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• George Carlin dies

  Comedy just got a little less funny. Also, Thomas the Tank Engine needs a new narrator. George Carlin passed away on Sunday at the age of 71. According to Bloomberg News, the cause was heart failure. Carlin had, in my opinion, one of the weirder... Read More... Posted Jun 23 2008, 12:05 PM by Brett Singer with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: youtube, celebrity, news, children's television, video, Google, football, Baseball, death, thomas the tank engine, george carlin, Brett Singer, rip, shining time station, seven dirty words

• It's a neighborly day here on the 'Derby

  Mr. Rogers was a huge part of my childhood. To this day I can sing the theme song, and the basic lessons he taught about being kind to people and staying forever intrigued by the world around you are absolutely ingrained in my psyche. (Yes, I still get annoyed from time to time. We're none of us perfect, as Mr. Rogers taught us. So be tolerant, dammit!) Mental Floss has a list titled "15 Reasons Mister Rogers Was the Best Neighbor Ever." Some things I knew... Read More... Posted Jun 05 2008, 06:00 PM by Brett Singer with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: PBS, children's television, blogs, mr rogers, lists, fred rogers, Brett Singer, classic TV, great stuff, public broadcasting, links, classic television

• Giveaway: Win "The Muppet Show: Season 3" DVD!

  There are a few different ways to watch The Muppet Show: The Complete Third Season. You can view it as a freakish collection of pop-culture oddities: Gilda Radner singing Gilbert and Sullivan with a seven-foot-tall carrot, Sly Stallone sparring with a talking punching bag. You can look at it as a record of great live performances by the likes of Pearl Bailey and Danny Kaye, or a tribute to forgotten stars like Leo Sayer and Elke Sommer. You can see it as an an absurd backstage soap opera, following Kermit's struggles to keep his show afloat while Fozzie enters group therapy and Piggy threatens her romantic rivals. But I'd recommend watching it as a child would: Laugh when the Swedish Chef is outsmarted by his own dough. Smile at the unexpected beauty of the African masks singing backup to Harry Belafonte. Let yourself believe the puppets are alive. Season Three is the best Muppet Show collection yet, with fantastic bonus features perfect for family viewing (including a 1968 special called "Muppets on Puppets," which explains the art and process of puppeteering). And we have three to give away! Email babblecontest@gmail.com with your full name, mailing address, and the name of your favorite Muppet, and we'll pick three winners at random. And if you don't win, you can still pick up the set for $32.99 at Amazon. Good luck! -- Gwynne Watkins UPDATE: The contest is closed and we have 3 winners -- congratulations to Tracey from Ontario (favorite Muppet: Fozzie), Maribeth from Quentin PA (favorite Muppet: Rizzo) and Jeanette from Santa Monica (favorite Muppet: Rowlf)! Posted May 30 2008, 10:00 AM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: tv, children's television, DVD, nostalgia, muppets, Kermit, Babble Review, giveaway, babble contest, review, classic TV, muppet show, dvd review

• Turns Out TV Boosts IQ

  Now here's a study that just makes my day: children who watch at least four hours of television a day see at least a 10-point jump in IQ, and later, in SAT scores. It doesn’t matter whether the TV is educational or not, either – researchers from the Society for Lenient Childrearing found that it was time in front of the screen, not the content of the programming, that made the difference. "To our surprise, we found that exposure to everything from Little Einsteins to mommy's stories had a salutary effect," said lead researcher Dora Marquez. "The take-home message from this is that parents should watch whatever TV they wish, for as long as they wish, and not worry about what their children are doing."   Read More... Posted Apr 01 2008, 01:03 PM by AmyinMotown with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: tv, children's television, obesity, IQ, april fool's day, high fructose corn syrup, SATs

