Good TV: 3 Recommended Programs for your Big Kid

In an ideal world, our kids do not watch television or browse the web. But we have to face reality – television and computers are an intrinsic part of a typical kid’s life. Unfortunately, experts say too much television and computer time can cause obesity, and tendency towards violence. For babies and young kids, it can be detrimental to their development. It also takes away time from family time, outdoor activities and homework. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no television for kids two and younger while two hours of quality programming is the recommended length for older kids.  

Sadly, it has been a challenge finding children’s programs that are both fun and educational in local and cable television here in Manila. Thanks to the web, parents have access to programs that provide a fun and learning experience. Here are some recommendations to make the recommended two hours count. And if you want to reinforce the learning, there are DVDs and books that accompany these shows.

1. Sesame Street is the first preschool program in the United States that was based on research. The producers worked with educators and researchers to create a program that utilized television to prepare kids for school. With apologies to the AAP, my one year old and I enjoy watching my childhood favorites (C is for Cookie and Rubber Duckie) and the different versions of Sesame Street (India Arie, Lena Horne, Patti Labelle, Miles, and Ray Charles to name a few).  

Elmo and his friends appeal to the preschool set, and parents will appreciate the tweaks of adult humor when they use celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker looking for “Big” or Feist singing “1234.” You Tube has a Sesame Street Channel. The website also has a section for grownups, games and even a playlist!

URL: http://www.sesamestreet.org/, http://www.youtube.com/user/SesameStreet  
DVD: Sesame Street DVDs and VCDs are sold in video stores and bookstores, episodes available on itunes
Books: Available in most bookstores     

Click here to see more recommended TV programs for your big kid.

[previous|page|next]

Read on to see more recommended TV programs for your big kid.

2. Learning all about science is effortless in the Magic School Bus as Ms. Frizzle (voiced by Lily Tomlin) leads her class into adventures where they can go inside a human body or travel into outer space. It’s fun to hear my six year old talking about prisms and how it makes a rainbow or the different ways to recycle. The videos are adapted from the Scholastic books by Joanna Cole. Books are available in various reading levels.  Scholastic's website  has games, printables, quizzes and a section for parents.

URL: http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/, www.veoh.com has two videos
DVD: Hobbes and Landes, Fully Booked and Power Books (also sells VCDs)
Books:    Available in most bookstores.


3. Recommended for three to five year olds (but older kids might like it too), Word World is a place where you visually see the word on the Word Friends (animals) and Word Things (objects). Their theme song says it all, “Words come alive, words save the day!” The mood of the program is upbeat as frog, pig and an assortment of creatures attempt to solve problems by building a word. It is fun to watch the words come together. My son had fun watching pig solve the problem of making more pies but adding the letter s to the word pie and voila, more pies appeared. Or when shark needed a house and they started making the word house bigger and bigger until shark could fit in it.

Just like Sesame Street, an academic team provides input and constant episode testing is done as part of the production process. The website has a section for teachers and parents with viewing tips and activities to help teach your child letters and words.

URL: http://www.wordworld.com/, http://www.youtube.com/ (use Word World episodes as the search term)
TV: Shows on Disney Channel Asia , Mondays to Fridays, 8:30 am and 7:30 pm
DVD: None available in Manila, episodes available on itunes
Books: None, ebooks available on the website


Photos: Sesame Street, Magic School Bus and Word World