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, and the British adorableness of Peppa Pig. If you’d like to contribute your thoughts, I’d love to have them. Here’s the form to fill out. I promise it will take ten minutes or less and we’ll all be glad you did it. On with the recommendations!
Recommendation from: Sarah AND Lindsey (you know it’s good when it gets two recommendations!)
The show: The Backyardigans
Where to find it: Sadly no new episodes are being made (it’s been around for awhile!) but it is still aired on Nick Jr. It used to be on Netflix and I’m hoping they bring it back.
Why kids love it:
Sarah- It’s a group of kids (well, animals) in the neighborhood that all get together and play. It varies as to who is in each episode and they all dream up great adventures together! New places and songs every time make it a little different each time.
Lindsey- The Backyardigans appeals more to the toddler/early preschool set, and each episode begins and ends in the backyard where all the characters use their imaginations and go on adventures together. I think the kids like it for many of the same reasons I do: each episode is completely different, with a new place they’ve imagined to explore (some destinations actually exist–like Chichen Itza, others are imagined). There are five characters, so there’s usually something for everyone to identify with.
Why moms love it:
Sarah- I like it because everyone has a pretty good attitude (kind words, no whining or sass) and the music is different each time, picking a different style of music as well, everything from country, techno, mild rock and roll, to oldies sounding tunes, all with new lyrics that are fun for the kids to copy.
Lindsey- It is a very well-done show. I’ve often said it’s one of the few shows I will actually sit down and watch WITH the kids, as most of the time I’m having them watch it so I can cook dinner/write a grocery list/do something with relative peace. It promotes a lot of imaginative play, problem-solving, sharing and playing nicely with others. But I’ll be honest: why I love it is because each episode is unique with new songs and dances and they’re always traveling to new destinations. It doesn’t grate on my ears, or have annoyingly repetitive chants and songs like some demanding cartoon girl, and her singing Map that I want to torch.
Moral content:
Sarah- Sometimes one of them pretends to be a bad guy and of course the others defeat them. But sometimes it’s just about having an adventure and overcoming obstacles or situations.
Lindsey- It has a lot of the similar themes you would expect from a toddler-oriented show: play nicely with others, use your words, be kind, share with others, etc.
Any warnings:
Sarah- My only downer was there is one episode where a boy mentions several times that he is shy. It’s trying to show how someone who is shy can still get to know others and play with them, but for a couple weeks after watching that one, my outgoing little boys decided they were shy. Silly little boys!
Lindsey- Each episode ends with the characters toddling inside for a snack. You may, like me, expect and receive snack requests after an episode 🙂 I’m sure someone somewhere has found something objectionable in an episode, but I haven’t seen anything yet that has made me tell the kids the TV lost The Backyardigans forever.
Favorite Quote:
Sarah- there is a song that my boys and I like to sing together, especially while we are cleaning around the house.
“My name is Spiffy (“mr. spiffy!) that’s also the name of my club (“the spiffy club!”) I’ll check your house out in a jiffy (“oh so quickly!”) soooooo don’t forget to wash and clean and scrub!”
You can read more from Sarah: snickjake.blogspot.com (I recommend this post to start with. It’s a really honest and sweet look at a part of the foster parent reality that is rarely talked about.)
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