momma2three Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Anyone remember Square 1? That was the best. I wish they had more like that now. Maybe it's just nostalgia speaking, but I feel like the PBS kids shows were a lot better when I was a kid. There were more for older kids, and I like live action more than cartoons. I know that cartoons are cheaper, and it's easier for them to sell merchandise for them, which is why they're pretty much all cartoons now. But I think shows like Reading Rainbow and 3-2-1 Contact were a lot more educational than shows like Curious George or Martha Speaks, and a lot more interesting to the over-4 crowd, too. I'm dubious about the actual educational content in either of those, though the part of Curious George where real kids do projects is interesting. I don't get who Electric Company is aimed at either. It's a show about teenagers (and I'm positive the actors register as adults to my little kids) and the plots are all pretty complex and involve the sort of social bullying and cliques you'd find in middle school and above. But the skills they're teaching are for 5 and 6 year olds. I guess I'm uptight, but I don't really want my 5 year old watching adults interact in cliquish and petty ways in the name of education. Some of the sketches are cute, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weddell Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 We've been in India for the last year and my kids at still watching PBS shows that we saved on the DVR. My 3 year old is obsessed with Super Why. He will be going to a Montessori group starting next month and needed a backpack. He INSISTED that it be Super why. Can I find a super why backpack, of course not. It looks like they stopped making them a couple years ago. I managed to convert a different backpack with our printer and some fabric paint. He is wearing his super why backpack constantly and now has the "power to read" because of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Michelle* Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 I guess I'm uptight, but I don't really want my 5 year old watching adults interact in cliquish and petty ways in the name of education. Some of the sketches are cute, though. I feel the same about Arthur. We watched one episode and I was aghast at the emotional manipulation and bullying in that show. Later, I read NurtureShock and saw the author came to the same conclusion. Part of why we're homeschooling is to keep our kids from being exposed to that. I don't need them picking it up from a cartoon instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spock Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 I love Sesame Street. I don't like Wild Kratts--I think for no other reason than I did like the original show the Kratt brothers did (Zoobumafu [sp?]) years ago and I'm not a huge fan of the animated part of the new one. I don't think it's a bad show, I think it's just my personal bias! Actually, Zaboomafoo (I'm not sure how to spell it either) wasn't their first show. The first show was called Kratt's Creatures, and my now adult sons loved it as preschoolers and elementary schoolers. Zaboomafoo came out when I was pregnant with my now 11.5yo, and I never did like it as well as Kratt's Creatures. I do like Wild Kratts, but it still doesn't measure up to Kratt's Creatures for me. Since my kids are aged 10.5-19, our favorites won't line up with most of the favorites here. We love Arthur (even the 19yo occasionally watches). The "little" ones like Curious George and Martha Speaks. We liked the early Barney episodes (when my now 18 & 19 yo were little), but don't like the ones available now or when my current "littles" were the age for Barney. We liked early Sesame Street, but not the current one (though mine are all too old for it, anyway). When my little ones were younger, they liked Word Girl, but they are too old for it now. We very much dislike Sid the Science Kid--even at a preschool level, he really doesn't know much at all about science. Why does he go around talking about how scientific he is? All of mine knew that level of science by their 3rd birthday. (But, maybe mine were just unusually interested in science. Nova and Nature were favorite toddler/preschool and up shows here, even though they didn't always understand much). Bill Nye the Science Guy was our number one favorite show, but it is only available online, and then only a few episodes (unless you want to pay an exorbitant price for public school packages that include teacher materials). My daughter sometimes watches Angelina Ballerina and Betsy something--about a kindergartener. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Squirrels Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 (edited) DD goes through phases with which shows are her favorites. Currently she's been picking DragonTales, Arthur, Dinosaur Train, and Wonder Pets (Is that PBS? We don't have tv/cable, just netflix, so I'm not sure) So far I've kept her from ever seeing Barney. I'm not even giving it a chance! For me, I don't mind most of them other than getting the dang catchy songs stuck in my head all the time. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd say Word World or Dinosaur Train. Least favorite would probably be Arthur or The cat in the hat. Angelina Ballerina is the worst children's TV show I've ever seen. :glare: I have no idea who decided a show aimed at preschoolers full of bratty, whiny, bullying, nasty little characters was a good idea. I admit I was only sort of paying attention to it while it was on, because it seemed so cute and quaint. But then I actually was watching a full episode one day and realized that show was exactly where DD was getting every single one of her rude, pre-teenagerish mannerisms and phrases that had suddenly been popping up. AWFUL show, and whenever I a friend starts complaining about how her DD is acting recently my first question is "has she been watching Angelina Ballerina lately?" And 4 out of 4 times, the answer has been "yes, actually." Is this just the older ones that are like