• Old, Dorky, Great

  Mr. Rogers is a dork and even my kids, on some level, get this. But I like him because of his dorkiness and they like him in spite of it. So here's to another 40 years of his dorky goodness. The series "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" premiered Feb. 19, 1968. It's 40th birthday is being feted around Pittsburgh and will include a re-assembled Neighborhood of Make Believe set at its home, WQED. A Mr. Rogers Sweater Drive has also been planned.   Read More... Posted Feb 20 2008, 04:37 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: PBS, kids television, children's television, mr. rogers, fred rogers, mr. rogers' neighborhood

• Mom Likes Sick Kids and Lice

  An AlphaMummy at the Times lists all the stuff she thought she would hate about parenting but turns out to have enjoyed. I'm so not relating. I mean, she lists "taking care of sick kids" at No. 1. I would say that's one of the things I wasn't looking forward too, and for good reason: it's far worse than I ever imagined (Mommy's a little sleep-sensitive.) What else has unexpectedly brought her joy:   Read More... Posted Feb 09 2008, 05:29 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: children's television, co-sleeping, sick kids, Alpha Mom, laundry, bath time, alpha moms, lice, Clifford, Arthur, parenting surprises

• The Harrrd, Harrd Life of a Kids-Show Writer

  When I moved back to Pennsylvania a year and a half ago from warmer/drier/higher climes, there was an online acquaintance in the area who expressed an interest in meeting me face-to-face sometime. Great! It was nice feeling a bit welcomed here. But a year and a half later we've still yet to meet. I will blame it on the fact that he's the writer for the Pokemon TV show (and does some of the voices), and that, combined with being a single full-time dad of two, means He Has No Personal Life. Which is completely consistent with last week's American Public Media Marketplace report on the hard hard life of children's TV writers. Seriously! And this is why it's hard (one, two, three: awww!):   Read More... Posted Jan 23 2008, 04:27 PM by Karen Murphy with | with no comments Filed under: television, children's television, writers, writing, pokemon

• Buddy G: The Boy We've All Been Waiting For

  Wouldn't it be great if all those wildly creative gay boys we've come to depend on to produce all that is funny and interesting and edgy in theatre today would take a moment to create one--just one--funny, interesting, and edgy show for and about the kids their boring friends and ex-boyfriends are accumlating at such an impressive rate? I'll keep dreaming.  And while I am, my daughter will be watching episodes of the newly-minted DVD Buddy G, My Two Moms and Me. Read More... Posted Nov 23 2007, 10:54 AM by Erin White with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: children's television, Buddy G, Caillou

• Bring Da Funk, Bunnies!

  Fans of Noggin's "Jack's Big Music Show" — and seriously, if you're not, what precisely is wrong with you? – will want to check out the new show "Bunnytown" on the Disney Channel. Spiffy Pictures, the production team behind "Jack," worked with the UK's Baker Coogan to make "Bunnytown," which intersperses scenes of the puppet bunnies with live action sketches of Peopletown, where the bunnies observe their human counterparts. Read More... Posted Nov 13 2007, 07:11 PM by AmyinMotown with | with no comments Filed under: children's television, noggin

• Peppa Pig and the Adorable Accent

  Oh, British children's cartoons, what is it about you? Granted, I have slight Anglophile tendencies, but if an animated cat starts talking about prams and teatime, I'm totally mesmerized.  When I was in London earlier this year, I made my husband sit through an entire episode of Postman Pat, during which absolutely nothing happened except that cute clay characters puttered around being British. So I'm pleased to present the latest UK cartoon import: Peppa Pig, which comes to DVD today. Normally, this much grunting and burping in a children's cartoon might get to me, but in this case, the accents make it worthwhile.  At least, for the duration of this clip.  Anybody out there actually seen the show?   Posted Sep 25 2007, 11:46 AM by Gwynne Watkins with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: children's television, DVDs, peppa pig

