This is undoubtedly one of our preschooler’s favorite shows. On Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, the classic characters that made Disney famous and who generations of people, including my own, have grown up with, become a child’s companion in learning through songs, riddles and adventures.

Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto, along with relatively new characters Clarabelle Cow, Pete, and Professor Von Drake, encourage preschoolers to tackle age-appropriate problems by using basic skills like counting 1 to 10, and identifying shapes and common objects. This is why the show mostly focuses on problem-solving and preschool math skills.

According to producer Bobs Gannaway, their research team based the show’s “curriculum” on their findings that most other educational shows were not covering basic math skills. Therefore, their team chose to expand the definition of math skills to include not just counting, but shapes, patterns, colors and fractions.

Every Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode begins with Mickey greeting everyone and asking them to help his clubhouse appear by saying the “magic words.” Once the clubhouse appears, the singing, (and in our house, dancing!) and fun begins. Kids are “introduced” by Mickey and the gang to some type of problem which they must help solve. Some of our favorite episodes include the show’s own take on fairy tales, some on being spies or detectives, and our son Tim’s much-loved episodes where trains are involved. (He is a certified “train-addict”!)

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