What’s A Mim Mim?

I watched Kate and Mim Mim on CBeebies the other day with my grandson.

It was created by Scott and Julie Stewart.

                                                

The theme tune is catchy, the animation is great.

Kate and Mim Mim is an animated children’s series about a little girl and her purple toy bunny called Mim Mim, who wears goggles on his head.

Kate uses her imagination and spins herself and her purple rabbit around to enter an imaginary world called Mimiloo, where Mim Mim turns into a giant bunny.

In Mimiloo they have adventures with their friends, and sometimes Kate gets picked up and carried by Mim Mim.

My favourite character, has to be Mim Mim, he’s very purple and funny.

It’s definitely worth watching, the children will love it. 

In my opinion, the character voices were a surprise, the voice of Kate is a little too high pitched for my ears and Mim Mim’s voice much different to what I expected.

I wasn’t impressed the first time I saw it, but it’s grown on me, my grandson likes Mim Mim.

My final thought: its a great children’s programme which captures the friendship between a child and their special soft toy.

Watch a series and tell me what you think?  

What’s A Squiggle?

I watched Get Squiggling Letters on CBeebies the other day, with my grandson.

My grandson has watched Squiglet since he was a baby; a giant smile always appears on his face when he hears the catchy theme tune and sees Squiglet on the television screen.

                                                                                               

The programme is called Get Squiggling Letters and is created and produced by

Jo Killingley.

This is a children’s alphabet programme, hosted by a very friendly monster called Squiglet.

On each episode three different letters are picked from the alphabet; Squiglet draw’s a picture in crayon with his squiggle stick on his squiggle pad that tells a story related to the letters chosen.

The theme tune is catchy, the animation is very good.

My favourite character is Squiglet he has a very bouncy walk, and is very colorful.

It’s definitely worth watching, the children will love it.

In my opinion the song is great for learning the alphabet it’s educational and fun.

My final thought: if a monster can squiggle then can I?

What do you think?  

Where Is The Furchester Hotel?

I watched The Furchester Hotel on CBeebies the other afternoon with my grandson, he loved it.

This children’s series is a puppet show with a lot of colour, singing and fur!

The theme tune is very catchy.

                                           

The stories are based on the mishaps at the Furchester Hotel.

The stories are comical, not sure if a toddler would understand but they made me laugh.

I have no favourite character as they are all great.

It’s definitely worth watching, the children will love it, even the adults. 

In my opinion it’s like watching a small part of Sesame Street especially as it includes the Cookie Monster and Elmo.

My final thought: it reminds me of Sesame Street; it’s a brilliant puppet show very educational and adult’s will either love it or hate it!

If you get the opportunity to watch a series then tell me what you think?

What is a Wibbly?

I watched Wibbly Pig on CBeebies the other morning with my grandson.

The picture books were written and illustrated by Mick Inkpen. The children’s television series is based on these books.   
                                                  

The animation looks dated like it’s just come out of an old picture book however, it works really well and has a very catchy theme tune.

This is a delightful children’s animation series based on a little pig called Wibbly who gets up to all sorts of things with his piggy friends.

The piggy characters are voiced by child actors which give the series a really cute touch, there is a lot of singing and the storyline's are fun.

My favourite character has to be Wibbly he is funny, creative and has fun with his piggy friends.

It’s definitely worth watching, the children will love it. 

In my opinion it is a wonderful children’s programme.

My final thought: I’d like to have Wibbly as a friend wouldn't you?

Watch the series and tell me what you think?  

Who is Driver Dan?

I watched Driver Dan’s Story Train, on CBeebies the other day when my grandson was asleep.

It was created and designed by Rebecca Elgar; the main character Driver Dan is voiced by Peter Serafinowicz. The theme tune is catchy, the animation is great.

                                                       
This children’s series is about a friendly lion called Driver Dan who takes his friends on board his train and takes them on a journey to story corner to read a story.

                                            

Twinkle the bird assists Driver Dan at story corner. Twinkle opens the giant book where cushions tumble out, made ready for the friends to sit and listen to a story; the story is then read by Driver Dan.

It’s definitely worth watching, the children will love it. 

In my opinion it’s educational and encourages children to read.

