Lockdown 3 is upon us (worst sequel since The Crystal Skull) and there are many who are now having to do some home schooling whilst entertaining an under 3.
Let’s be honest: no screen time would be great, but it’s unrealistic, especially when trying to juggle two kids. The good news is that some programs are educational! I’m not saying all these are, but they’re all tried and tested by my eldest in the past few years.
10. Teletubbies (available on the iPlayer)
I know, I know, but hear me out… First broadcast over a year before Google was a thing, the Teletubbies have been entertaining babies and toddlers for over 23 years. It’s likely that new parents now will have grown up with these creatures on their morning TV. They even had a number one single!
I was torn whether to include these on my list. It’s the only one of the ten which I cannot derive any enjoyment out of watching, but then I realised quickly I’m not the target audience. My 8 month old loves the bright colours and silly sounds. My toddler loved seeing the other children being the focus of the show rather than adults pandering to kids. As such, it’d be remiss not to include these 7ft monsters in any list of pre-school shows.
9. Go Jetters (available on the iPlayer)
Whether it’s for the geographical education from ubercorn, the earworm theme tune, or the in-depth character progression of Grandmaster Glitch, we love Go Jetters in this house.
Here’s Daddycorn’s Funky Top 3 reasons why you should watch Go Jetters this lockdown:
- 3. You’ll learn things! As they travel the world, you’ll inevitably pick up a titbit about one of the world’s most famous landmarks which you can bank to impress your toddler down the line
- 2. It’s one of the core breakfasts shows on cbeebies, and a great way to remember that you need to stop watching kids TV and get on with breakfast
- 1. It’ll give you some great alternatives to swearing. I’ll often find myself cursing “oh grimbles!” without worrying about my kids repeating what I said!
8. Cbeebies Bedtime Stories (available on the iPlayer)
Particularly useful if you work towards a 7pm bedtime, cbeebies have outdone themselves in getting some great big names to read some familiar (and some not-so-familiar) stories as the last program of their broadcast. The BBC have had genuine megastars such as Johnny Depp, Joaquin Phoenix and Chris “Captain America, not the ginger” Evans reading stories with simple shots of the books rather than new animation. Each one lasts around 5 minutes and is a great way to avoid having to come up with new voices for every character in every story
7. Jojo and Gran Gran (available on the iPlayer)
A relatively new addition to the cycle of kids shows in our house, but welcomed nevertheless. The series are based upon the seasons, with Spring, Summer and Autumn series released so far (albeit autumn includes the Xmas special).
Each episode follows JoJo’s adventures with her grandma, then real kids will share their experiences in relation to this (for example when they’ve been pumpkin picking in the Halloween episode). It’s a lovely programme, and it’s nice to see representation of a preschool child being looked after by their grandparents whilst their parents are working. Thinking of other programmes based on family life, they all seem to have ever-present parents which is not historically accurate (although I’m sure during lockdown my kids will soon grow sick of me!)
6. Tik Tak (available on the iPlayer)
Again, another new series for us. This one is aimed at younger children: “cognitive development series for toddlers using non-verbal and non-narrative imagery”. If it was any longer, you’d easily be able to nap to it, but that isn’t to do it a disservice.
Each episode follows a set recipe of skits, whether this be music-lead patterns or a silhouette doing basic actions. It is short and melodic, and perfect for capturing a young child’s attention.
5. Sesame Street (select episodes available on YouTube Kids from the official Sesame Street channel)
Whilst this is pure Americana, and it may result in your child in developing a strange accent when singing the alphabet, there’s a solid reason why it has been on screens for over 50 years. I know I grew up watching this, as has my eldest.
It is pure educational entertainment. From having a letter and number of the day, to helping social interactions, Sesame Street has it all. It deals with race, disability, and even gender stereotypes (affirming that anyone can play with any toy or dress up) all in ways easily digested by young minds without being overt or preachy.
Where it really earns its top 5 status is in its pop culture references. Entire skits are based around adult shows, such as Game of Thrones or Orange is the new Black. Parodies of movies such as The Avengers are easily watched as an adult, with the kids enjoying non of the subtle nods to the source material but still loving that dad is laughing along with them.
