The relatively new advent of interactive television is making waves in some psychology departments, because of the positive effects that certain programs have in helping young kids develop narrative skills and understand story sequence. You are certainly aware of how much kids love to see moving images (don’t we all) in exciting, luscious and richly-detailed or colored environments; better still are interactive programs that can get them up and about. The best kinds of programs are the ones that seek to involve the child directly – as opposed to passively – and get them engrossed in a world that they help create. Here are a handful of popular choices:
For that inquisitive little preschooler/kindergartner, there’s Sid the Science Kid on PBS. It will have your own kid engrossed and dialed into the cool little experiments and adventures of discovery the star of the show embarks on, introducing them to the scientific method while making it seem like fun. There’s nothing so interactive as planting the seeds of logical deduction so early in the young ones mind – teaching them problem solving at such an early age.
Kick Buttowski is a relatively new, high-octane show that will have your kid jumping up and down at the exploits of the officially-termed “Suburban Daredevil”, as he performs stunts and tricks to their delight. A Disney Channel creation, it has turned into one of that age demographics’ favorite shows; garnering nearly a million viewers most episodes and debuting as the second highest-rated series premiere in Disney XDs operating history.
Zooboomafoo is program that actively aids your child’s developing vocabulary skills. Although no new episodes are being aired; they’ll be new to those that haven’t seen them before, and have survived syndication on PBS Kids Sprout. You child will benefit greatly from catching the 65 episodes in which the program presenters teach children about animals, with the aid of their cute and trusty lemur friend.
Phineas and Ferb is another favorite, having outlasted any other Disney Original Series program to date. It follows the titular characters on a daily adventure while combating their sisters’ attempts to have them stopped, or any number of zany enemies who want to thwart their typical spy adventure.
The first thing about Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius that kids notice is the computer-like animation. It tends to draw them in strongly, and then the story of the 11 year old genius’ cool inventions and hip attire keeps them tuned in. Through Jimmy Neutron’s interactions with his hyperactive friends and townsmen who try to misuse his advanced inventions, this syndicated Nickelodeon favorite can still be seen regularly on interactive television.
PBS Kids Go! adds its contribution to the interactive television sphere with the mathematics-inclined Cyberchase; which takes the difficulty out of problem solving by introducing kids to real-world examples with three animated children (of different nationalities too) romping through a virtual world and using their math ability to solve problems that save the world in different ways – every episode. It’s a true melding of the abstract with reality; and it’s all done so a six-year-old can appreciate it and solve right along with them.
Another vocabulary-teaching favorite that ran for a full eight years on PBS (it’s now in syndication), Between the Lions will ingrain correct spoken English into your kids’ minds slowly-but-surely through their half-hour episodes. Come to think of it; many adults could benefit from this fun and engaging series…
Dora the Explorer is another fan favorite that enjoys huge success. Starring a committed little eight-year-old girl whose adventures all center on human aid, and there’s an underlying message – actually; the message is pretty strong – of tolerance for your fellow humans. All her animal friends are a large part of her appeal to kids; especially her best adventure pal Boots the Monkey
Anyone who is familiar with Dora the Explorer is almost certainly familiar with her counterpart, Diego. He has his own show called Go, Diego, Go! on Nickelodeon. With a heart of gold like his female adventurer, the 8 year old Diego will take your kid on a wild spin through jungles and deserts with his trusty baby jaguar companion, on a never-ending mission to save and rescue animals of all kinds. In the series, Diego is actually Dora’s cousin, which makes for cool little tie-ins and crossovers between both shows that your child will find delightful and illuminating.
Quite possibly the king of all interactive programming in any age, SpongeBob Squarepants is Nickelodeon’s current flagship show, and is so engrossing and clever you might find yourself watching it unabashedly. It follows the rambunctious interactions of SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Squidward, sandy and others; capturing your child’s attention all the way through multiple concurrent episodes.
Bonus tip: Look for holiday cable tv deals to save some money for the new year!
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