My final thought: if I was a child I would definitely like to ride on Driver Dan’s story train it looks like great fun.

What do you think?  

Is Mr Maker A Creative Genius?

I watch Mr Maker with my grandson every time it comes on television; it has a very catchy theme tune and is fun to watch.  
                                                  

Mr Maker is a great arts and crafts programme for children presented by Phil Gallagher as Mr Maker.

Mr Maker creates lots of pictures and models out of all types of things, boxes, yoghurt pots, grass and leaves, you get the picture!

It reminds me of Blue Peter in the 70’s, when I used to made paper mache models.

Mr Maker travels around in his Maker Mobile creating priceless works of art, assisted by children.

My favourite characters are the Shapes; the music is brilliant my grandson loves dancing to it including me, “I am a Shape,” I wish it was on longer I enjoy watching the children and adults dancing with the Shapes.

It’s definitely worth watching, it’s a brilliant programme, as a creative person myself I think it’s wonderful, it encourages imagination and creativity.

In my opinion it is very inspiring, creative, imaginative, informative and educational.

It should be shown in schools.

My final thought: is it safe driving the Maker Mobile, it looks like it’s stuck together with glue!

What do you think?  

Can I Cook With You?

I watched I Can Cook with you, the other morning when my grandson was playing.

The children’s programme “I Can Cook with you,” is presented by Katy Ashworth on CBeebies. 

It was created by Sally Brown and Kate Morris.

                                                       
The programme starts with a catchy theme tune as Katy travels to a location singing the travelling song.

This is a wonderful children’s cookery programme that show children how to cook simple recipes.

Katy sings songs throughout the show encouraging washing hands at the beginning and cleaning up at the end of the day.

Katy is a great character she’s funny, creative and has fun with the children, making the cooking experience a good one.

It’s definitely worth watching the children will love it, I’ve even picked up some cooking tips, so brilliant for adults too! 

In my opinion it is very informative and educational it should be shown in schools.

My final thought: it’s a great children’s cookery programme that encourages children to cook simple recipes and to try foods they have never seen or tasted before.

Why not try out one of the recipes, and tell me what you think?

Is Andy Scared Of Dinosaurs?

I watched Andy’s Dinosaur Adventure with my grandson the other afternoon he was not amused and went off to play with his toys.

Andy’s Dinosaur Adventure is a children's programme shown on CBeebies. It features Andy Day as “Andy,” and Kate Copeland as “Hatty.” Patrick Makin is the writer. It's produced in a CGI digital format.                                                       

Andy’s Dinosaur Adventure is a modern day telling of Dinosaurs in their own territory during Prehistoric times.

The stories start off with Andy accidentally breaking or losing a piece from Hatty’s dinosaur display when she leaves him in charge.

With the aid of a time travelling grandfather clock he goes back in time to find a replacement within that Dinosaur’s time frame; he also finds out how they lived without being eaten.

However, Andy only has a short time to find a replacement and display it back at the museum before the visitors arrive. Will he do it in time?

Andy is against the clock you never know if he will reach the museum in time, thrilling and exciting to watch.

My favourite character is Andy he’s like a big kid; he’s funny and great to watch, a great entertainer.

It’s worth watching, the children will love it. 

In my opinion it’s a brilliant programme for children, every episode shows a different prehistoric creature in its own territory; it’s informative, educational and very interesting to watch even for adults.

My final thought: Andy is so clumsy I wonder how he ever got a job at a museum?

What do you think?  

Why Are The Cloudbabies So Adorable?

I watched Cloudbabies on CBeebies with my grandson; he smiles when he watches the programme and touches the television screen to touch the characters.

Cloudbabies is an animated children’s programme that is shown on CBeebies.

It was created by Bridget Appleby.

                                                  

The stories are wonderfully told the character voices adorable.

The theme tune is beautiful and lovely to sing along to, it’s like a lullaby; the animation crisp and perfect.

The stories are about the Cloudbabies Baba Pink, Baba Blue, Baba Yellow and Baba Green who live on a cloud with Bobo White.

They ride skyhorsies to see their friends the Sun, Moon, Rainbow, Fuffa Cloud and Little Star; they work really hard keeping everything clean and bright in the sky.

