I'm very, very picky about what my 2.5 year-old daughter, Abbey, watches on TV.
There are specific criteria for shows I approve for her: there must be some educational element, definitely no presenters who 'talk down' to kids, and very importantly it must not be too annoying for me (which rules out a lot!).
I haven't tried to find too many shows, though, as we also have strict limits on TV time (she can watch one show or, on occasion, one movie per day - maximum).
And so we haven't come across the CBeebies channel - until now.
The second series of the new CBeebies show, Get Squiggling, was a hit with Abbey. Squiglet lives in a white world, but it doesn't stay that way for long. He draws lots of pictures, which come to life and make life fun, with a new character in each episode.
The show features a combination of animation, and real children (in different segments), talking and singing, which keeps kids interested and learning. Learning? I hear you ask. How? Squiglet's drawings come in the form of mini-tutorials, explaining how to draw various simple shapes and lines. Along the way, they encourage viewers (it's aimed at preschool age children) to grab some paper and 'squiggle sticks' (pencils) and join in - a great way to use television as a more interactive form of entertainment.
Abbey did just that:
Abbey drew her way through each show, thrilled with herself at each effort.
And I'm happy to have found another show that's high quality and geared thoughtfully towards her age group. Best of all, it meets all my criteria - educational, smart, 'non-annoying', and short.
It's a win/win really.
Get Squiggling will air on the Foxtel/Austar CBeebies channel on weekdays at 8.30am, from July 4. Find out more on their website.
Are you a CBeebies fan? What's your favourite show of theirs? If not, what shows do and don't you allow your kids to watch?
[Disclaimer - I am being paid by Kidspot to write this post in order to promote CBeebies Get Squiggling. However, my views are not bought - everything I have written is my own opinion.]
18 comments:
Love it. We're pretty strict with TV time and I prefer shows that inspire her imagination or teach something. Will definitely be checking this one out.
I love that Abbey was getting involved!! How cool!
That show sounds terrific. We haven't introduced tv - yet - into my year and a half year olds life. When? How? It's all so tricky. I'd be happy for her never to watch tv, really, but it seems so unlikely as it's such a big part of our lives these days. It sounds as though you guys have some very sensible ideas. Kellie xx
Megan
We have Foxtel but don't normally watch CBeebies. My kids are 6 and 4 so are more interested in Disney Junior and Nick Jnr. My daughter, already quite a competent artist would love to see that show. Just to convince her brother is the hard part. Having one of each is difficult sometimes! LOL
Anne @ Domesblissity
This show looks interesting. We don't have foxtel so I don't know much about cbeebies. I'm quite tough on tv time too - it's a wind down activity at ours. We have a DVD of S' favourite show "Pocoyo" who I swear is a cartoon version of him and most of the ABC2 shows after 5 aren't too bad though I tend to tweet through them if we're watching them so as to avoid the annoying to me factor! :) We like Play School around here too.
I LOVE that she was drawing along. I remember reading a post at Childhood 101 about drawing for/with your kids, about not always drawing the same identical tree/house so that they do not think there is one correct way to draw something. I like anything that encourages this mentality. Drawing is not my strength and so I'm keen to learn along with my kids! I need tutorials such as this.
My friend gets Animal Planet DVD's out for her 4 year old to watch. She said it keeps him enthralled and he learns. She did warn that it can be a bit "real" at times with animals hunting and the rest!
i feel like i should ask, what do you and abbey do in the mean time of watching 1hour of tv? does she read by herself? Seems like a lot of together time... do you get sick of it?
I grew up with no tv in the house.
I over compensate now, we have 3 IQ's... So I am trying not to restrict their TV so much that they end up addicted like me!
I only let my kids watch TV with no ads. Somewhere along the way I realised the ads are most damaging. All those crappy food ads and toys they don't need!
