Tot TV Watch

Remember when I wrote about Steve Burns having a video on Jack’s Big Music Show? Well, the time has almost arrived. Along with The Laurie Berkner Band’s song “Sneaks”, the Steve Burns and Steven Drozd video, “Hog the Ground,” will air on the February 2nd episode, Ground Hog Day. This episode may also be of special interest to parents because Jon Stewart from The Daily Show will be guest starring.

I have been pretty impressed with the new season so far. If nothing else, it has been really nice to hear some new songs. This episode looks like it will be a fun one for kids and will also teach them a little about the tradition of Ground Hog Day. If your kids won’t be home to watch, it is definitely one to set the TiVo or DVR for.

Jack’s Big Music Show, Noggin, Steve Burns, Blue’s Clues, Steven Drozd, Flaming Lips, Laurie Berkner, Jon Stewart, Daily Show, Hog the Ground, Ground Hog Day

The Christmas craziness if finally coming to an end at my house and hopefully I’ll get back to some regular posting here now. The holidays are enjoyable but always busy no matter how much relaxation time I attempt to schedule in. I did manage to find a few minutes here and there to sit with my son and enjoy some of the holiday specials that have been running.

Blue’s Clues has a wonderful holiday special entitled, “Blue’s Big Holiday”. In it the Blue’s Clues characters are creating patches for a memory quilt. They also learn about various holiday traditions from their friends along the way. I was particularly impressed with how they handled the explanations of other holidays and traditions. I don’t remember even hearing of some of these until I was in high school. We have seen this episode many times now and I haven’t tired of it yet.

In “Franklin’s Magic Christmas” Franklin, Harriet, and the rest of the family are traveling to spend Christmas at Faraway Farm where Mrs. Turtle grew up. Franklin grows increasingly frustrated with Harriet for always getting in the middle of things and then spilling the surprise that he and his grandmother have been secretly working on. When his grandfather gets hurt, Franklin takes it upon himself to find help and ends up needing a Christmas miracle to rescue him and Harriet. I really enjoyed the sibling dynamics portrayed in this episode even though Harriet does “baby talk” which is a big pet peeve of mine.

Dora the Explorer celebrates the holiday by bringing “A Present For Santa”. Dora and Boots venture to the North Pole to deliver a present for Santa on Christmas Eve. After traveling over snowy mountain and across and icy river, they finally reach Santa. The episode centers around the spirit of giving and even teaches Swiper a good lesson in the end.

There were many more holiday specials that I didn’t get a chance to watch. What did you and your child watch this holiday season? Is there anything I missed but should have seen?

Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues, Franklin, holidays, Noggin

It seems like I missed the boat once again, but lucky for me I might still be able to catch it. If you didn’t watch Sesame Street’s A Christmas Carol when it premiered in November, it will air again on December 24th on Sprout. Check your local listings for times.

Personally, I was always a fan of Oscar the Grouch and I can’t think of a more perfect character to portray the grouchy Ebenezer Scrooge. I think the whole family will enjoy this version of the classic Charles Dickens tale. Pieced together from past Sesame Street holiday specials, this one is sure to please adults who are nostalgic for their old Sesame Street pals as well as toddlers who are just discovering the joys of Bert, Ernie, Elmo, and Big Bird.

As I was flipping channels lastnight I came across the Rugrats on Nickelodeon. I first stopped to watch for a minute because the Rugrats are a bit nostalgic for me. I spent many hours watching them when I should have been studying in college. It only took me a minute or two to realize that I was watching “A Rugrats Chanukah”.

In this day and age, when Christmas seems to be all around us, it is nice to see other religious holidays being recognized, especially in cartoons and children’s shows. I vaguely remember a recent Dora the Explorer that discussed the different religious holidays as well. Since my family celebrates Christmas I tend to focus on that but I think it is important to make sure that kids are knowledgeable about other religions and celebrations. What better way to begin those discussions than introducing it with their favorite cartoons?

If you are interested in “A Rugrats Chanukah” and you missed it, it is also available on VHS.

Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas airs tonight on ABC at 8:00 ET/PT. I’m not sure if I can get my hands on the TV remote at that time but I’ll be sure to set the TiVo so my son and I can enjoy this Christmas classic together as it is one of my all time favorites. There’s just something about that “Bah Humbug” attitude and the nice warm fuzzy feeling at the end that I can relate to.

Tonight marks the 40th anniversary of the animated special, but the story of the Grinch will actually celebrate it’s 50th anniversary next year. To mark that special day, Warner Home Video has already released a 50th Birthday Deluxe Remastered Edition on dvd with lots of special features. You can get your hands on the 50th Birthday Deluxe Remastered Edition here. I’ve just added it to my wish list.

Are you looking for something new for your kids to watch this holiday season? If you are, then tune in to Noggin on Wednesday, Dec. 13th at 5:00 pm ET. They are featuring a new holiday special by National Geographic Kids’ Entertainment called I’ll Be Home For Christmas.

The special follows characters Toot and Puddle on their holiday adventures. The characters are based on the best selling Toot and Puddle book series by author/illustrator Holly Hobbie.

For a sneak peak of the holiday special check out the trailer at tootandpuddle.com and click on the computer. The movie is also available on dvd from the Toot and Puddle website.