I love all the characters they are so cute, innocent and adorable and I want to give them big hugs.

The mischievous Bobo White made me laugh in the episode, "The Right Colour To Be," when he paints the sun a new colour. 

This is a wonderful children’s programme, the children will love it. 

In my opinion it is the most beautiful children’s programme for young children that I have watched on CBeebies.

My final thought: it's perfect for very young children.

What do you think?  

Is Raa Raa Too Noisy?

I watched Raa Raa the Noisy Lion the other day with my grandson, he loves it and always dances along to the catchy theme tune.

Raa Raa the Noisy Lion is an animated children’s television programme that is shown on CBeebies. It was created by Chapman Entertainment and narrated by Lorraine Kelly.

                                                   

The stories are about Raa Raa the noisy Lion, who lives in the Jingly Jangly Jungle and personally their not wrong about him being noisy.

He is the noisiest Lion I have every known with his shouting and roaring, across the screen, my grandson loves it, the noisier the better for him. No chance of my grandson having a nap when Raa Raa’s on.

Raa Raa’s friends are not as noisy but when Raa Raa plays with them the decibels go up!

The animation is great the story lines and songs are brilliant.

I have no favourite they are equally good and entertaining.

Raa Raa makes me laugh when things don’t always go as he plans.

It’s definitely worth watching, the children will love it. 

In my opinion it’s a great children’s television series, the story lines, songs and dances are fun to watch.

My final thought: he's too noisy for me I'm off to buy some ear plugs!

I just hope my grandson’s first words are not RAA RAA!

What do you think?  

Is Peter Rabbit Really A Hare?

I watched Peter Rabbit the other day with my grandson, he likes watching Peter rabbit and his friends run through the forest.

Peter Rabbit is an animated children’s television programme that is shown on CBeebies, it has an exciting theme tune that you can sing along too.

                                                         

It’s a delightful animated children’s television series about Peter Rabbit, his family and friends. Peter’s friend Lily and his cousin Benjamin always accompany him on an adventure in the forest where they live.

In each adventure they avoid being caught by the sly old fox Mr Tod, who wants to catch them for his dinner!

Lily is my favourite rabbit she has very pretty eyes, and wears a pink cardigan; it reminds me of the one my Nan knitted for me as a child, such beautiful memories.

Mr Tod the sly old fox makes me laugh, his plan’s to capture the three young rabbits never goes as he planned. The rabbits always manage to escape his clutches; it’s very exciting to watch.

It’s definitely worth watching, the children will love it. 

In my opinion the animation looks dated, however the story lines are great to watch.

My final thought: it’s great to see the forest animal’s work together to defeat the fox, but I do wonder if Peter is really a hare and not a rabbit.

What do you think?  

Are you a Lola or a Charlie?

I like to watch Charlie & Lola when it comes on the television but my grandson prefers to play with his cars!

Charlie & Lola is an animated children’s programme that is shown on CBeebies.

This series is based on the books written and created by Lauren Child.

                                                       

The stories are about a brother and sister and their bond with each other.

Charlie has a little sister called Lola.

Lola is a very annoying little sister she likes to get her own way all the time.

Charlie likes to please his little sister but sometimes it can be quite difficult.

Personally I think Lola is quite spoilt, however with that said she always tries to put things right once Charlie reasons with her.

My favourite character is Charlie he is a well behaved little boy; he has a softly spoken voice and is very diplomatic when dealing with his little sister Lola.

Charlie is a caring brother, he loves his sister very much; not at all like me and my brother when we were younger!

It makes me laugh when Lola can’t get her own way or things go wrong; well that’s what happens when you behave badly!

It’s worth watching, the children will love it. 

In my opinion it is very educational, shows friendship and love between a brother and sister.

My final thought: is that there are many Lola’s in this world but not enough Charlie’s!

Are you a Lola or a Charlie? 

What do you think?  

Is Charley Bear Mischievous?

I watched Little Charley Bear with my grandson the other morning.

Little Charley Bear is an animated children’s programme that is shown on CBeebies.

It was created and produced by Daniel Pickering and is narrated by James Corden.

                                      

The animation is very good, the narration works well and the theme tune is lovely to sing along too.

