed! noted Dustee Jenkins, Head of Public Affairs at Spotify. Even putting on this event, many of our employees who are twenty- and thirtysomething have been so excited about partnering with them because it's the music they grew up on. Today, KIDZ BOP is the most popular music on Spotify for families.
Annual Family Party Co-Chairs Sarah Johnson, Dustee Jenkins, Paige Betz, Sugie Hong Bruttomesso, and Sayuri Ganepola-Kaczynski
I think KIDZ BOP is such a fantastic example of a group embracing streaming to meet their audiences where they are, said Dustee. But I also see it as a reflection of Spotify's ability to cater to a wide-ranging audience and be a platform that they can grow up on. Music is such a powerful means of connection, especially for young families, where we've seen Spotify become a natural fixture in car rides and birthday parties, but also in education and generational connection.
The KIDZ BOP Kids Live Tour is the first concert experience for many. The group's most-streamed song on Spotify is Shake It Off, followed by Uptown Funk. Another popular track is Dance Monkey, which the group performed live along with Never Stop, About That Time, Good 4 U, Shut Up and Dance, Break My Soul, and Made You Look.
Shila, Kiya, Tyler, Jackson
DJ Annie Red
The KIDZ BOP kids are performers-but they also know the importance of getting outside to play. For the Record asked Tyler, Jackson, Kiya, and Shila about their own favorite parts of the playground, and of course, performing.
What's your favorite part of the playground? Tyler: Monkey bars because I want to see how many times I can get to the end and back again.
Jackson: My favorite part about the playground is the swings. Whenever I go on them I feel so free!
Kiya: My favorite part is the swings because I feel like I'm flying!
Shila: My favorite part of the playground is the monkey bars. I feel strong when I'm on them!
Why is it important for kids to be able to go outside and play? Tyler: I think it's important because nowadays everyone is spending so much time on their cell phones. It's nice to go outside, get some fresh air, and enjoy the day with friends.
Jackson: It's important to go outside and play because your body needs exercise to stay healthy. Playing outside is my favorite way to exercise!
Kiya: It's important for kids to be outside because it's a healthy way to get exercise and be with their friends.
Shila: Going outside and playing is one of my favorite activities. I love a good playground! It keeps kids active and healthy.
What's your favorite KIDZ BOP song? Tyler: About That Time because it's very fun to perform and I can dance with the other KIDZ BOP Kids.
Jackson: My favorite KIDZ BOP song is As It Was because Harry Styles is one of my favorite artists.
Kiya: I love Dance Monkey because the music video is so awesome!
Shila: My favorite KIDZ BOP song is KIDZ BOP Never Stop. It is a super-fun song with a great vibe.
What's your favorite thing about singing and performing? Tyler: Expressing myself and inspiring others.
Jackson: Making people happy by doing what I love.
Kiya: I think I was born to perform. I just love entertaining people while doing what I love.
Shila: Being onstage. I love to entertain.
Looking to hold your own park dance party? Look no further than KIDZ BOP's latest album.
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
11/05/2026
Pirate Predator uncovers new information from victims and survivors of abuse on ...
10/05/2026
RT ALL-IRELAND DRAMA FESTIVAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED DURING GALA AWARDS STREAMED LIVE ON RTE.IE/CULTURE
Kilmeen Drama Group hailing from Rossmore, Co. Cork Scoops ...
09/05/2026
New desktop instrument focused on tactile performance
Bastl Instruments have announced Kalimba, a new desktop instrument that combines physical modelling, F...
09/05/2026
Compact sampling workstation gains new features
1010music have announced blackbox 2, a new version of their compact standalone sampler designed for DAWless ...
08/05/2026
One-button synth generates random four-track ideas
Cyma Forma and French artist Bambounou have announced RND synth, a compact hardware synthesizer built aro...
08/05/2026
Portable four-layer granular and sampling instrument
Tasty Chips have announced the GR-2, a new granular synthesizer and sampling instrument that combines e...