• Things Fall Apart: It's a Lead, Lead World

  My three-year old has taken to watching "It's a Big, Big World." It comes on right after Teletubbies, which means I have an hour of uninterrupted blogging time if I can stand an hour of existentialist/acid trippy/environmentalist children's public television. Which I can, because, after all, an hour of uninterrupted blogging time? Punctuated by the occasional procurement of snacks? I can live with that. Read More... Posted Sep 16 2007, 02:18 PM by Karen Murphy with | with no comments Filed under: toys, PBS, children's television, recall, mattel, things fall apart, it's a big big world, fisher priceer-price

• Puff the Magic Dragon Beat Down

  I promise this is the last time I post about anything related to "Flight of the Conchords." This week. But something very odd happened yesterday. I picked up a miniature dragon from a toy bin and instead of flashing on images of Puff and his weird-ass predilection for little boys and ceiling wax, I immediately thought of the modern version: Albi. Albi the Racist Dragon. God I love this show. They should update more children's tales. Posted Aug 27 2007, 11:09 AM by Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: children's television

• Super Secret Super Spy Sounds Super Fly

  Fans of Pablo, Uniqua, Tasha, Tyrone, and Austin, get ready to set your DVRs. An hour-long The Backyardigans movie, Super Secret Super Spy, will premiere on Nickelodeon on Monday, September 17 at 7:00 PM. The DVD will hit stores the next day. Set to a jazz soundtrack, the movie will send the five friends to London, Miami, Switzerland, and the Caribbean. In the upcoming weeks, Nick Jr.'s website will feature activities, crafts, and online games inspired by the movie. But the coolest thing about the movie is... Read More... Posted Aug 24 2007, 01:22 PM by ChagHolland with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: children's television, Nick Jr., nickelodeon, backyardigans

• Dora v. Diego

  Forget the Stones/Beatles, Yankees/Sox, or Ashlee/Jessica Simpson debates. There really are only two types of people in this world: Diego people and Dora people. After carefully examining the two, Alyssa at MommyBlogsToronto declared Diego the winner. I must respectfully disagree. Don't get me wrong, Diego's got a lot going for him... Read More... Posted Aug 22 2007, 01:35 PM by ChagHolland with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: children's television, Dora, cartoon characters

• Mr. Rogers: 15 Reasons He's Still Relevant (and Awesome)

  Mr. Rogers is one of those very few people that, whenever I think about him, I miss him so much. My kids have recently started watching the reruns and they're enthralled, and I'm reminded all over again that there once existed a man with no irony, no posing, who was just purely nice. I wish I could make that work for me. Mental Floss's 15 Reasons Why Mr. Rogers Was the Best Neighbor Ever nails it pretty much right on the head.  I wrote about #4, his testimony before the Senate to secure funding for public television, and #6 might be the nicest thing I've ever heard about anyone. And if you've never read them before, don't miss the links to the two Esquire articles toward the bottom of the piece. It's always a beautiful day in the 'hood when Mr. Rogers crosses my mind.   (via Metafilter) Posted Jun 02 2007, 01:57 PM by Patti with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: children's television, mr. rogers

• Kid's Show Hosted By Former Navy SEAL

  Former Navy SEAL David Rutherford has created a show for Boca Raton television called Froglogic. No, it's not a slur against the French or a nod to the retired WB mascot, it's named after the SEALs, who are called "frogmen". Rutherford uses the lessons he learned during his training to help keep kids on the straight-and-narrow. "I teach kids things like, 'never quit, never leave a man behind, there is no such thing as failure,'' he says.  You know, when the kids are doing military exercises and stuff. I totally disagree that there's no such thing as failure, and I can point to about a hundred examples from my own life alone to prove it. But maybe I just haven't had the proper training. I like this: "He targets kids between the ages of 10 and 15 because kids under 10 are too young to get into trouble..." Someone has not met the right under-ten kids yet. But Rutherford is very active in his community, and he is trying to give kids a positive attitude. He's even organizing an event: "'Frogapalooza,' which would feature healthy, local food vendors, music acts and motivational speakers to provide kids with positive influences." Now these pearls aren't part of the SEAL training, but here's my credo: 1) No one is allowed to use '-alooza' anymore, because I'm so friggin' sick of it I can't even stand it, and 2) motivational speakers are usually scary. Worse than clowns, even. Not all, but most. Other than that and the interesting military vibe of all this, more power to you, Rutherford. I'll try and check out the show after my bootcamp exercise class.   Posted Jun 01 2007, 04:48 PM by Kelly Mills with | with no comments Filed under: kids television, children's television, tweens, navy seals, motivation