This delightful children’s programme features a little bear called Charley who uses his imagination to go on adventures with his toy friends Bellarina, Caramel, Frozo, Midge, Niblet and Rivet.

My favourite character has to be Charley he is really cute, cuddly and sometimes mischievous, he is very much like my grandson.

It’s worth watching, young children will love it. 

In my opinion this children’s programme is really good it will nurture a child’s imagination. It also shows friendship between toys!

My final thought: if toys can come alive using a child’s imagination; then could I use my imagination to make the car wash it self?  

Now that’s wishful thinking!

Or is it, what do you think?  

Is Mike a Knightly Name?

I watched Mike the Knight yesterday with my grandson, he loves watching it and he’s not even two yet.

Mike the Knight is an animated children’s programme that is shown on CBeebies.

It was created by Alexander Bar and written by Marc Seal.

                                                

The animation is great and the theme tune catchy; the stories are opened by a minstrel who starts the story off with a song.

It’s a wonderful children’s television series about a trainee knight called Mike and his horse Galahad who likes to help his friends. The story lines are based on medieval times with dragons and castles.

Mike is always eager to help but instead messes things up; he always makes things right by the end.

My favourite character has to be Mike’s sister Evie she is really sweet and has a pet frog called Mr Cuddles who is also her best friend.

Evie is a trainee wizard and practices spells, unfortunately she’s not very good at it and things always go wrong!

It’s worth watching, the children will love it. 

In my opinion I think it’s a lovely children’s history programme with lots of humorous medieval elements.

My final thought: did Corgi’s exist in medieval times or did the dragons eat them? 

Also is Mike really a knightly name?

What do you think?  

Where Does Abney & Teal Live?

I watched the delightful children’s series Abney & Teal the other day with my grandson.

Abney & Teal is shown on CBeebies.

The writer and illustrator is Joel Stewart; the series is produced by Ragdoll Productions.

                                                        

Abney & Teal are rag dolls that are bought to life through animation.

They live on an island in the middle of a big city with their friends.

As an adult I found the start of Abney & Teal a bit dated, however once the programme started it was very enjoyable to watch.

My favourite character has to be Bop the Elephant Seal, he lives in the river, blows bubbles and drinks tea from a tea cup.

The character Neep makes me laugh he looks like a Turnip and always gets up to mischief. 

I also have to mention Toby Dog who likes to play a tune and the Poc Pocs that look like they are made out of wood! Not sure what they are?

It’s worth watching the children will love it. 

In my opinion the stories are wonderfully told and lovely to watch, the animation works well with the rag dolls.

My final thought: how nice it would be to live on an island in the middle of a big city, eating porridge and drinking tea all day with my friends.

What do you think?  

What Type of Animal is a Boj?

I watched Boj with my grandson last week, it’s an animated children’s series with a very catchy theme tune.

Boj is voiced by Australian actor Ziggy Badans and is an animated children’s television series that is being shown on CBeebies.

It was created by Claire Underwood, Dave Ingham and David Hodgson.

                                                           
Boj is a very happy little animal he lives underground with his family and likes playing with his friends and making them laugh.

At the end of a series Pop sings and plays his guitar, the music is not to my taste, but that shouldn’t stop you from singing along if you want to.

It’s worth watching, the children will like it.

In my opinion the animation seems dated but still works very well.

My final thought: the series is very informative and educational, however I'm still not sure what type of animal Boj is?

What do you think?  

Is a Hot House the same as a Green House?

I watched Bob the Builder with my grandson last week.

Bob the Builder is an animated children’s programme that is shown on CBeebies.

It was created by Keith Chapman.

As an adult I found Bob the Builder to be very informative and enjoyable it’s changed a lot since I was a kid, the models are great.

                                                     
My favourite character has to be Bob. He works so hard and never shouts at his team or at the trucks when things go wrong. What a lovely guy.

A favourite episode of mine is called “Lofty’s Banana Tree,” in Season 7, episode 7, written by Simon Nicholson.

Lofty wants to help Bob and his team build a hot house for some tropical plants he also wants to look after his special friend the Banana Tree. Lofty finds out its not easy to do both!

It’s worth watching, the children will love it. 

