children's television

So we watch a lot of TV. I'm sure I've seen at least one episode of every major TV show that's hot right now ... and several that aren't. There's some good stuff out there, and there are some real wastes of time. These are my least favorite shows:

The Wonder Pets: These three furry little school pets save baby animals. The dialogue is difficult to understand (of the three animals, I only am sure of the name of one), the little duck has an accent that is at best condescending and at worst actually insulting, and they use the same two or three musical themes throughout every show.

Caillou: As far as I can tell, the idea behind this show (following a 4-year-old boy and his family in their adventures) is to display for small children all the behavior they shouldn't display. But, of course, when it's the hero of the show who's throwing tantrums in every episode, the kids want to do just what he does ... and the show does not do a good job showing the consequences of Caillou's poor behavior.

These are the best of the bunch, at least as far as our house is concerned:

The Backyardigans: The Backyardigans are a bunch of kids who share a back yard, and they use their vivid imaginations to invent all sorts of adventures. The adventures are truly interesting, cover a wide range of topics and time frames, and the music is really good. (Yes, I could conceive of putting some Backyardigans songs on my iPod.) Learning AND entertainment.

Cyberchase: This serial follows the adventures of three humans who are drawn into cyberspace to stop the machinations of an evil droid named Hacker and save "Motherboard", the ruler of cyberspace. The show focuses on math, in simple and higher levels, and the kids use math to defeat the villain in a number of different ways. My kids have learned quite a bit of math, and more importantly a lot about critical thinking, from this show.

Zoboomafoo: This was Greyson's first favorite show, and is starting to move back up the list again. Not many shows can appeal to both a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old equally, and this one has taught me a few things as well! It holds up over time, and it's simple premise, two guys in an animal sanctuary with their lemur friend, talking about and playing with actual animals, doesn't get as tired as many more complex shows.

In addition to these, a number of old favorites get a lot of play around here: Scooby-Doo, DuckTales, Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, and Baby Looney Tunes are all big hits and have the added benefit of being nostalgic fun for Mom and Dad as well!