New Pre-School Television programme- opinions needed!

[Munchkinsugarpie]

Hi mumsnetters, I need your help with getting some research together! I'm raising funds to make a pilot for a brand new television programme aimed at what I believe to be a largely uncatered for pre-school child. I'd be so grateful, if you find this subject of interest, to hear your invaluable feedback on the following:-

1. Does anybody else feel that there is a definite gap in programming for our children aged approx. 18months to 2.5 ish years old? i.e. After 'teletubbies' they're not quite ready for a more advanced 'tweeny' type show. What can they watch?

2. If you could choose the content of a programme aimed at this age group, what would you like your children to see?

3. Also, please let me know if you disagree with me and believe that all pre-school stages are catered for - and with what.

I look forward to your responses!

Enid, we got then in Woolworths! They had 2 piece cotton ones or, our option, all in one fleecey ones, with a bone on the zip to pull it with. She has them on now!! for her afternoon nap!!

munchkinsugarpie, just caught up with this thread.
My dd who is 22m has never been very interested in telly (cbeebies is on a lot in our house) but is HUGELY excited by the Fimbles.She literally jumps for joy whenever it comes on.

thanks jasper! It's been quietish with the Fimbles so far, but they launch on BBC1 next week so I think more people will see them.

I love the sound of Binka, I think I know who it is...

I think that the Fimbles are awful, it is so dull, and reminds me of that Aussie show that has a panda and a dragon (can't remember its name)

The only time my dd (3) EVER sits still is for Balamory and Binka! I quite like Binka, he really has a wonderful life!

I Love Clifford the Big Red Dog! Erm... I mean my 3 1/2 year old son loves him... I like the "moral" slant to the stories.

Just got back from the US where Clifford merchandise seems to be big. I've not been shopping here recently - is it available here too? There were loads of books (story and educational), stuffed animals and games. I have seen a Clifford magazine here.

DS1 also likes Binka and most of the CBeebies programmes except Bodger and Badger. Not sure what he thinks of the Fimbles - he was excited to find there was a new programme for him to watch. He went straight from Teletubbies to Tweenies without a hitch & with a bit of an overlap. He no longer likes Teletubbies but DS2 (18months) does.

Saw the Fimbles for the first time today and I didn't take to it greatly, it was very dull. dd seemed to like the pretty colours but it didn't hold her attention for long.

Saw the fimbles yesterday - not overly impressed and neither were dd (2 3/4) or ds (8 months). Don't think it'll be on our choice, we'll stich with Clifford, Story Makers and of course Balamory!

Thought i'd mention here that i have been very annoyed with "the shiny show" by portraying that babies drink milk from bottles on the pregnancy /baby episode! This is meant to be an educational programme and I do not agree with it's content at all!

Tracy

Paula,

It was magic mountain with the panda, lion, dragon and tortoise!

Tracy

I did not see this Tracy but would have been annoyed too.
I did see some cbeebies programe last week where the baby was being breastfed and the commentary was it was being given " a drink of mummy's milk"

tracyhay - contact the BBC and voice your complaint - it is an extremely valid one.

My ds is 2 yrs 1 month and seems to sing more than he speaks! He sings along with Bear in the Big Blue House etc so songs that teach him useful words would be great - alphabet songs, number songs etc. He also copies actions so tries to dance like Bear.

dd is 9 months and loves Pooh - anything and everything abou ti makes her laugh.

My Son is 2+1 month. He loves COME OUTSIDE, with pippin and the plane, he now also loves Barnaby ( who I hate!) and also Blues clues ( now, I really DO hate Kevin, I wish he would change his shirt, just for one day!!) He likes tweenies, and tubies, but hates the real life section of tubbies, Story makers, and story time are also favs of his at the moment. I feel there is a need for a ''mixture' of tubbies, story time, and come outside, involving real people, not just dressed up people. Kids love reality, hence most like come outside with pippin and his plane.

Honestly- this is sacrilege! Hate Kevin? Wish he'd change his shirt? What kind of talk is this? Everyone knows he can't change his shirt! Why, he was given a baby jumper with exactly those stripes on the very day he was born and he has worn one ever since... Lovely Kevin. Our fish is named after him...

Scummymummy....My DH watched a prog. on sky the other day and guess who was the presenter? Only KEVIN from Blue's clues!. Well...I had to leave the room, cos he just did not look right without his green stripped top on. It took a while to register it was him though....just goes to show you what a change of clothes can do to a man! As for Kevin the goldfish..thats where OUR Kevin should be....at the bottom of the fish tank!!!! ( cos then maybe his green top would shrink and they would HAVE to give him another one then!)Only joking Kevin lovers honest folks!!!!!!

