This summer we’re doing cartoon recommendations by moms for moms (or by aunts/dads/nannies. . . just basically a grown-up who knows this is a cartoon that won’t make other grown-ups run screaming from the room). So far we’ve heard about the wonders of Phineas and Ferb, the educational benefits of Martha Speaks, the sweetness of The Busy World of Richard Scary, the addictive songs of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, the adoption-friendly plot of Dinosaur Train, the British adorableness of Peppa Pig, the fun settings of The Backyardigans, the soothing pace of Oswald and the scientific adventures of The Wild Kratts and the wit of a silent Shaun the Sheep. On with the recommendations!
Recommendation from: Abigail and Aubrey
The show: Mighty Machines
Where to find it: Netflix, youtube, the library
Why kids love it:
Abigail- Ashton loves it because it involves BIG machines. The show goes into how the machine works, what it does on a regular basis, and so on. My son is really into trains, planes, big trucks, and construction equipment, so it’s a no-brainer 🙂
Aubrey- This might be more of a boy-centric show as my daughter is still too little to watch TV, but my son adores it. Each episode features video of actual mega machines working and describing what they do. There are episodes about trains, planes, recycling trucks, big boats, and construction equipment just to give a few examples.
Why moms love it:
Abigail- I love it because he’s learning without realizing he’s learning about big machines and what they do. It’s actually very interesting and I’ve watched it with him a couple of times and learned things about trains or planes I really didn’t know.
Aubrey- My husband actual enjoys watching this show with my son. I always learn something about how different machines work when I watch with him (even if usually I just turn it on so I can get something else done!) – the episode about printing newspapers was especially enjoyable. And it’s not a cartoon, which makes it feel more educational. And now I know the technical names of lots more machines.
Any warnings:
None
Favorite quote:
Abigail- “Bye kids, and remember, tracks are for trains, not people” (my son came and repeated this to me after the show was done 😉 )
Aubrey- The grape harvester uses its “wiggly pickin’ fingers” to harvest the grapes.
To read more from Audrey, visit her blog. (Go ahead and look at this post for her favorite salad recipe)