Shows
We enjoy allowing our children to watch fun shows at strategic times in the day. Currently they watch a short show after they have set the table for dinner up until I have finished cooking the meal. It can last anywhere between 20-30min.
Some of our favorite shows include:
- • The Donut Man
- ○ Found on YouTube. Our favorites include:
- ○ Barnyard Fun
- ○ At the Zoo
- ○ The Repair Shop
- • If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
- ○ Found on Prime and The Jebo House Media Library
- ○ Side note: After watching all the seasons 3+ times, two things started to bug me: 1) the characters' high-pitch voices (especially Dog's) became an irritation, and 2) Mouse's dramatic catchphrase: "it's ruined... forever!" Thankfully the girls never adopted this phrase, but it was still extra drama they didn't need in their vocabulary.
- • Curious George
- ○ Found on Peacock Kids and The Jebo House Media Library
- ○ As a parent, I thoroughly enjoy this show and learn so much from it. So far we haven't encountered any scientific ideas or language that teach Evolution. Each episode covers such diverse topics that I plan to, one day, create a file where I can easily search for a desired topic that corresponds to what we're learning that week or per a child's request. (stay tuned!)
- • Zoboomafoo
- ○ Found on Youtube
- ○ This show was created in 1999 and was a fond part of my childhood. The Kratt brothers are hilarious and informative as they meet different animals in each segment. Zabu the Lemur, their puppet side-kick, is a highlight.
- ○ Fun Fact: Zabu frequently exclaims "Mangatsika!" when referring to an amazing fact or animal. It is the Madagascar word for "cold" or "cool."
About two years ago, we tried Vooks for one year. The girls enjoyed the gentle animation as the narrator read the story. By now they have more book titles, however at the time the selection was small and very obscure which required extra effort on my part to preview books ahead of time. We then moved on to the Yoto Player which we love.
Musicals
Recently in the last year, we introduced our kids to some of my favorite songs from classical musicals. I even showed the movie clip of the songs via Youtube. (See our playlist HERE). They were hooked! Then we started a more official "movie night," where we watched the musicals in their entirety – it took about two nights because of our limited time in the evening. We fast-forward any scary or slow parts. I love watching their faces light-up with recognition when one of their favorite songs is about to play in the movie.
Our favorites included:
- • White Christmas
- • The Sound of Music
- • Hello, Dolly!
- • Mary Poppins
- • Singin' in the Rain
- • Easter Parade
- • The Music Man
- • Summer Stock
This has been a fun family memory sharing my favorite musicals that I grew up watching. We would even listen to the soundtracks while driving. Such a sweet simple way to have family time.
