Tot TV Watch

Personally I strongly dislike Hip Hop Music and certainly did not even imagine that was what Hip Hop Harry was about. I only tuned into it because I noticed it was a kids show on television and I had never heard of it. Plus, it was on Discovery Kids, which tends to have some of my favorite choices of kids shows, especially in its Ready, Set, Learn block of shows that this belongs to. This show annoyed me right away, but I stuck to watching it because I wanted to figure out what the educational aspect of it was. At least in the end it does have a learning aspect, however, I certainly would only recommend showing it to kids if you like Hip Hop music because otherwise the show is pretty intolerable to watch.

The main character of the show is Hip Hop Harry, who is a giant bear kind of like costumed characters you see at theme parks. The show is geared towards preschoolers, however, the kid characters in the show look like they are at least 8. This kind of makes it hard for preschoolers to really relate to the show, but if they like Hip Hop then they will get into the show and enjoy learning with the Hip Hop music. The show curriculum goals include social/emotional skills, cognitive/educational skills, physical/health skills, and artistic/creative skills. In the particular episode I saw the show taught about not challenging yourself and you can do whatever you want to do, such as the one kid’s desire to become a profession hip hop artist. Overall, I may not like this show, but I can see that it is a well-thought out program made to appeal the growing interest in hip hop and it does encourage kids to actively dance as they watch parts of the saw.

For those who can stand Hip Hop Harry it plays on both Discovery Kids and TLC. You can check upcoming episode times in your area here.

Originally created by three innovative moms, Wilbur aims to encourage young kids to become more enthusiastic about books and reading. Wilbur, the main character of the show, is a young calf who uses books to find ideas and solve problems. Knowing that books have all the answers, Wilbur guides his friends Dasha the duck, Ray the rooster, and Libby the lamb through various stories to help them find the answers they are searching for. As they read the book, the pictures in the story come to life as they might in your child’s imagination. In one episode, Wilbur’s friend Dasha wants to make a pizza but doesn’t know how. Wilbur finds a storybook about a hungry troll who needs a recipe to make his favorite “Slug Slime Sandwich”. After reading the story, Dasha realizes that she needs a recipe to figure out how to make the perfect pizza.

Unlike other children’s shows focused on literacy, Wilbur demonstrates concepts such as how to read from left to right, turn pages right to left, and how you start at the top of the page and read down. Wilbur also points to the words with his hoof as he reads the story demonstrating the function of print.

The series creates a unique look with a combination of live action, puppetry and “Shadowmation” - a combination of animatronics and CG effects that allow puppets to move around in a 3-dimensional world. Each episode includes two original storybooks and music conveying the message that reading is fun.

So far I’m very impressed with what I have seen of this show. The bright colors, simple stories, and music are sure to keep any toddler’s attention while teaching them some basic concepts that they will carry with them throughout their lives.

Wilbur premieres April 16th at 11:00 a.m. during Discovery Kids “Ready, Set, Learn!” block. It will also begin airing on TLC April 23rd at 7:30 a.m.

Wilbur, Discovery Kids, Ready Set Learn!, TLC, puppets, shadowmation, animatronics, reading, preschool

Sometimes I am amazed at just how oblivious I can be. In our house we tend to get stuck on watching certain shows and forget that there is such a wide variety out there. I guess when you have 500 plus channels to flip through it just becomes easier to stick with the ones you know you like. That’s why I was so surprised when a friend mentioned that her son loves to watch TLC in the mornings. I had no idea that they had children’s programming in the mornings. I have to say I’m a little embarrassed about that since I write a blog all about kids’ TV shows.

This morning I decided to flip over to TLC and see what was on. I was pleasantly surprised to catch an episode of Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks. A show about Monster trucks wouldn’t normally be my thing, but I was really impressed with it. The CGI-style animation is bright and colorful and the characters are all unique and very loveable.

Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks is basically a show about friendship and how to treat others. It revolves around Meteor and his group of young, big-wheeled friends who are striving to become monster truck heroes like those before them. In each episode, the young trucks learn about what it takes to be a monster truck and compete to see who can accomplish each obstacle the fastest. Each truck has different strengths and weaknesses and nobody wins all the time. Along the way, the friends teach viewers important lessons about sportsmanship, friendships, and feelings.

In this morning’s episode, “Sue the Rooter Truck,” a stinky, bossy, new Rooter truck named Sue joined Meteor and the group. While the other trucks played together, Sue kept to herself in the corner. Eventually the other trucks reached out to her and found out that she wasn’t really so different. She just didn’t think anybody would like her because of her smell. Once they assured her that they actually liked the smell that made her different, they all got along quite well.

If you haven’t seen Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks, I suggest you give it a try. While it doesn’t teach a foreign language or even ABC’s, it does teach some very important lessons about how to get along with others.

The newest set of Bigfoot Presents: Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks episodes is set to premiere April 16-20 on Discovery Kids and TLC.

Bigfoot, Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks, Discovery Kids, TLC, monster trucks, relationships, sportsmanship, Sue the Rooter Truck