In my opinion I have found all the Bob the Builder series to be very informative and educational it’s a great children’s series.

Bob is so clever he can make anything, I wonder if he can make a time machine, to visit the past, present or future.

My final thought: I would not let a truck look after my beloved potted plant, would you?

What do you think?  

Who is Bing?

I watched Bing one morning with my grandson we liked it very much. 

Bing is a new animated children’s series that is being shown on CBeebies. 

The writer and creator is Ted Dewan.

                                                 

With colorful animation, and beautifully told stories it’s a wonderful children’s programme.

The stories are based on a young rabbit called Bing who likes to do things his own way; sometimes learning new things is very hard.

Flop his playmate is very gentle and caring, he is always there to guide and encourage Bing by giving words of wisdom. What a wise Flop!

My opinion is that this is an excellent children’s programme, the story lines are really good and the animation is fantastic.

This is a lovely children’s programme that shows friendship, sharing and playing together.

I would definitely recommend this programme as it’s very educational and shows great wisdom.

As an adult I think that parents and adults would benefit from watching Flop, his reasoning, understanding, respect and teaching methods are great.

My final thought: this is one of the best children’s series I have seen on CBeebies at present.

What do you think?  

Is Big Barn Farm Real?

The other morning Big Barn Farm was shown on CBeebies, it's narrated by Ben Fairman in series 1 and Dave Lamb in series 2.

It’s a children’s television series with a catchy theme tune which features live animals on a farm.
The combination of animation with live animals to create the talking farm animal is really great.

                                                 

The stories are based on four main animals; Digger the puppy, Petal the pig, Dash the donkey and Gobo the goat. The story lines suit eat animal, its fun, exciting, full of mischief and enjoyable to watch.

My favourite animal is a greedy goat called Gobo. He is always hungry.
A funny episode is when he spots food and tries to find a way of eating it without being seen, he’s a master of disguise!

My grandson smiles and gets excited when Dash the Donkey gets shown. Dash even makes me smile with his depressed monotone voice.

I would definitely recommend watching Big Barn Farm as it’s great for children and adults.

In my opinion it is very educational, great for children to see and learn where farm animals live, eat and get up too!

My final thought:  young children now think that farm animals can talk, I know they can in animal language but you try telling that to a two year old?

What do you think?  

Can a toddler understand Baby Jake?

I watched Baby Jake with my grandson, one morning.

Baby Jake is a children’s animated series shown on CBeebies.
Maddy Darrall is the creator and producer of Baby Jake for production company Dallall Macqueen, with animation through JAM Media.
                                     
The main character is Baby Jake he has a real baby face added to an animated body.

The adventure storylines are based on Baby Jakes imagination and are voiced by his brother Isaac in the series.

As an adult I found Baby Jake to be a colorful fantasy for tiny tots, narrated by a child the language was unknown to me – baby language?

Is this something I should learn, in order to communicate with my grandson.

I wondered as I watched him mesmerized by the series, sitting focused watching Baby Jake jump around the screen on one of his adventures.

Maybe my grandson can understand the baby language, where I as an adult cannot?

I would recommend the series for children under two years of age, as they seem to adore it.

My final thought: we need a book on baby language to fully understand those little noises babies and toddlers make? 

If you have one then let me know.

Invasion of the Little Robots?

I watched Little Robots with my grandson the other morning on CBeebies, after a few minutes as usual he was off playing leaving me to watch it alone.

The theme tune is really catchy it got me hooked. The children’s programme was actually very entertaining and I'm and adult.

Little Robots is a stop-motion animation, produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for Create TV and Film Limited.

The series is based on the book by Mike Brownlow and published by Ragged Bears Publishing.

                                                       

The animation and stories are great, the idea to use metal works and create a wonderful series out of rubbish, sorry I mean scrap metal is quite genius.

The main character is called Tiny voiced by Hayley Carmichael, he repaired himself and his friends who live around a nut and bolt tree. Tiny uses a lever to turn night into day.

The stories are based in a very tidy and clean scrap heap, I mean scrap yard, sorry I mean junkyard.

All the characters are great, with actor voices being use, Lenny Henry and Su Pollard are just two of the well known voices that can be heard in the series.