4. Maddie’s Do You Know? (available on the iPlayer)
Maybe it’s more one of daddy’s favourites than the kids, but that’s only because the kids didn’t grow up watching Fred Dinenage on How 2 (“that’s how, for now!”). Do You Know is a great BBC show which, in every episode, shows you how two things work or are made.
IMDB rates the show 9.3/10 (therefore it’s technically better than Game of Thrones or Rick and Morty) and whilst Maddie helps the rating, the key to the show is telling the viewer really interesting things in a really simple way. You won’t be able to resist learning something new, whilst your kid soaks up some knowledge
3. Numberblocks / Alphablocks
It would be unfair to rank either of these above the other, but both definitely deserve a top 3 position for their combined educational and entertainment value.
Numberblocks is laid out in a very simple format. The first series deals with numbers 1 – 10, then later series deal with bigger numbers and basic mathematic functions. The songs in there are catchy and will get stuck in your head, but it’s these simple counting songs which will help your toddler grasp basic maths and give you some assurance that the screen time wasn’t all just to give you some peace and quiet.
Alphablocks is perhaps one to watch once your littlest is a little older, as (and this is coming from me and not anyone with any education experience) it seems a harder subject to learn. That said, it gives each phonic a personality and makes learning the letters that little bit easier. Further, the books my eldest has in reception include Alphablocks books, so the character recognition is (hopefully) aiding her reading.
2. Hey Duggee (available on the iPlayer)
The bookies’ favourite to top the charts, and the best kids show for the past few years until the arrival of our new number one (more on that later), Hey Duggee is genuinely entertaining for all ages. Much like the perennial fave Sesame Street, it will often give nods to adult favourites such as Stranger Things or Apocalypse Now (they make sense in context I swear!) to keep you entertained whilst watching with the kids.
Every episode is based around a “badge”, just like you’d get in the scouts. The “squirrels” (confusingly none of whom are squirrels) will have a short adventure, rewarded with a badge for their efforts, together with a Duggee Hug. The characters are diverse, from different backgrounds, and the supporting cast is brilliant. From (my favourite) Chew Chew the panda, to Mr and Mr Crab, each appears regularly, but never too often to become repetitive.
The music can be great, but arguably too catchy on occasion (I’m looking at you, Stick Badge). I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve genuinely laughed out loud watching this. I have watched it a million times, and will happily watch it another million before tiring of it
Honourable Mentions
Just out of the top ten:
- The Wiggles (Netflix)
- Bing (iPlayer)
- Mother Goose Club (Netflix)
- Little Baby Bum (YouTube)
- Yaka Dee (iPlayer)
1. The Baby Club (available on the iPlayer)
The Baby Club is an absolute godsend during lockdown, and the best thing on the iPlayer for my 8 month old without a shadow of a doubt.
When my eldest was born, I shared parental leave with the wife, and had 6 months of taking my baby to parks, family and baby clubs. These were great places, and whilst they never took up more than half an hour of the day, they were lifesavers. Always formulaic, we’d have an introduction song, then some play, a story and some chill time. We’d then have a goodbye song.
“If it ain’t broke then don’t fix it” is a matra held by the Beeb. Each episode starts with a song to introduce the babies, we then get an activity (just be careful not to sing the Shooting Stars version of “what’s in the bag”), a story and a song. Then come the bubbles for chilling, another song, then it’s time to say good bye.
Queen of the Castle Giovanna Fletcher is obviously my favourite of the two presenters, but both do a great job in welcoming viewers into the club. For those whose lockdown baby is their first, this is a fantastic opportunity to see exactly what happens in baby classes. Even though my lockdown baby is not my first, I still find myself putting aside time to do these “classes” with my youngest who loves the familiar songs and pattern of the class.
In summary…
All but one of these hits is available for free on the iPlayer. No adverts for toys, no paid promotions, and no subscription requirements. Further, the iPlayer now comes with a kids mode which will limit the content viewable should little hands grab the remote. It’s a great resource for parents who need ten minutes away from their youngest, whether for your own sanity or to give you time to home school your eldest.
If you want to hear more blogs like this, check out From Here To Paternity.
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