• PBS Kids Sprout Launches New Afternoon Show

  PBS Kids Sprout, one of cable tv's most popular preschool channels is launching a new, original afternoon block of programming on June 25. Thank god, because when my kids see the Goodnight Show come on at 3 o'clock, they freak out thinking it's time for bed. Airing every afternoon from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. eastern, the new Let's Go Show is designed to "encourage preschoolers to ask questions, be curious about the world around them and participate in a daily musical adventure." Host Miles (played by actor Milton Barnes) and his puppy friend Banjo, an adorable and spirited puppet who loves to play her homemade banjo, will embark each afternoon on a musical journey in their cardboard car, Carla. Miles loves to sing, discover new things and connect with viewers to help them learn through humor, music and interactive play. Always ready for adventure, Banjo represents the wonder, energy and curiosity of a preschooler. PBS (just the regular ol' TV channel) is a favorite in my house because it's what I grew up on. I love their gentle-albeit-sometimes-annoying programming. PBS Kids Sprout is unique because it follows a preschooler's normal day from morning until night (the sinister motives behind this I'll save for another post), and watching a few minutes of the Good Night show is how we usually end our day. We look forward to the new afternoon programming, especially on rainy days or when "Mamma needs to work."   Posted May 09 2007, 06:06 PM by Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) with | with no comments Filed under: PBS, children's television, Let's Go Show, PBS kids sprout

• MythBusters: Just Part of Raising a Geek

  As utter dork parents, we are doing our darndest to make our daughter the kind of kid who will play Dungeons and Dragons, correct her teacher during the physics lesson, join the drama club, and have thick tape holding her glasses together. In other words, we are grooming her for total geekdom. As my better half said recently, "It's gonna make the whole dating thing so much easier on us." Therefore I was pleased to see other parents encouraging the same kind of behavior. Geekdad from the ubergeek source, Wired, put in a plug for kids watching one of our favorite shows, MythBusters. We adore this program because the hosts are appropriately hilarious, cute, and dorky; they encourage experimentation and skepticism; and best of all, they blow lots of shit up. Heh heh, cool. I, like Geekdad, highly recommend this program for all ages. In fact, we just turned my engineer stepfather onto the show, and now he watches it religiously. Explosions and critical thinking for the whole family served up by funny people: what more could you want? I'll also give a shout-out to another one of the dork programs we watch as a unit, called How It's Made. It's a completely straightforward look at how, um, stuff is made. They cover everything from a crayon factory to fish husbandry with the same unflappable delivery and bad puns. It's low tech and literal and Canadian and we like it. See? You can learn things from television. Posted May 07 2007, 08:31 AM by Kelly Mills with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: children's television, family activities, Wired, Mythbusters

• NJ Kids Accidentally Get Porn

  Some New Jersey parents got a nasty surprise when they found the Disney show "Handy Manny" was accidentally switched with some hardcore pornography. Comcast says it is investigating what happened, and claims it was an "isolated issue in a local New Jersey facility." Disney has asked for reassurances that it won't happen again. "Handy Manny" is a show about a handyman and his talking tools. Ahem. Some porn producer out there is probably developing the concept into an actual porn film right now. You get how some technician or whatever just reading show synopses could have made a mistake. "Let's see, I'm looking for that show about the handyman, the one where his tools get into all kinds of trouble and have lots of adventures... Oh, this must be it!" I do feel badly for the kids and parents who tuned into this one. I don't think I'd like to have "the talk" with my daughter because her favorite show was pre-empted by a blue movie. However, I suppose it's better than opening that conversation because you forgot to lock your bedroom door.   Posted May 05 2007, 04:38 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: television, children's television, disney channel, Handy Manny