My 4yo only really likes Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (on Disney Jnr - he really has free reign during TV time on that channel but barely watches any other programs) and Thomas (on DVD). My younger boy has no interest in TV at all but I've been trying to get him to watch Sesame ST so I can have a free 1/2 hour to get stuff done.
Just goes to show, sometimes they are more discerning than we give them credit for.
Abbey did an amazing job for her age, too! I wish we had access to that here in the States. The art teacher at our school would love the opportunity to share ideas, I'm sure.
i watch CBB and my baby niece does to...Get Squiggling is good but my niece favorite its In the Night Garden (she's 2 now) and yes i would consider my niece as a cbb little fan :D
Wow! She's soooooooooo cute!!
I'll have to look and see if that show is on our cable system. Sounds like a good one.
Our little mister doesn't watch much TV, but occasionally watches Super Why which is on PBS and teaches kids about the power of reading. But his favorite show is on NickJr. It is called the Fresh Beat Band. It isn't really "educational," other than explaining to kids about music, friendship and such. It is a group of 'supposed' college students(?) who go to "music school" and just sing a lot and figure out how to accomplish things they want to do. It used to annoy me, but now I find myself singing the songs when it isn't on and I'm working around the house. LOL.
Love Abbey's drawings. :D
I have a baby sister and we like to watch Cbeebies with her.
I have quite a different opinion to you in that I can't stand Get Squiggling. What is wrong with calling a pencil or a crayon exactly that?! Why a squigglestick?
However, I am a huge fan of Tinga Tinga Tales - a programme which recently stopped showing on Cbeebies. It's an animated version of the Just So stories we read as children and the theme tune is brilliant. I highly recommend trying to find a DVD :)
I've seen the show you mentioned too (I have a 8month old sister). It is fun and creative, but I don't feel like other shows are that much worse. ok she can't join in with other shows, but programs in genral on cbeebies offer good lessons (64 zoo lane and another one about birds in a tree teach to share, to be kind and other valuable life lessons, which to me are much more important than learning to draw).
I think tv is unfairly pushed aside because of it's addictiveness, and in my oppinion a kid should be free to let their imagination run wild. I mean, if a child did nothing but read for alot of the day, I don't think most parents would complain, but how many books offer such basic life lessons as be polite to others.
Just my oppinion, I randomly flicked onto your blog and found it an enjoyable read.
We love TV shows that get the kids thinking, or involved, or active in some way, so Get Squiggling is perfect. Both Miss 6 and Master 2 love the colourful Squiglet, and we have a pile of drawings inspired by the show... now, what to do with them all, my eternal quandary...
We had a local show similar to this as i was growing up, it was called Pappy Land, and pappy drew it, he drew all of pappy land. His brushes and pencils would talk as he was drawing and would encourage viewers to draw along. This show had a losting impact on me it was one of my favorites and drew a passion for art out of me and my sisters, we would spend hours drawing even hours after the show was over. What a great choice for Abbey.
I just rencently started reading your blog and I love it! Im only 20 and do not have any kids. But I did workbin a daycare and early childhood education is my passion. Your parenting styles are amazing and your daughter seems like she would be Heavan sent to a day care. I like that you are very involed with all aspcets of her development. It's very important for a young childbto have such a positive role model like you are to Abbey! Keep up the great work as your are helping yur young daugter become the great member of society she wil be in the future! :)
Well, I'm not a mom yet (and probably won't be for quite a few years) but I do have a bit of an opinion on the whole kids and TV thing. Personally, I think it's great that your kid is watching good quality TV instead of the stuff that a lot of kids watch these days. It's nice to see that there are parents out there that actually care about what they're kids are watching because I feel like in this society parents like you are a hard to find. I know a lot of young kids that watch shows that I watch on TV (like the Jersey Shore for example). My mom teaches 2nd grade and some of her kids have seen the movie 300, now I love intense movies like that but even parts of 300 get too graphic for me. There's no way I would let my 8 year old watch it. I think that kids are exposed to pop culture way too early these days and it's really nice to see that some parents are trying to control that! :)
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