this? My mom has a couple of those but I've only seen bits and pieces. We have some of the newer ones and I haven't noticed any of that. They all have more positive messages like learning to work together or that everyone is different and that's good. I haven't seen bullying, rudeness, or any phrases I wouldn't want her repeating. I'll have to watch one of the others next time we're at my mom's in case I need to ban those ones. Angelina Ballerina is one of DD's all time favorites. She has a few costumes and is always pretending to be her. She wants to be a dancer because of AB. She was so excited the day they started learning arabesque's in dance class because Angelina does them. Edited May 16, 2012 by CPSTAnne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 My kids like: Arthur, Dinosaur Train, Wild Kratts and World Girl. (they do not watch all of these every day. They have 1 hour of tv time a day, so it depends on when they are home and who gets to choose the show what they watch) They do not like: Clifford, Super Why, Martha Speaks, and are waaaay past Barney. They never got in to Sesame Street. And I didn't encourage it. I don't like Sesame Street at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raceNzanesmom Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Wild Kratts is a favorite here. We DVR it. :D Least fave is probably Sesame Street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raceNzanesmom Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Bill Nye the Science Guy was our number one favorite show, but it is only available online, and then only a few episodes (unless you want to pay an exorbitant price for public school packages that include teacher materials). Bill Nye is showing on our local PBS station at 5 a.m. I've DVR'd over 40 episodes. :D You can watch some of them here too. http://www.gamequarium.org/dir/SqoolTube_Videos/Science/Bill_Nye_Videos/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfamilygal Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Favs: Wild Kratts, Zoboomafoo, Word Girl, Cyberchase Least: Caillou (I so want to see the epidsode where his mom lets him know it is NOT all about him and serves him a nice tall glass of "shut the heck up".) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyB Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 My younger likes Curious George and Wild Kratts. My older likes Sci Girls and Electric Company. They both dislike Cyber Chase, Arthur, and Word Girl. Our PBS station doesn't even show Barney anymore! If that's not worth a donation to the station, I don't know what is. It's better than a tote bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slackermom Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 DD and I both like Fetch, Wild Kratts, and Word Girl. We disagree on Electric Company (I dislike the interaction between the people on the show) and Martha Speaks (it's just not interesting to me). She's going to be crushed when she finds out Fetch is cancelled. She was planning to audition for the show in a few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Anyone remember Square 1? That was the best. I wish they had more like that now. Maybe it's just nostalgia speaking, but I feel like the PBS kids shows were a lot better when I was a kid. There were more for older kids, and I like live action more than cartoons. I know that cartoons are cheaper, and it's easier for them to sell merchandise for them, which is why they're pretty much all cartoons now. Square One! And 3-2-1 Contact! Bloodhound Gang! Even though it was really, really weird, I also kind of liked Wishbone. I mean, it was Teletubbies level weird, but for older kids. And am I the only one who remembers Ghostwriter? Another thing that was cheezy, but it was intended to teach reading comprehension skills and was kind of cool. Ooh, and for those of us who like lists... And how could I have forgotten Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma2three Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Square One! And 3-2-1 Contact! Bloodhound Gang! Even though it was really, really weird, I also kind of liked Wishbone. I mean, it was Teletubbies level weird, but for older kids. And am I the only one who remembers Ghostwriter? Another thing that was cheezy, but it was intended to teach reading comprehension skills and was kind of cool. Ooh, and for those of us who like lists... And how could I have forgotten Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?!? I loved Wishbone! It was a fantastic show. When I read Hirsch about the idea of cultural knowledge and having a relationship to a cannon of literature, and the WTM about pretty much the same thing, the first thing I thought of was Wishbone. My little sister watched Ghostwriter, and she loved it. I think I was a little old for it. Of course, I was too old for Wishbone... but seriously, that was the best show ever! I saw some episodes at the supermarket and got them for my kids, but my kids just thought they were weird and scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momma2three Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 I liked all of those early ones but I think Fetch! and etc are just as good. I think Fetch is as good, but I don't think the cartoony ones are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakfast Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 i think is My little ones love Barney. They do have a lot of good learning programs on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 DD pretty much likes all the shows but her favorites are Curious George (she has at last count 10 dvds and watches it on PBS when she's home and awake), Word World (hey she's learning to recognize her letters!), Clifford and Cat in the Hat. She doesn't like Barney (watched an old movie at Grandma's because Barney is banned from my house and sight) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Oh, I think Fetch is just as good... but it's off the line up... :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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