• And You Thought Watching the Teletubbies Made You Feel Like You Were On Drugs

  While we are a pro-TV household, let’s face it: most kid shows are crap. Oh, the children love their Dora, and god bless television for giving me time to do important things like floss without interruption, but I abhor so much of what is out there. All those insipid storylines, and the morals… After ten minutes of the Berenstain Bears I’m ready to tell my daughter that sharing is bad and lying is just fine as long as she doesn’t get caught. It’s enough to make you want to send them outside to play. I suspect Judy from Bunny Ears TV may have felt the same way in her life. Or maybe she just wants to share these interesting animated shows from different countries with the rest of us. Either way, I spent a good twenty minutes of “work” time watching the trippy and amusing little features. (The violin-playing rams in the intro are really cute.) The animation is charming, and the site is updated every Wednesday with new programs. Plus there’s something about features from around the world that has an educational ring to it. Don’t foreign things always seem more artsy? Look, it’s my responsibility as a mom to expose my child to culture. Anyway, these shows are seriously good, and fun for both kids and adults. Some of the characters are actually grumpy enough for all of us to relate to (Munk and Lemmy is now my favorite program.) So make the popcorn, gather around the computer monitor, and get snuggly. Posted May 01 2007, 12:01 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: animation, children's television, Bunny Ears TV

• Mummenschanz on YouTube: Childhood Nightmares Revisited

  I couldn't quite put my finger on why dance troupe Pilobolus rubbed me the wrong way when they performed on this year's Oscar telecast. But thanks to the magic of the internets, I've figured it out. Swedish mime troupe Mummenschanz terrified me when they were guests on The Muppet Show when I was a little kid, and I promptly repressed them, leaving only a perfectly healthy distaste for mimes in general. Now the memory has been dug from my hippocampus with a rusty spoon thanks to whomever uploaded clips of Mummenschanz's freaky turn with the Muppets. I cannot believe what I had to endure as a child just to get to "Pigs In Space". Clearly, this was the work of talent agents with heavy speedball habits. I can't bring myself to watch all of them, but before I go hide under my comforter with a baseball bat, for god's sake if you have any love at all for your children, send them far, far from the screen and allow me to share the nightmare that was, and is, Mummenschanz:   (via Metafilter)  Posted Apr 25 2007, 09:18 AM by Patti with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: youtube, children's television, metafilter, mummenschanz, childhood fears, the muppet show

• ¿Can You Say Parodia? SNL Skewers "Dora"

  I know in my heart that SNL animator Robert Smigel's take on "Dora The Explorer" would have been funnier to me if Dora and her friends weren't such a serious and integral part of my children's education entertainment. But as it was, I watched this clip with just a little more discomfort than I would have a few years ago when the sum total of my Dora experience was limited to a few moments here and there while babysitting. After reviewing it for questionable content, I let my four-year-old watch it with me. She took it straight, only noting that "that's not the usual Boots". And for her money, that's a girl in the picture FauxDora holds up. I'm going to watch it again later tonight after I come home from Mama's Night Out, and I suspect with a couple of mojitos under my belt, it'll be hilarious.   Via Time's Tuned In blog  Posted Mar 29 2007, 07:31 PM by Patti with | with no comments Filed under: youtube, entertainment, children's television, Time Magazine, dora the explorer

