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With digital cable becoming the norm in most households, channel choices are becoming harder and harder to choose. When it is time for the children to settle down, which show and channel do you pick? There are many options from Toon Disney to Nickelodeon, and instead of playing channel roulette with the remote, here is a list of ways to pick the best show for your child.
1. Popularity
Certain children’s shows are popular for a reason, they are just plain good. Right now some of the most popular children’s shows are Spongebob Squarepants, Dora the Explorer, The Backyardigans, Bear in the Big Blue House, Mickey’s Clubhouse and Blue’s Clues. Most of these shows will be brought up again in this article because of their popularity and more detailed examples of why they are popular.
2. Entertaining for the whole family
Some of the times you will be watching television with your children, and instead of being bored out of your mind with a simple show that the kids find entertainment in, it is nice to watch a show that the whole family can get into and enjoy. For this, Spongebob Squarepants is the best choice. The silly antics of Spongebob and Patrick are sure to make you kids laugh, but there are many jokes that will go over their head and make you laugh. Different meanings for certain things and storylines so rediculous that you cannot help but laugh. Jimmy Nuetron: Boy Genius also has jokes and hidden gags for the adult crowd. There are a lot of movie references throughout the show, like Pulp Fiction, Jurassic Park and others that you can catch if you keep a close eye on them.
3. Catchphrases and Songs
Ever heard your kid run around shouting “I’m Ready! I’m Ready! I’m Ready!” or “Here’s the mail!”? Those are phrases from shows Spongebob Squarepants and Blue’s Clues. Catchphrases that are repeated in numerous episodes help the child’s memory and keep them entertained with the show. Interactiveness in Blue’s Clues and Dora the Explorer makes watching television more of an activity than just sitting on the couch. Kids are jumping on their feet helping Steve solve Blue’s Clues and singing and dancing to one of the many songs featured in each episode. In Dora the Explorer, Dora even pauses to give children time to answer and feel like they are part of the adventure. Dora also features many catchy songs for the kids to learn.
4. Sending a Message
An important aspect of children programming is sending a message to viewer. Episodes of Blue Clues help teach counting, colors, teamwork, and variety of other things, but your kids won’t even feel like they are in the school atmosphere. As crazy as the plots are in Spongebob Squarepants, there are even messages there, like being nice, and learning not to steal.
Some shows out there cover all of these aspects in picking a great children’s show, but some also show none. PBS’s Telletubbies, does not feature any of the aspects above, and is more of a show for your child to zone out to. There are no catchphrases on this show, because there are no words on this show. Even if your child cannot speak it, it is important for him/her to be adapted to speaking and hearing the language and Telletubbies does not provide this.
Even with all of these aspects into play, it is really up to an individual child to choose a show to his/her liking. Do not try to force your child to watch a show they show interest in, they will eventually find a show that has these qualitys, and if they do not, try renting or buying older shows like Barney or Rugrats that the kids can enjoy. Though they are old, they still feature all of the aspects above and are great entertainment.
