Is there any better sight than a young one possessed by music to shake themselves out as wildly as possible? Kids dancing is great because they completely lack the censorship that adult self-awareness brings, and that’s reflected in their awesome gyrations. Here’s three records that always bring on the action at our house.

James Brown – Love Power Peace, Live At The Olympia

The hardest working man in show business at the peak of his powers in front of a raving audience of French fans? This is probably one of the best lie albums ever recorded, and every song is a winner. The classic JB groove is solid and steady, and kids love James’ dynamic, free-spirited vocal style.

Stereo Total – Musique Automatique

This Berlin-based electropop duo boasts a lot of factors in common with straight-out kids music – band members with silly names, bouncy synthesizer beats, and simple lyrics. But those lyrics are in multiple languages, delivered with a manic zeal, and against a schizophonic backdrop of mangled music. Fun enough for grown-ups and still jamming for the kids.

The Equals – First Among Equals

British mod-rockers The Equals are barely a footnote in musical history, notable only for spawning the career of Eddy “Electric Avenue” Grant. But sometimes the best music comes from the margins, and this multiracial outfit released a string of irresistibly catchy singles between 1966 and 1971, including the #1 hit “Baby Come Back.” This double-CD compilation holds 40 of their best.

Summertime means outdoor music — and while we don’t think you should drag your poor sprout to Coachella (without earplugs), there’s nothing more fun that watching your little one jam out to live music. Here are four of my favorite festivals to go to with your young one.

Celebrate Brooklyn – Brooklyn, NY, June 8 – August 8

Just about every weekend, the lovely Prospect Park Bandshell is taken over for early evening concerts from around the world – rock, pop, jazz and even film screenings with live soundtracks. This year’s best picks for families include David Byrne, They Might Be Giants and the always raucous African Festival. But leave the kids at home for August’s Purple Rain Sing-A-Long – that movie is racy!

Symphony In The Flint Hills – Eskridge, KA, June 13

A sunset symphony concert in the gorgeous Kansan countryside, with some of the Midwest’s greatest performers on display? The only thing that could make that better is a whole day of activities leading up to it, from covered wagon rides to a musical instrument “petting zoo” that lets kids get close to the kinds of instruments they’ll hear later that evening.

Bumbershoot – Seattle, WA, September 5-7

Seattle’s wide-ranging, anarchic arts festival is held at the Seattle Center, the former World’s Fair site that is the home of the Space Needle and the Experience Music Project. Music of all stripes is on offer here, and this year’s big names include De La Soul, Os Mutantes, Matt & Kim and many more. Even better, the sidewalks are lined with buskers, street performers and other undiscovered talent.

Austin City Limits – Austin, TX, October 2-4

And we’ll close out our summer tour with a trip down to Texas, where the legendary Austin City Limits fest gives the goods to grown-ups and little ones alike. Unlike some of the other events on this list, ACL has a whole stage set aside for kid-friendly music, and this year’s players on the Austin Kiddie Limits stage include Secret Agent 23 Skidoo and Paul Green’s School Of Rock All-Stars.