08/05/2026
Video Show Report
Video of SUPERBOOTH 26: Polyend Drums
Polyends big announcement for Superbooth 2026 is the Drums, a new drum machine that features both ...
08/05/2026
Deal agreed as NI enters new chapter
Native Instruments CEO Nick Williams has announced that a definitive agreement has been signed for the company to be ac...
08/05/2026
Video Show Report
Video of SUPERBOOTH 26: Erica Bullfrog Drums
The Bullfrog Drums is the latest collaboration between Erica Synths and Richie Hawtin, and ...
08/05/2026
In our latest blog, Tim Pearson reflects on the recent launch of Play Snooker, the new digital home of snooker by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker A...
08/05/2026
Pete reunites with Dogs Trust for a fourth series and a two-part overseas special
London, Friday 8th May 2026: The award winning factual entertainment series P...
08/05/2026
Wuppertal May 8, 2026
Riedel to Support Glasgow 2026 as Official Connectivity Integration Provider Riedel Communications today announced its return as a spons...
08/05/2026
ICG is excited to share news of our official launch in Northern Ireland, marking a significant milestone in the agency's growth.
Led by Digital Marketing M...
08/05/2026
Over the past ten years, Thames Water, in partnership with Arqiva, has installed more than 1.2 million smart meters, creating one of the most extensive advanced...
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
January 8, 2024
Colorfront (colorfront.com), a leader in high-performance, on-s...
07/05/2026
February 9, 2024
Colorfront (colorfront.com), the multi-award-winning pioneer i...
07/05/2026
March 20, 2024
NAB 2024, Las Vegas - Colorfront (colorfront.com), the multi-awa...
07/05/2026
April 1, 2025
CINEMACON, APRIL 1, 2025 - Colorfront (colorfront.com), the multi-award-winning developer of high-performance dailies/transcoding/streaming syste...
07/05/2026
June 15, 2025
Colorfront (colorfront.com), an Academy and Emmy Award-winning de...
07/05/2026
June 15, 2025
Colorfront participated in the ICTA Barcelona Cinema Technology Summit on Sunday, June 15, 2025. Held at The Phenomena Experience, the event feat...
07/05/2026
July 1, 2025
Colorfront (colorfront.com), the multi-award-winning developer of high-performance dailies/transcoding/streaming systems for motion pictures, OTT,...
07/05/2026
July 1, 2025
Passion and dedication will take you places. Come with us on a short trip to the heart of India, where Annapurna Studios is living-up to the inspi...
07/05/2026
July 3, 2025
Colorfront (colorfront.com), the multi-award-winning developer of high-performance dailies/transcoding/streaming systems for motion pictures, OTT,...
07/05/2026
September 1, 2025
IBC 2025, Amsterdam - Colorfront (colorfront.com) - the Acade...
07/05/2026
April 17, 2026
LOS ANGELES - April 17, 2026 - Colorfront today announced Colorf...
07/05/2026
April 23, 2026
NAB 2026, Las Vegas - the Academy and Emmy Award-winning develop...
07/05/2026
Comscore to Announce First Quarter 2026 Financial ResultsRESTON, Va., May 7, 2026 - Comscore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, transacting a...
07/05/2026
Thursday 7 May 2026
Sky continues Sphere Abacus partnership with The Death of S...
07/05/2026
Thursday 7 May 2026
Sky Confirms Saturday Night Live UK will return this September for Series Two
Saturday Night Live UK will return for a second series, as S...
07/05/2026
Save 20% on the Sky Glass Gen 2 and Sky Glass Air TVsThursday 7 May 2026
How to watch the World Cup on Sky Glass
Tune into the World Cup on the BBC and ITV vi...
07/05/2026
Production sound mixer Dirk Sciarrotta has mixed Family Feud for 28 seasons. Thats up to 200 syndicated episodes per year, plus primetime celebrity specials - a...
07/05/2026
As audience expectations have evolved, Owen has stopped trying to hide microphones or excuse amplification. Instead, he treats sound as a fully immersive part o...
Photo credit: BFA/Darian DiCianno/Deonte Lee/Matteo Prandoni
