English language TV shows
Aug 12, 2014 7:28:56 GMT 9
Post by Ryan on Aug 12, 2014 7:28:56 GMT 9
I might get some heat for this, but just let me explain.
We have a very picky eater of a 2 year old. Sometimes he will only eat when properly distracted by some TV show. We try to limit screen time and do a fairly good job with it. The second factor is the fact that I am a creative professional and quite snobby about animation and story telling. This has lead me to start curating a small (ok not so small) collection of kids shows. I'll leave the method of collection to your imagination.
Here's our big hit list:
Mat and Pat
Not really English as they don't talk. It's Czech actually, and quite funny. It's about 2 neighbors, who are certifiable idiots and get themselves into all sorts of funny dilemmas. It's a staple of any proper Czech childhood. And the theme song. Oh god the theme song. I hear it while I sleep.
Curious George
A modern take on the old books. A great cartoon too! There is an underlying theme of inquiry and experiment that I love. Monkey! Monkey! goes the cry at lunch time.
pbskids.org/curiousgeorge/
Peppa Pig
A cute show from the UK which is great to little kids. I also love the animation style. The stories are short, and often peppered with jokes that only the legal drinkers in the room will get. Good stuff.
Charlie and Lola
Another great show from the blokes over at the BBC. This one is more for older kids (maybe 3-6 or so) but is visually interesting so might be ok for younger kids who have some kind of attention span. There is some great and loving sibling interaction which makes it nice.
Spongebob Squarepants
I know I know this show is so dumb. But so funny. A big hit in our house. The first few times I played it my wife was like "WHAT IS THAT NOISE" but once she had the chance to actually pay attention to the story she became a convert. If nautical nonsense is something you wish...you know the rest.
The Magic Schoolbus
I'm also guilty of foisting my own childhood on my kids but this 90s cartoon still holds up today!
Reading Rainbow
So so good. If you don't know it then you have some catching up to do! The show originally ran from 1983 to 2006 when it was cancelled. The host LeVar Burton (better known perhaps as Jordy Laforge on Star Trek TNG) then ran a stupendously successful kickstarter campaign in 2014 that met it's 1 million dollar goal in 12 hours. Sheesh! Anyways it's all about books and teaching kids to read.
These are a few of the more successful shows we have found. I'm sure there are more, but you know...screen time limits.
If there is any interest I can also post some good Czech ones.
We have a very picky eater of a 2 year old. Sometimes he will only eat when properly distracted by some TV show. We try to limit screen time and do a fairly good job with it. The second factor is the fact that I am a creative professional and quite snobby about animation and story telling. This has lead me to start curating a small (ok not so small) collection of kids shows. I'll leave the method of collection to your imagination.
Here's our big hit list:
Mat and Pat
Not really English as they don't talk. It's Czech actually, and quite funny. It's about 2 neighbors, who are certifiable idiots and get themselves into all sorts of funny dilemmas. It's a staple of any proper Czech childhood. And the theme song. Oh god the theme song. I hear it while I sleep.
Curious George
A modern take on the old books. A great cartoon too! There is an underlying theme of inquiry and experiment that I love. Monkey! Monkey! goes the cry at lunch time.
pbskids.org/curiousgeorge/
Peppa Pig
A cute show from the UK which is great to little kids. I also love the animation style. The stories are short, and often peppered with jokes that only the legal drinkers in the room will get. Good stuff.
Charlie and Lola
Another great show from the blokes over at the BBC. This one is more for older kids (maybe 3-6 or so) but is visually interesting so might be ok for younger kids who have some kind of attention span. There is some great and loving sibling interaction which makes it nice.
Spongebob Squarepants
I know I know this show is so dumb. But so funny. A big hit in our house. The first few times I played it my wife was like "WHAT IS THAT NOISE" but once she had the chance to actually pay attention to the story she became a convert. If nautical nonsense is something you wish...you know the rest.
The Magic Schoolbus
I'm also guilty of foisting my own childhood on my kids but this 90s cartoon still holds up today!
Reading Rainbow
So so good. If you don't know it then you have some catching up to do! The show originally ran from 1983 to 2006 when it was cancelled. The host LeVar Burton (better known perhaps as Jordy Laforge on Star Trek TNG) then ran a stupendously successful kickstarter campaign in 2014 that met it's 1 million dollar goal in 12 hours. Sheesh! Anyways it's all about books and teaching kids to read.
These are a few of the more successful shows we have found. I'm sure there are more, but you know...screen time limits.
If there is any interest I can also post some good Czech ones.