My favourite robot character has to be Scary the bat voiced by Mike Hayley.

Scary makes me laugh when he tries to scare his friends he usually fails because his voice isn’t frightening enough.

I would definitely recommend this programme, ideal for both children and adults to watch.

My final thought: it’s a great children’s series, funny, witty and it has great animation.

However the question still remains, is Scary the Bat scary enough?

What do you think?  

Would you go on a Bear Hunt?

I read the book, “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt,” and watched the story being performed by Michael Rosen on YouTube.

The illustrations were created by Helen Oxenbury.      
                                               

This is a story about a young father and his children who go on a bear hunt.

It’s a wonderful story with lots of adventures along the way, with great illustrations.

I wondered what they were going to do when they found a bear, talk to it, or keep it as a pet.

I definitely wouldn’t want to meet a bear face to face I could be its dinner!

With that said, the book is definitely worth reading, or if you prefer watch the story being performed by Michael Rosen on YouTube and sing a long to it. 

My final thought: I wouldn't recommend you take your children on a bear hunt, unless it’s to find a costumed character like Yogi Bear! 

What do you think?  

Who are The Octonauts?

The Octonauts is a British children’s television series which is produced by Silvergate Media for BBC CBeebies and animated by Brown Bag Films in Ireland.

The series was created by Vicki Wong and Michael C. Murphy of Meomi Design Inc.

                                                   

The Octonauts came on the television the other morning, my grandson watched the first couple of minutes then ran off to play with his truck, leaving me to watch it as usual!

I found it to be very informative, the show explains what the different sea creatures like to eat, hide or live, and is done in colorful animation which looks great.

The Octonauts are a team of underwater explorers led by Captain Barnacles who is a Polar Bear. They live in an Octopod which is their underwater base.

Their mission is to Explore, Rescue and Protect.

My favourite character is Kwazii the cat, he wears a patch over one eye and he’s not scared of anything he likes the adventures.

The Ship’s Cook and Gardener made me laugh. He looks like a Vegetable and is called Tunip! Can you guess which vegetable he is?

It’s worth watching, very informative for children. 

My final thought: this series explains underwater species very well and is very educational.

What do you think?  

Let’s Play Dressing Up?

I watched Let’s Play with my grandson which is a fantastic dressing up programme, it teaches a particular profession which is great for children to know. It encourages children to dress up and play along.

                                     
Let’s Play is a children’s dressing up television programme, shown on CBeebies.

The show has 2D-illustrated backgrounds the animation was created by Studio Liddell in Manchester, the Foundation in Maidstone.

Sidney Sloane and Rebecca Keatley are the actors and presenters for the children’s programme, they are fun to watch and work well together.

The “What do we need to know?” part of the programme is very informative and shows what the character can do or use in situations.

The theme tune is very catchy, you will probably sing along to it like me.

I cannot choose my favourite character both Sid and Rebecca are good at play acting and dressing up and they are fun to watch. 

When they sing “Let It Be Me,” the facial expressions always make my grandson smile I’ve even tried doing the actions myself.

It’s definitely worth watching, the children will love it. 

It’s a brilliant dressing up programme, fun to watch, informative and child friendly.

What do you think?  

Is Everything Rosie?

I watched “Everything’s Rosie,” with my grandson which is an animated programme for children aged 3 to 6 years.

The series was created by Victoria Corner for V&S Entertainment Ltd, and is shown on CBeebies.    

The series is about a little girl called Rosie which shows her adventures and friendship with her friends Will, Holly, Big Bear, Oakley, Saffie, Raggles, Blue Bird and some annoying Acorns.

Rosie lives with her friend Raggles in a wonderful playhouse that is on a hill overlooking a playground.

My grandson likes watching the programme he stands in front of the television smiling at the characters and dances when the theme tune starts playing. The first time I heard it I thought it sounded a bit dated, however that has not stopped me from singing along to it each time it comes on.

The character Rosie is very kind always thinking of her friends, helping them when they are sad making them feel happy again.

My favourite character is Holly, a cute little girl who is gentle, very helpful and loves big bear.

In my opinion the friendship and helping others element in this programme are very strong which is important for our children to learn.

