videos for 3 year old

[monkey]

Can anyone recommend a video for a 3 year old boy. (relative wants to buy him one, but I don't lnow what to suggest)

We don't have a tv but do have video. He's got btb, tweenies and Thomas. atm he's particularly keen on Thomas. I don't really know what's out there.

Can anyone suggest something, or should I just stick with one of these 3? What's Postman Pat like? Anything wuth firemen in?

One you might not have thought of is "Blue's Clues" which goes out on the Nick Jr satellite channel. My 3 year olds love this- and they seem to share your boy's taste for Thomas etc. Why don't you have a look here with him to see what he thinks. My boys love the games (click on the "Play Blue's Clue's" link under "Nick Jr Playtime".) Nick Jr also shows "Little Bill" and "Dora the Explorer" which are v good but I'm not sure if there are videos available.

Fireman Sam is very popular with my ds ( nearly 3). It's a BBC video

What I tend to do is to buy a film, as I feel that they have a longer lifespan than the Barneys/Thomas/Bear in big blue house, etc.... How about the Tigger Movie? Toy story 1 or 2(which my son loved at 3) - the list is endless.

thanks so much - especially for the amazingly prompt reply. Thanks a million also scummymummy for that link - ds will love this - all the activities etc. Do you know any other good sites for kids - the only other one I know is the btb site. It's good to get these new ideas. We don't live in uk, so don't keep up that well with what's available.

www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies is a really good site, with loads of games and activities.

From a recommendation on another thread, I've started using the crayola site here absolutely loads of stuff to do if your child/ren like colouring/cutting/sticking etc.

Agree about Blues Clues, Dora the Explorer and Little Bill - ds loves all of these at nearly five so going by what people have said here these could keep your ds happy for a couple of years!

Peter Pan and Lion King are 2 films on video that have gone over well with my nearly-3-year-old.

We usually buy Disney videos for DS aged 3 1/2. He loves Toy Story, Tarzan is great, he loves Snow White, agree with Little Sister that they have a longer life. How about Come Outside with Auntie Mabel and Pippin the Dog, very educational, there are episodes showing where sewage goes, where the rubbish from bins goes etc, etc.

How abou the videos called "Wee Sing". Has all little kids singing and dancing around. "The Old Mcdonald" one is great or "Ride the Roller Coaster"

monkey, does he like actual trains as well as Thomas? My DS2 used to love to watch videos of real steam trains (and also buses, coaches, anything with wheels) - TJ Hughes has masses, if there's one near you, you can get them from other shops but TJH's are much cheaper.

toy story 1 and 2 are well used in our house. Monsters Inc is out on Sept 7th and also Ice Age is out in October. All good for adults and our 2yrs and 3.5yr old.

I just purchased the new "Jimmy Neutron" video. It was one of the cutest videos Ive ever watched. Great animation. I'm not a cartoon person but I loved this one.

If he isn't used to films, many Disney videos can be too much. My eldest is quite emotional, but he's just 5 now, and still finds things like the Lion King and Toy Story extremely scary (nightmare inducing). We like to use videos for calming down/quiet times, rather than for entertainment. For this the best things we've found are the Beatrix Potter videos, the Old Bear series, and the Percy Parkkeeper stories.

OK - so you may all think this is really quaint, but my 3 and 5 yr old boys are entranced by these. No doubt they'll come back from their new school/nursery in September begging me to take them to see Spiderman/Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings, etc.!

My kids really like Thomas and the Magic Railroad, it might be a bit old for your 3 year old but I'm sure he'd enjoy it if he likes Thomas. DD (3) loves Stuart Little and will watch it over and over.

Oh and what about Shrek for older children?! One of the best kids films ever IMO - all those parent jokes, jibes at Disney and great music.

My 3 year old (nearly 4 now) has really enjoyed Shrek, Toy Story 1 and 2, Snow White, Jungle Book, Pinocchio, 101 Dalmatians, The Aristocats and Peter Pan in the last year or so. So have I - they're all very good films. He also liked the Letterland videos, have you seen those? His favourite is Thunderbirds. He also still likes Thomas, Postman Pat, Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder etc but won't admit it as his younger brother loves them! They're all very good I think.
I have to disagree with PamT about Thomas and the Magic Railroad, I think it's an awful, crass American abomination of Thomas the Tank Engine and recommend you get a "normal" Thomas video rather than the feature film! Sorry PamT!

How about one of the fun factory ones with the action songs in them. The three year old I fostered loved them ( and I didnt find them too annoying like the tweenies and that)

My ds (23 months) loves Mary Poppins, Wizard of Oz (he calls it the Wiz), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 101 Dalmations anything that has music, the Tweenies, Bob, Lion King etc.

Don't want to be mean, PamT, but I have to agree with Fionn on T and the Magic Railroad! I fairly trembled with the fear that my sons might like it when their g'parents took it out of the library for them. Truly appalling stuff- no plot to speak of, terrible songs, ludicrous wooden acting from the cast, both trains and people. For once all us adults agreed that it should never, ever, be seen again in any of our houses and, surprisingly, even the kids didn't protest too much.

www, d.h. and I LOVED Shrek !! Kids enjoyed it too but much of the humour was lost on them. Still, it kept them quiet for 90 mins

Re. Thomas and the Magic Railroad, I loathed it (my parents bought it for d.d) but she loves it, or should I say loved as it has now been safely hidden at the back of the drawer! Mind you, I detest Thomas in genreal, although my kids have always loved the stories. I just find them the most mind-numbingly boring and badly written books in a world filled with fab childrens' literature, although they have been around for ages so they obviously strike a chord with many children.

Agree about lots of the classics, such as Snow White - my kids love them but they are pretty freaky, esp. when the Wicked Queen turns into the old apple selling woman!!

I must say that its the kids who like the Magic Railroad and not myself. I have to confess that I haven't actually watched The Magic Railroad all the way through but DS2 (6) loves it. I was very disappointed that it was so american and not like the Thomas TV/compilation video stories. I also find the 'he's a very useful engine' song soooo irritating because you end up singing it all day long.

I loved Shrek which suprised me because I didn't think it would be my sort of thing and DD (3) also enjoyed it, as well as her older brothers.

DS1 used to watch 'A Day Full Of Songs' over and over until the tape was virtually worn out - lots of very irritating kids singing all the well known songs and nursery rhymes. He also liked the Fireman Sam compilations.

Has anyone seen Monsters Inc? Is it any good and is it suitable for younger children? DS2 and DD are both frightened by Harry Potter and don't like monsters or scary bits in most films but weren't scared by Shrek. I'd like to buy it in September if you recommend it.

PanT, Monsters Inc is great. DS1 saw it at the cinema aged 3. He loved it, IMO not scary but very funny and it had me in tears by the end. We have it on order for 7th Sept, can't wait!

Our ds has a fairly short attentionspan (10-15mins) when it comes to most videos and tv shows. The ones that he does watch for a lot longer is Tom and Jerry and winnie the pooh.

Oohh, another pet hate of mine (I really should get out more !!) is Disneys 'Pooh' stuff. As a child, I loved the stories, but cannot bear to watch it on t.v. Sorry but something about it just makes me want to barf!!! Again though, kids probably love it