Kids' Shows - My Children's Childhoods

 

When our girls were little, I liked to watch TV with them.  Even as a grownup I still loved children's shows, and the girls gave me an excuse to see the newer ones.  I have to admit that a lot of the children's shows we watched were a lot better than when I was a child.  Those shows from my childhood were all great, but children's educational programming has really grown since then.

One night we were talking about the shows that they enjoyed as small children, and I got to thinking of some of my favorites of their shows.  While they loved a lot of the more popular shows of the time - including Blues Clues, the Wiggles, and the ever-present Sesame Street - there were a few that weren't as well known, but still extremely entertaining...even for me:

 

Oobi

To me, this is THE best show for very young children.  It's soft, sweet, not too silly (if you can get past the fact that the characters are literally just hands), with a clean humor that even parents can appreciate.  Each show had 2 episodes: first there was a story, with a couple of bits with the characters talking to actual children, followed by a simple game for the viewers to play as well.  Oobi, Uma, Kako and Grampu were so loved in our home that they still love them now.

Backyardigans

This show allows children to realize that they can visit anyplace in the world, right in their own back yards, with just a little imagination.  Tyrone, Pablo, Tasha, Austin & Uniqua bring children into their adventures, but the best part is the music.  Each episode is an understated lesson in different genres of music, from Disco to Surf Rock to Irish Folk to Raï (which I had never even HEARD of 'til I heard it here).

 

Jack's Big Music Show

Again, this one teaches the importance of music in a child's life, but it's more overt.  Jack, his best friend Mary, and his dog Mal, play together in Jack's musical clubhouse, have a little band, play games, and meet all kinds of interesting characters...and let's not forget the Schwartsman Quartet!

 

The Upside-Down Show

This Australian gem is nothing but pure, unadulterated silliness.  Shane and David, and their friend Puppet - and the "schmuzzies" - encourage audience participation with their wondrous Remote that they "pass" to the child & encourage them to hit the buttons they suggest...often having them hit the "wrong" button, to hilarious results.

 

Wonder Pets!

Linny the Guinea Pig, Tuck the Turtle, and Ming-Ming the duckling were class pets, quietly living their lives in their cages.  However, once class was out and..."The phone...the phone is ringing..." gets sung, they become the Wonder Pets, rescuing various animals from unfortunate situations.  While they teach about animals and their habitats, they also teach about teamwork.

 

Max & Ruby/Charlie & Lola

I'm putting these two together because they're somewhat similar.  Both concern an older sibling with a younger sibling and their sibling situations.  Max & Ruby are rabbits where the sister is older; Charlie & Lola are British humans where the brother is older.  Sometimes the older sibling has to show great patience with their annoying younger one, and sometimes the older one will get a little patronizing (especially Ruby), but in the end, the love is there.

 

Bear In the Big Blue House

Bear is large and exceedingly gentle, and takes care of his friends in his Big Blue House: Ojo, a little bear; Tutter the mouse; Pip & Pop the otters, and Treelo the lemur.  Every episode had Shadow perform a shadow-puppet skit, and every episode ended with Bear sharing the ending song with Luna the moon.  The girls loved it when, near the beginning of every episode, Bear would "sniff" for them.

Some Honorable Mentions:  Lazytown; Tweenies; Brum; Koala Brothers; Pingu; Dragontales.