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
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
17/09/2025
It was the ultimate convergence of pop culture and literary prestige: Last night, Dua Lipa brought her Service95 Book Club podcast to the stage for a special li...
17/09/2025
Transatlantic collaboration combines experience and agility to drive innovation in network design and delivery
Luxembourg, September 16, 2025 - SES, a leading ...
17/09/2025
Wednesday 17 September 2025
UK artists capture icons of stage and screen, inclu...
17/09/2025
For the Moon Safari anniversary tour, AIR opened the doors to their backstage. Just a few hours before the Paris concert, DPA met with two key figures of the te...
17/09/2025
Auditions will be held in Dublin, Cork and Galway
The County Parade returns f...
16/09/2025
Hace una d cada, la m sica latina representaba apenas el 8% de las reproducciones globales en Spotify. Hoy, constituye m s de una cuarta parte (27%) de toda la ...
16/09/2025
A decade ago, Latin music made up just 8% of global Spotify streams. Today, it a...
16/09/2025
Spotify is expanding our video lineup with a new partnership with Zoo 55, part of ITV Studios. For the first time, acclaimed content from ITV Studios is landing...
16/09/2025
Calrec has strengthened its collaboration with audio metering expert RTW by integrating RTW's new TMxCore metering platform across its full range of Argo IP...
16/09/2025
Leading space solutions company will use optical ground stations to deliver faster, more secure data from space
Luxembourg, September 15, 2025 - SES, a leading...
16/09/2025
Comscore Unveils The Scoreboard: An Interactive Destination Surfacing Consumer B...
15/09/2025
Global K-Pop sensation aespa is redefining what it means to be rich with the r...
15/09/2025
Every day, millions of people around the world turn to Spotify to enjoy the audi...
15/09/2025
After months of intensive planning and implementation, Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic...
15/09/2025
Unique sports content orchestration platform builds momentum among SES's cus...
15/09/2025
-- Opens door to growth in renewable energy New Delhi, India - 15th September -- Global business and industry leaders from around the world are joining technol...
13/09/2025
Harmonic's Software-Based XOS Advanced Media Processor Provides Unparalleled Efficiency and Unlocks New Business Models SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 13, 2025 -...
12/09/2025
For fans, we know how important it is to stay plugged into music culture and dis...
12/09/2025
Link ping, Sweden and Shipley, United Kingdom, September 12, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability and analytics for service quality and customer expe...
12/09/2025
Feature-length retrospective from Studio Crook to air in 2026
Sir David Jason returns to the nation's favourite comedy channel, U&GOLD, for Open All Hours:...
12/09/2025
Friday 12 September 2025
The Boomtown Rats, Nyah Grace, Soweto Kinch, Royal Ballet and Madness also announced to perform at the ceremony on Tuesday
Sky today ...
12/09/2025
Wuppertal September 12, 2025
Riedel Unveils Ultra-Light Bolero Mini Wireless Intercom BeltpackAt IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero M...
12/09/2025
Wuppertal September 12, 2025
Riedel Communications Acquires hi human interfaceRiedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface fro...
12/09/2025
CORE+ virtually removes distortion, setting a new standard for church sound and giving worship teams the clarity and confidence they need.
Read the full artic...
12/09/2025
The Late Late Show is back with a bang after the summer break, and Patrick Kielt...
12/09/2025
The World Athletics Championships, Ireland v France in the Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-final, the Irish Champions Festival, and two Sports Direct Men...
12/09/2025
The Records Show starts Sunday at 6.30pm on RT One and RT Player.
Katie Hanno...
11/09/2025
RADAR, Spotify's program for emerging talent, recently hit a major milestone...
11/09/2025
Link ping, Sweden, September 11, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability & analytics for service quality and customer experience, announced today the la...
11/09/2025
Under the USD 89.6 Million award, SES Space & Defense will provide global commer...
11/09/2025
Leading Balkan DTH provider adds capacity to consolidate its m:Sat TV platform at 23.5 degrees East and serve more customers across the region
Luxembourg, 11 S...
11/09/2025
UKTV's free streaming service U launches on Sky Q
Free streaming service U has launched on Sky Q in the UK, UKTV and Sky confirm today, expanding the footp...
11/09/2025
From the discreet 2061 lavaliers to 4099 and 4011 mics, the setup delivered clean, natural sound in one of the most challenging broadcast environments.
Read th...
11/09/2025
From rugged build quality to natural, detailed sound, the verdict is clear: big performance can come in a very small package.
Read the full review here!...
11/09/2025
Tonight on Prime Time
RT One and RT Player at 9:35pm
Tonight RT Prime Time...
11/09/2025
RT Statement: 2026 Eurovision Song Contest
At the General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in July, a number of EBU members raised concerns ...
10/09/2025
Lossless on Spotify Premium is here.
Lossless audio has been one of the most a...
10/09/2025
The Television Will Be Revolutionised Sep 10, 2025
Written by Sunit Kotecha, Director of Delivery and Operations, YouView
2025 marks a century since the f...
10/09/2025
First of Spains F110 frigates get future-ready with Rohde & Schwarz communicatio...
10/09/2025
Harmonic's cOS Platform Supports DOCSIS and Fiber, Enabling Midco to Deliver Reliable Multi-Gigabit Connectivity to Subscribers SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 10,...
10/09/2025
RT brings three days of live radio, live entertainment, live news, live weather, personal appearances, and more
Join RT Radio 1: Morning Ireland, The Oliver ...
09/09/2025
Since 2020, Spotify's RADAR program has been a launchpad for emerging talent...
09/09/2025
In 2020, Spotify launched RADAR with a clear mission: to identify, nurture, and ...
09/09/2025
If you're on BookTok, you know the drill. You scroll, you tap, and suddenly your To Be Read list is overflowing with trending must-reads. Not unlike Spoti...
09/09/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
09/09/2025
Harmonic's VOS360 Ad SaaS Enables Personalized Ad Delivery and Seamless Integration with the Ad Tech Ecosystem SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 9, 2025 - Harmonic ...
09/09/2025
St. Luke's Episcopal Church in New Jersey needed audio that truly connects and they found the answer.
Read the full case study here!...
Photo credit: BFA/Darian DiCianno/Deonte Lee/Matteo Prandoni