• Happy Birthday, Mr. Rogers

  The Reverend Frederick McFeeley Rogers would have been 79 years old today. A scholar of child development, Rogers changed the course of his career when he decided that network programming was too commercial and violent for children. He tirelessly advocated better and more effective programming for kids, and his long-running public television series "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" was a deceptively simple vehicle for quite sophisticated ideas about what children need. Rogers hid innovative and progressive ideas behind those hand-knit cardigans and moth-eaten puppets, and not just with regard to children--his support of home recording helped make the world safe for video recorders (of course, he just thought families should be able to live their lives according to their own schedule, not the networks'). In 1969, Mr. Rogers testified before a Senate subcommittee in the pursuit of funding for PBS. He wasn't yet the icon he would become, but his honest and passionate explanation of his work to a room full of crotchety old men is worthy of a Frank Capra film, and his successful melting of the senators' hearts secured the future of children's public television.   Posted Mar 20 2007, 11:51 AM by Patti with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: television, youtube, PBS, children's television, mr. rogers

• Berenstain Bears New Lesson? You Don't Want to Know

  I'm beginning to rethink the whole don't-let-your-kid-watch-TV thing. You can miss out on some pretty funny stuff. Sure, it might involve your daughter kissing her brother -- but coming from Cynical Dad, it sounds hilarious. It turns out he caught his kids playing spin the bottle -- and where did they find such a valuable life lesson? The Berenstain Bears. The infamous video was put of reach, though Cynical Dad wondered whether he might yet have use for the bears in the future: I'm sure we'll eventually cross the Bears' path again when we're in need of such titles as The Berenstain Bears: Sister Bear Is A Heather, The Berenstain Bears And The Creepy Instant Messaging Guy, or The Berenstain Bears And Brother Bear's First Spliff.  The post left me wondering about other not-practical-until-middle-school lessons floating around the cartoon world. What's the worst "lesson" you've encountered on children's programming? Posted Mar 11 2007, 05:16 PM by Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: children's books, cartoons, children's television, children's products, berenstain bears, cynical dad

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie? Aren't They 40 By Now?

  My younger cousins loved, LOVED the TMNT -- to the point that they dressed up like little reptiles and paraded around the house shouting something about Michelangelo eating all the pizza -- whatever the hell that meant. But that was more than a decade ago. My cousins -- the prime TMNT viewing audience -- are almost done with college now and have officially switched from dressing up like cartoon turtles and eating pizza to, um -- OK, fine, they're still eating pizza. But they've also started drinking beer and seem to not be able to dress themselves at all. I'm guessing that unless you can lick them and get a good contact high, turtles are the last things on their minds. So I found it odd to see a commercial for a brand-spanking new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Are those things still around? Or has every child in America officially flushed them down the toilet? I'd totally get behind a "Snorks" movie if Hollywood is going retro -- but Turtles? Really? Posted Mar 07 2007, 04:49 PM by Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) with | with 10 comment(s) Filed under: Movies, toys, cartoons, children's television, children's TV, chilldren, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

• The Future of Children's Television Depends on What British Programmers Are Smoking

  Okay British children's television programmers, it's time to come clean.  Just what kind of drugs are you people on? Don't try to tell me that y'all were sober when you created Teletubbies. I ain't buying it. My suspicions were all but confirmed when Boobah hit the airwaves. How many kilos of Columbian bam bam resulted in the greenlighting of a bunch of candy-colored, space-dwelling, uncircumsized penises teaching our kids to "exercise." But now, I offer further proof that the Beeb is selling "Tina" along with Walker's Crisps and Bendicks Bittermints at the commissary: The Hoobs. I mean, come on. Just. Just stop. Honestly. On a related note, a panel on the future of children's television programming was recently held in New York.  Blogger Fuse #8 checked it out and posted an excellent analysis of the goings-on. In a nutshell: blame that asshole Barney for everything. Posted Jan 29 2007, 01:01 PM by Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: television, children's television, teletubbies, the hoobs, boobah

• Yo Gabba Gabba! Finds a Home, er, "Crib" on Nick Jr.