It is definitely worth watching, your children will like the colorful animated stories.

My final thought: we should all follow Rosie’s example, be more friendly and helpful to our friends and to new people we meet, or does that only happen in animation?

What do you think?  

Buzz and Tell or Buzz Off ?

Buzz and Tell is a new programme that is shown on CBeebies for pre school children, created and produced by Jon Doyle of Impossible Kids.                      

The show features a panel of puppets some glove and some on sticks, they answer questions asked by a walrus hand puppet named Walter Flipstick.

In my opinion this programme is more suited to CBBC than CBeebies, as pre school children will not understand the humour or the questions because they speak too fast.

I am surprised to see the quality in children's programmes are slipping back to hand puppets.

If this is the best we have to offer our pre school children then I say bring back "Basil Brush," at least he was funny.                     

My final thought: if you want to make it work try it in animation!

What do you think?  

What is a Numtum?

The Numtums are based on a creature called a Numbat they are found in Australia and are also known as a marsupial anteater, they like eating termites.

The original series “The Numtums,” is a basic numeracy programme for children, shown on CBeebies it was first shown in 2012 animated by Beakus, a London based animation studio. Barry Quinn created the show, the stories are written by Katie Simmons.

                                                   

The new series is called "The Numtums Adventures," which is produced by the CBeebies and animated by A Productions.

The original series is great, my grandchild likes watching the bursts of short colorful pictures with the catchy music which gives it much more energy.

The counting method used is very good, counting up to ten, with each episode concentrating on one number.

It’s a great programme for children who are starting to learn their numbers.

This programme will help children recognize a number, count up to the number shown in the episode using pictures of flowers, animals or other objects, which change position.

The new series of Numtums is a story. It features counting but do not have the short bursts of fun, colorful pictures that keep a young mind from straying.

In my opinion it is more suited to older children, than the younger ones as they have a shorter concentration span.

I would definitely recommend watching the first series.

My final thought: the new series should be shown on CBBC not CBeebies.

You decide, watch both series and tell me what you think?

Who invited the Tiger for Tea?

I read the children's story book called "The Tiger Who Came To Tea."

The book was written and illustrated by Judith Kerr.

This story is about a young girl called Sophie, her mummy and a tiger that comes for tea.

When a hungry tiger knocks on the door and wants to join Sophie and her mummy for tea, they get more than they bargained for!

As an adult I found this to be a lovely story but I would never let a child open the door just in case a tiger showed up!

If an adult opened the door to a tiger then I'd say. "Start running, you're probably going to be it's tea."

In fact I'd say don't open the door when you're having your tea!

It's a lovely story well worth reading, the children will love it.

My final thought: what's going to happen when daddy comes home.

What do you think?

Who is Sid the Seed?

I watched a children’s audio book on YouTube called “Sid The Seed,” written & illustrated by Daniel R. Pagan.                                                         

It’s a lovely rhyming story for children about a little seed called Sid, who likes sharing his home with a spider called Pip and a caterpillar called Kim.

When Sid’s friends leave to find something new he stays alone in his hole too scared to venture outside.

I found the story a little sad, especially when Sid’s friends leave and he was left alone.

Although Sid gets his happy ending when he is reunited with his friends Pip and Kim, it still left me with a feeling of loss.

As an adult I realise a lot of children must feel alone and isolated, especially when they are unable to make friends or when their best friend leave to attend a different school.

Friendship plays a big part but it also sends a message to us all, that sometimes you need to venture out, or get left behind!

How can we make it an easy transition for our children when friends leave?

It’s a lovely story the children would definitely enjoy watching it.

 

My final thoughts: as adults we are always looking for something new, sometimes we don’t realise that what we already have, is special!

What do you think?

Is Pingu more suited to Adults than Children?

“Pingu,” has been around since I was a kid. I was surprised to see it on CBeebies.

The stop motion clay mated television series was created by Otmar Gutmann and produced by The Pygos Group and Trickfilmstudio for Swiss television.

The show was made by HiT Entertainment and HoT Animation and can be seen on CBeebies.                     

The series is about a family of penguins who speak in a different language without sub titles and live at the South Pole in igloos.

Although sub titles are not required, you can make out what the story is about by the characters actions.

