Captain Kangaroo, Bozo the Clown, Mister Rogers Neighborhood, were the daytime hits that stirred our interest, and Sesame Street, surprisingly still airing with the same characters, and a few new ones. On weekends, our social senses were further expanded with the dynamics of shows like Fat Albert, Superfriends, Looney Tunes, and the only commercials were Schoolhouse Rock. These were good wholesome shows unlike some of the newer entertainment for children which at times is borderline disgusting with graphic humor regarding bodily functions, and just plain weird characters such as Chowder on Cartoon Network, which is mainly programmed for the older child or even the teen. Cartoon Network is a subject for another article, but honestly, you can find some vintage Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry if you check your guide.
In the grandiose thoughts of cartoons, who can help but first look to Disney, and their massive conglomeration of television shows that honestly, to me, are strictly for entertainment purposes. An older child may easily get wrapped up in Phineas and Ferb, tweens Zack and Cody, and various other shows that are not suitable for the younger child. Disney has always done best with that age group. As the preschooler views a preview of a show it may look good, but in actuality, the show is either too graphic, or too mature for the little ones. Let's face facts, Bambi was great until his mother got shot. I am all for the reality of death, but that was a scary way to depict it too a young child.
I do agree that Disney does have some educational programming suited for the young child on the Disney Channel, early mornings are best with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Mickey is still counting, and enjoying pretend with all of his pals. I also love the show, Little Einsteins, that teaches fine art, composers, and music, through imaginative ways, with a similar format each segment. I am not bashing Disney completely for their illusions of princess grandeur, a prince coming to awaken me with a kiss, or magical illusions of fantasy. There are a few shows with educational based content for the young child.
When it comes down to what are the best shows for young children to enjoy, I often think of Noggin which is now Nick Jr, a sister network of Nickelodeon. These networks focus on programming for the young child. Children favorites like Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, and Blue's Clues are character based educational shows which teach counting, Spanish language, animal habitats, and much more. Character shows with life lessons, and morals such as Backyardigans; also, the new show Bubble Guppies is also extremely addictive to young children. Nick Jr. airs preschool lessons disguised as commercial breaks with network mascot Moose A. Moose, which are also a favorite with parents as he teaches shapes and colors. They have been exploring music and arts with a new network exclusive band called The Fresh Beat Band which lends a music break with their videos during commercial time as well as a 30 minute show. Their young child programming is 24 hours a day on Nick Jr., and you can also view it on Nickelodeon at certain times of the day, which graduates to programming for the older child or young teen after 6 p.m.
Nickelodeon is also the home of Spongebob Squarepants. An adult will either love him, or hate him. In the grand scheme of the cartoon mania, that irritating little sponge with that laughter that permeates every last nerve can be quite entertaining for kids. When I face facts, even a 9 or 10 year old child who has never watched this show, has learned how to be irritating most like Spongebob. Most parents I have polled do not agree with the character of Patrick the Starfish, and how he is portrayed as a little bit dense, but let us face the facts, in reality, this type of character does exist. I feel that the writers have created a superb friendship lesson with the dynamic between Patrick and Spongebob. Everyone needs a friend through thick and thin. It doesn't matter how weird and crazy you are. Connecting with another is all that matters. I believe there are lessons to be learned regarding friendship, and the dynamics of it, even through Spongebob. What can I say, he grows on you over time.
When we are discussing what characters you may love or hate, another comes to mind, and that is Barney and Friends. That dinosaur has his popularity among younger kids, and has a song for everything. You cannot discuss educational programming without Barney. He is fun, big, and purple. Barney airs on networks where you also will find the classic Sesame Street.
Sprout network, an additional superb educational resource is a network developed for preschool aged children. Sesame Street and Play with Me Sesame are fabulous programming for young children, and I must say, it will take you back to your childhood as some of the segments are actually the same exact ones we viewed long ago. You also will find classic Mister Rogers Neighborhood, some additional shows like the young Caillou, and of course Curious George.
One thing is for sure, whether soothing a colicky baby, or rewarding a young child for good behavior with television time, there will always be something to watch. Cable programming with exclusive networks aimed at children's interests are the normal today. I guess they realized that children are important too. There is no longer a wait for Saturday morning. Saturday is every day when it comes to children's programming. The choices are endless, so let's choose correctly with educational based content rich programming, because as adults we know that the illusion of a prince will never come, but education is a lifetime achievement.
Author: Lisa Troglin
Alexa Media Group, Inc.
Kids...Which Shows Might Actually Be Good? by Lisa Troglin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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