  Nick Jr. has announced it has picked up a new original half-hour preschool series, Yo Gabba Gabba!  The 20-episode live-action magazine-style series will use music and song to highlight simple life lessons and universal experiences in the lives of preschoolers. The series (which already has a cult following) is scheduled to premiere on Nick Jr. in Fall 2007. Yo Gabba Gabba! "puts the funk in preschool" and stars Host DJ Lance Rock who brings to life five friendly toy characters in a colorful land full of song and dance.  The magazine-style format of the series is infused with a retro style and beat driven music.  Yo Gabba Gabba! will feature animated segments, real kids and special guests, in addition to a vibrant world of puppet characters who are all ready to sing, play, and dance along with your little hip-hoppers – as soon as they hear the magic words, "Yo Gabba Gabba!" Check it out, fo' sheezy, yo! Posted Jan 23 2007, 07:01 AM by Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) with | with no comments Filed under: preschool, children's television, Nick Jr., yo gabba gabba, nickelodeon

• Linklove: Flashcards Are Better Than TV

  I love flashcards. I love them like I love ice cream. Or beer. I can devour them. And so can my daughter. The only difference is I chew first. We'll spend an entire morning flipping through a stack of Eric Carle animal cards, drooling on A for Alligators and nibbling on M for Monkeys. While I'm sure there's a way to play with flashcards that doesn't require a roll of Tums afterward, the point is we're doing something together. Without TV. And without the electric gizmos and doodads used so often to "entertain" children nowadays. (Yes, you can smack me now. Or go back to your Baby Einstein DVD. You pick.) So a special thanks to AJ at Thingamababy for pointing out the advantages of Brain Quest cards, which are designed for toddlers but can easily be consumed by younger children as well. In a thorough review of the cards, AJ discovers there's more substance than "fluff" to them. Each flashcard offers a building block to conversation, allowing your toddler to not only build a strong vocabulary but also learn to take in the world around her. The best part? "A 2-year-old would be hard pressed to play with these cards alone," AJ writes. While that's not ordinarily a recipe for success after a long day with a 2-year-old, a great set of flashcards can provide solid bonding -- and also, as AJ says, provide a needed break from all the toy's that isolate children during playtime. "Parents must be involved with this game, period" Just make sure you buy Tums first. Posted Jan 08 2007, 10:30 AM by Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: games, products, linklove, toys, Family Fun, beer, children's television

• A New Kind of Torture for Parents: "Blue's Room"

  My kids watch a lot of television. I try not to let it get out of control, and I try not to let them watch anything too violent or gory, like say, the news. I really try to keep it to mostly educational programming, and generally shows designed for children. My kids can sing the entire theme song to "Little Einsteins". We TiVo "Blue's Clues", "Sesame Street" and "The Backyardigans". I usually let them choose what they like but here are some kids shows that I find completely unbearable. "Barney" is a good example one of these. This is a NBHH - a no "Barney" household. The great thing about TiVo (Yes, I love TiVo so much that I would marry it if I were single and it would have me.) is that I am ordinarily able to avoid any accidental contact with the shows for children that I really hate. Sure, every once in a while we accidentally catch the first couple minutes of "Oobi" at the tail end of "Dora" or something, but I am spared from my children ever accidentally seeing "Teletubbies" again. They could always catch it at Grandma's house, but at least it won't happen in my home. Something terrible has happened in TV world. Nick Jr. tricked me.  They tricked me into watching "Blue's Room", a live action puppet show that has some of the characters from "Blue's Clues" but is infinitely more annoying. It recorded under the guise of a normal episode of "Blue's Clues", but when I played it for my twins it was this train wreck. It features Blue, a talking dinosaur puppet (I think it's a puppet) and the worst song since "Journey to Ernie" that is on every episode about writing crap down in a journal. This song makes me want to stab myself with a sharp stick to dull the pain. There also may or may not be a talking pretzel involved. I have been trying to block it from my memory ever since I accidentally watched it the first time. Of course, my kids love it. Oh, Traci Paige Johnson, why do you torture me so? What did I ever do to you? Posted Jan 04 2007, 09:56 PM by Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Traci Paige Johnson, children's television, Blue's Room, TiVo, Nick Jr., Blue's Clues