My favourite character is Pingu, a little boy penguin, he is very mischievous and has tantrums, just like any child when they can’t get their own way.

As a child I never really got into it, as an adult I find it hilarious, the different accents and the characters expressions always put a smile on my face.

One of my favourite clips is when Pingu’s little sister Pinga is in hospital.

The props for example; the pot under the bed; the pull around screen, it reminds me of the items used in our hospitals years ago.

My final thought: it’s definitely one for the adults, it's also got a cult following.

If your going to watch it on YouTube, vet it first as I came across one episode when Pingu gets a slap for not doing his chores.

Watch it and tell me what you think?

Who do you prefer Thomas or Chuggington?

This week I have compared two television programmes; “Thomas & Friends” and “Chuggington.”

I watched some Thomas & Friends episodes on Channel 5 Milkshake.

These are stories about a steam train called Thomas who learns how to become a really useful engine.                                                      

Thomas the Tank Engine is a small fictional steam locomotive in The Railway Series books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son Christopher Awdry.

Ringo Starr narrated the first two series of Thomas and Friends.

It is shown on Channel 5 Milkshake.

Chuggington is similar, it’s an animated children’s series set in the fictional town of Chuggington. It follows the adventures of 6 young Trainees named Wilson, Brewster, Koko, Hoot, Toot and Piper.

                                         

Chuggington is a British computer-animated television series for children produced by Ludorum Plc. It is shown on CBeebies.

My favorite character has to be Wilson from Chuggington; he’s always getting into mischief.

As an adult my preferred series is Chuggington.

It has very excited children’s acting voices, colorful animation and has a more modern feel.

The series show friendship, leadership and the stories are well written.

I’ve actually learnt a lot about trains from watching this programme.

Unfortunately for me I found Thomas to be mediocre. The models and animation are good, but the voices are basically too mature and create no excitement.

My final thought: I respect Thomas as he was the first animated train that I personally watched on television as a child, also my grandson loves his Thomas Train toy and board book. So Thomas is definitely getting something right with the great merchandise!

However, for the excitement my vote is for Chuggington.

Make up your own mind, if you get the chance to watch them both, tell me which one you prefer?

What is Alphablocks?

Have you ever watched Alphablocks?

It’s an animated spelling programme for children that use Phonics, teaching letter sounds and making spelling more fun.

Joe Elliot is the creator of Alphablocks.

It’s animated by Blue-Zoo and produced by Alphablocks Ltd and is shown on CBeebies.

As an adult I believe this is the best Phonics programme for children on television at present.

My grandson is not yet able to speak let alone read, however he likes to dance to the musical rhymes, and will no doubt grow his vocabulary from this show when he is able to do so!

The singing letters creating words make a wonderful comical story, which is great to watch, some of the songs are very catchy.

The last one I watched was about the letter “i” for a couple of days I have been singing it myself!

It’s definitely worth watching and great for children too! 

My final thought: it’s a great programme that should be used to educate children in nursery and primary school.

Well wouldn’t you prefer to be taught by the Alphablocks than a teacher?

What do you think? 

Who are the Dinopaws?

“Dinopaws,” is an animated dinosaur children’s series that has been co-produced between Impossible Kids, Kindle Entertainment, and Guru Studio which was made for CBeebies. 
Alan Gilbey is the developer and lead writer.

The first time I watched this animated show I didn't like the theme tune or the programme.

However, I have watched it every morning since it appeared on CBeebies and now love it.

The story lines are based on three young Dinopaws (like dinosaurs – play on words) named Gwen, Bob and Tony who are exploring their world for the first time.

The characters are very fresh and innocent, looking at things in a different way and making up words to the things they see or find. It could quite easily be written from a child’s point of view, very cute.

My favourite character has to be Gwen she looks like a prehistoric bird and knows everything. 

One of her famous lines is, “I know, I know, I know.”

As an adult, I believe the programme brings a freshness and innocence that a child has when looking at things for the first time. It also shows friendship.

 

It’s worth watching, the story lines are simple, the animation really good.

My final thought:there's only one issue with Gwen’s counting, “One, one, one,” she only counts in one’s, slight problem if you are teaching your child to count!

What do you think?