TV is not all bad for children. There are many reports that label TV bad for children – and in each case the TV viewing was totally indiscriminate – in other words – the children were watching any TV shows.
More recently some targeted reports have been conducted by credible institutions such as Virginia University which clearly demonstrated that the content of the TV shows determined the outcomes of the study.
If children watched highly educational shows – at the end of study they were smarter and brighter than those who had watch anything and everything on TV.
No surprises there. TV is a super powerful medium –it can induce children and adults alike to watch absolute rubbish.
As a parent looking to enrich your children’s lives and fast track some learning for them while they are enjoying some entertainment, TV can be a wonderful resource.
It all comes down to which shows you let them watch.
For example – as babies and toddlers give them Snapatoonies shows to watch. They are packed with information, fun facts and intelligent conversation with the kids. Snapatoonies is highly interactive, so rather than just sitting in front of the TV, it engages them and they join in the fun.
Another thing to look for is the format of the shows – how predictive are they? It they are exactly the same format every show this instantly reduces the learning opportunities.
Snapatoonies has new characters and stories in ever show, so your child is constantly engaged and learning.
We all know that there are good and bad choices when it comes to TV for all ages. While your child is little, it is our decision whether they watch good quality learning TV or the other stuff that clutters children’s TV time.
Remember – they are always learning from whatever is on the box, so choose wisely.
.
(Source: amazon.com)
Libraries are such a wonderful resource for little children and it is such a wonderful way to teach kids to love books. Here are some ways we have used our local and other nearby libraries:
1. Borrowed heaps of kid’s books. It is great to have new stories to read them and it saves so much money (and space).
2. Use the toy borrowing service if they have one. Some do – some don’t but encourage them to buy educational games and toys for your kids to use. Save you money and when the kids only use them once or twice – that is fine.
3. Join in their story reading program – Little ones love stories and good libraries always read a few stories and then have some activity for the kids to do. It’s a great way to meet other local mums too.
4. Borrow their CD’s and DVD’s for the kids – saves you buying them and you have fresh music or educational DVD’s for the kids to use.
5. Topic books – if they kids show an interest in a topic or you visit a location on vacation get some books from the library about it – pictures say a thousand words – especially to little ones.
6. Borrow their magazines. Magazines are expensive – borrow or read them at your library.
As a tax or rate payer in the area, you are paying for the library. While kids are young it is a great way to get good value for your money by using the library on a regular basis.
…enjoy… and have a snapatoonies kind of day :-)
(Source: http)
Studies have shown that when you are learning new things, your brain is changing and making new neuron connections very quickly. This is one reason is so important to provide lots of stimulation to little ones - it maximizes their brain growth and development.
Snapatoonies - Brain food for little ones. What is your favorite Snapatoonies show?
BTW- anytime you learn something new your brain changes - even as adults it is important that we keep learning and making new neuron pathways to keep our brain active and changing. :-)
(Source: amazon.com)
I am sure you have seen the kids in supermarkets demanding a certain type of cereal or a box of cookies. In most cases TV is teaching our kids what to eat, how to dress and how to behave – and it is not all good.
TV is a powerful medium and let’s not mess around – the people placing the advertising on TV mean to extract every cent they can from you via your kids for as long as they possibly can. To that end they spent millions in learning how to turn your kids into consumers. The “I want” kids.
Why are kids eating sugar filled cereals with barely any nutritional value? TV taught them (and their parents before them).
Why are they demanding toys every time mom takes them shopping? TV taught them to they need new toys all the time.
And… why are we all buying things we don’t really need? TV tells every one is so we should.
Meanwhile companies are getting bigger, richer and more powerful and we are working harder and harder to try to keep up with the growing demands.
We decided to jump off the treadmill – so we switched off the mainstream TV in our home (saved a heap on cable costs) and moved to watching educational TV with our kids or documentaries in our time.
It was the single biggest and hardest addiction to give up…. No news, no rubbish shows to relax in front of at night, no mind numbing soaps…and instead shows focused on improving our lives and that of our kids.
It was the best decision we ever made – we could think more clearly and began to do things we really wanted to do with our family.
The kids don’t ask for things all the time – no commercials telling them to want things – they don’t even know the latest toy craze – so we can to choose good toys for them. No cereal demands – so they don’t eat any rubbish sugar filled cereals – so they are much healthier and happier.
Yes it is a strange thing not to know what was on the news last night – but instead, I spent some more time with my kids – and that made me smile. That’s good news!
Snapatoonies - good quality TV for toddlers.
(Source: amazon.com)
The largest part of the brain is called the cerebrum. It makes up about 85% of the brain’s weight.
Snapatoonies - Brain food for kids!
(Source: amazon.com)
John Charles Salak"
(Source: amazon.com)
My two daughters, ages 3 and 6, both enjoyed the Snapatoonies series immensely. The characters and language were upbeat, cheerful and, dare I say it, “Oh so clever!”
The dialect by the narrator in Magical Color Caller was particularly enjoyable, along with the French Grape character in Abby Apple. My girls were laughing aloud at the quirkiness.
The reiteration and content were great, as well. My kids love to interact as much as possible when watching movies, so they responded to every prompt. I’d recommend this series to anyone with young children.
Christen from Portland, OR
(Source: amazon.com)
Car drives both short and long can be boring. Turn off the radio and play some fun games with the kids. They will enjoy your attention and the trip will be more fun for everyone.
Here are some fun things we enjoy on car trips:
1. Playing in the playgrounds and parks. We are always on the lookout for a good playground and we have been to so many different ones. They all provide slightly different challenges and experiences, and new friends for the kids to play with. Always be on the lookout and don’t be afraid to stop and give the kids some extra exercise and fun. Ten minutes can make all the difference.
2. Play “I Spy” in an appropriate version – here are some versions we use on both short and long journeys:
- I spy something that is a …… color
- I spy a number plate starting with the letter ….
- I spy something that is a ….. shape
- I spy a number …. On a sign
- I spy something that can…..
- I spy something that goes fast/slow/is noisy etc
3. If your car has a DVD use the time for the kids to watch some learning DVD’s. Kids happily watch and learn from an interactive fun DVD like Snapatoonies. You will arrive knowing that while you were busy driving they were busy learning … and having fun doing it.
Our kids have watched hundreds of educational DVD’s while we travel – we joke that it is the best classroom time they have had. Madi and Denny will often share something they have learnt from an educational DVD they have watched while we have navigated traffic. Travel time can be a great learning time.
Brought to you by Snapatoonies - make toddler TV time fun learning time
(Source: amazon.com)
Dr. Seuss"
(Source: youtube.com)
