TV Review: Musical Mornings
Rate This Article
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this three-hour programming block
for preschoolers intersperses musical segments and footage of
live kids doing morning and daily activities (some of which --
going to the zoo, for example -- may be more exciting to kids
than the day you have planned...) with episodes of popular
shows like
Caillou
and
Jay Jay the Jet Plane
. The songs are catchy and teach good lessons about things
like helping out, washing your hands, and waiting your
turn.
Families can talk about what they learned from each segment. For example, why is it important to help out or wait your turn? Families can also discuss the kids who are shown playing and getting ready for their day. Which kids are doing the right things, and which ones aren't? How do you think those parents feel about having their kids on TV crying because they have to leave the park? What should they do?
Common Sense Media Review
MUSICAL MORNINGS brings Coo, a cuckoo bird living in the
Sprout
clock, into preschoolers' homes to talk and sing about morning
activities like eating breakfast and getting dressed. Coo's
songs are accompanied by those of music therapist Elizabeth
Balzano, who sings about about daily activities like playing in
the park. The songs are reminiscent of the music on
Sesame
Street
, as they're accompanied by videos of real kids
participating in the activity. Coo also introduces short
episodes of preschool-targeted shows like
Calliou
and
Dragon
Tales
(just one cartoon is shown at a time, rather than the
usual 20-30 minute multiple-cartoon episodes).
Coo is a fun, eye-catching "digital puppet" developed by the Jim Henson Company. Both her songs and Balzano's are catchy and easy to sing, with little reminders about good behavior -- it's easy to imagine singing them with your kids while heading to the park or helping them dressed.
The format -- short cartoons surrounded by music and other characters -- is also appealing, offering an easy way to show just a little TV at a time.
Sprout offers other similar programming blocks throughout the day, including The Sunny Side Up Show and The Good Night Show.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