Love Kevin too, wish he could sell me some of his enthusiasm.

Both my dh and myself have worked in educational for years and so probably worry a little more than necessary about the educational value in everything our 18 month dd does!! TV is no exception and we regularly debate what and how muich she watches. She has now outgrown the Teletubbies - gone past the basic concepts and not able to grasp the more complex language related sections. Here are a few observations we have made - hope they help. The main thing I would suggest is that too many programmes are geared for the wrong age group - they often underestimate childrens learning potential and yet overestimate their concentration powers. I am sure that you won?t, but please don?t only think of the ed. value - the moral and social issues are worth considering even at this young age - they are learning behaviour patterns now as well as colours, words and numbers etc. (sorry if that sounds patronising - I am sure you are aware of these ones anyway but had to say it!! )
Our dd seems to enjoy brightly coloured characters that are non human (Ballamory real life actors are too old for her) - cartoon style larger than life with bold colours work well.
Short sections to hold her attention are more successful than longer ones (eg. Pingu is too long but the sectionalised Tweenies formula works well).
Thematic episodes that use repetition in many ways (singing, story, danicing, colours etc.) are easier to grasp and memorise.
It is not too young to learn moral and social issues!! The Tweenies are good at this and reinforcement of good behavioural patterns has to be a good thing!!
Music is so important - strong steady beat just above heart rate, clear lyrics, good hooks etc. etc. and lots of it.
Good male/female roles - not too young to avoid stereotyping. Again, Tweenies are good at this - Milo with a doll etc. early concepts about male and female roles are difficult to dispel later on and any help to dispel the myths out there the better!!
Familiar patterns and structure of episode - Ballamory is good at this - same open and close works well, use of set music for each character etc. even if it is too advanced for little ones. Fimbles summary idea (mummy bird going through the day with little one) works well too (but overall I think it is a naff programme with limted content and ed. value)
I could go on forever about this one so will stop.
Good Luck

I have got a 2 year old daughter who loves watching come outside and I was wondering if anyone knows where I could buy any videos of it from? She cries when it finishes. It is on now and again on cbeebies. If anyone could help I would be really grateful. Thanks..

Sam, I think you will have to try to be on the ball and video it yourself when it's on, I used to do that for DS2 preschool and ended up with a tape full of Auntie Mabel and Pippin - still have a bit of it somewhere - try to monitor the schedules so you know in advance when it's on.

I googled "Come Outside" and there is a CBeebies site with some kids' activities but that was all I found. You could try your DD on doing that though!

DD is 11 months old and for a few months now has loved Telltubbies, Tweenies and Fimbles. She doesn't watch them loads - about alf an hour a day at the most. I can't see any of them doing any harm either! In fact, from us watching Tweenies song time videos together she now knows the actions to most of the action songs - much more so than several of her toddler friends at nursery. I certainly have no worrieds about speach probelms - personally think that DD gets plenty more 'real speach' influences to learn from, rather than the odd 'eh-oh'.

Does any one else feel that maybe we worry far too much about the rights and wrongs of whether our babes should be allowed to watch a bit of TV? Surely there are far worse things they could be subjected to. And, if it is balanced with lots of other actvities what is the problem???

I love 'Come Outside' too, and so do ds2 (3.5) and even ds1 (5.5). He is very bright, but still loves seeing how things are made. Ds2 watches them at his nursery too. Don't know about a video though. Anyone else know?

A-ha - there are videos - just googled again, for '"Come Outside" videos', and the first item is for a council's video loan service. (Do NOT look any further down the page, some of it is very rude...!)

The council thing (North Ayrshire Council, Education Resource Service) includes 2 videos with 9 episodes (a windy day, a rainy day, holes in the ground, soap, bricks, woolly jumper, stones, wood and clay. I actually remember some of these - especially woolly jumper, isn't Auntie Mabel knitting it for her sister and Pippin unravels it at the end?)

But they were issued in 1996 and 1998 so are very unlikely to be available anywhere now, except maybe in charity shops, NCT sales etc.)

Come Outside Videos ar available from the BBc at Approx £14.99 each - call or email your local BBC

My ds is 2.5 and loves Pippen and Aunty Mable...
hence I have already been looking!

Much cheaper if you record them though...