Everyone who either knows me or reads my articles typically know I recently had a baby, okay maybe not that recently he is about to be one. At any rate he is moving into toddlerhood, and like most moms I want to start teaching my son important things like counting and his alphabet. It helps to teach children their language skills, which they will need for the rest of their lives. Sure they are talking now and saying a few cute little words, but watching educational shows with your child and reading to them are probably two of the best ways they will learn. It makes it extra fun for them when you interact with them either during the shows or after, and some things they will pick up on quicker.
One of my favorite ones that does both teach him his alphabet and counting, also teaches him so much more. Sesame Street which has been a staple in children’s homes since 1969. Sesame street also teaches them about friendship, sharing, manners, and being healthy. I grew up on Sesame Street and am pretty confident in the messages in the show. There are a lot of new characters since I was a kid watching it but it seems more entertaining and fun.
Next on my list would have to be Super Why, this one you can see on your local PBS station or on the Sprout network. The main character is a superhero named Wyatt, he and his three superhero readers change stories and solve word puzzles. It keeps the children engaged in the progress of the story. During the half hour program they solve problems using popular nursery rhymes and poems. The characters are fun and realistic.
The one my son seems to like the most has very minimal puppet activity and has live characters. Zaboomafoo is a PBS show that teaches children about animals in the jungle and such. The Kratt brothers show the children a different animal each day and teaches them such things as what they eat, where they live, and how they interact with their fellow species. They also teach the children not to go near animals that don’t know them unless someone tells them it is okay. It is very informative and the songs are magical to little ears.
One of his other favorites is one that has been around for quite some time and has been redone many times, once including live children that all of our parents remember with fondness. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse plays every day on the Disney channel and their show has become quite intoxicating for the little ones. You remember all of the characters from your childhood, and the songs are even more fun to sing this time around. Every episode gives the children a new problem to solve with the club and at the end of the show they alway’s do the hot dog dance. There is tons of counting, and using of the alphabet, but one of the most fun things is it keeps the kids active with jumping, hopping, and dancing.
The fifth and final one on my list is the Goodnite show,which airs on the Sprout network and runs for three hours at a time. They won’t like all the shows that are shown but they will have their favorites. They show a few different shows throughout the night and also teach the kids sign language, sing songs, show how to make crafts and talk about different subjects through the night such as seasons or families. Nina and Star are the host’s of the show and their voices are soothing as well as songs that are entertaining.