Last Thursday (April 27th), I attended Henson Family Hub‘s 2017 Series Summit at the Jim Henson Company in Hollywood. Media and blogger guests enjoyed a fun day learning about family friendly Henson-produced shows from advisors and the creators themselves! Halle Stanford, Executive Vice President of Children’s Entertainment and executive producer, also shared what made each of these shows unique, and interesting stories behind them. In addition to snacks and lunch, we met some show characters and saw some cool things around the lot!
pic below taken by Francine, of Video Baby Books and used with permission
My daughter is four, so she’s in the target age bracket for many of these shows. At home, we use screen-time sparingly, so I’m always looking for shows that are educational as well as entertaining. When I was a child, there weren’t many t.v. show options. Today, kids have a plethora of options. Thankfully, after attending this event and learning about the shows, I can add them (and other Henson Family Hub shows) to my short-list of “mom-approved” list of options for my preschooler.
Here are the shows we learned about:
Julie’s Greenroom
My daughter recently watched the movie Mary Poppins and loves singing the soundtrack, so she’s already a fan of Julie Andrews. In Julie’s Greenroom, Julie Andrews teaches kids about the performing arts. Advised by Johanna McKay, who’s taught acting for over 25 years, this show gives kids the “behind-the-scenes” taste of acting, theatre, and more. What I like best about this show are the guest stars and catchy tunes. Another wonderful thing about this show is the kids (puppets) come from different backgrounds and experience levels.
Watch on: NETFLIX
Sid the Science Kid
Sid the Science Kid is about a young kid fascinated with science curriculum. He is a mixed-race kid living in a multi-generational household. Moisés Román, Director of Curriculum for UCLA Early Care and Education, is the curriculum advisor for Sid the Science Kid, Dinosaur Train, and Splash and Bubbles. He shared an anecdote about a how a child who watched Sid the Science Kid called it his “grandma’s show” because they always watched it together. It’s become a popular show for parents and grandparents to watch with their preschool-aged children or grandchildren because they can learn (or re-learn) things together.
Watch on: PBS KIDS
Dot.
Dot is a tech savvy, inquisitive 8-year old girl who learns from her adventures. It’s based on the book of the same title by Randi Zuckerberg, best selling author and tech expert. Yalda T. Uhls, author of Media Moms & Digital Dads: A Fact-Not-Fear Approach to Parenting in the Digital Age, is a curriculum advisor for the show. She explained how they go to great measures to make sure the technology on the show is relevant and that the characters demonstrate responsible technology use.
Dinosaur Train
Dinosaur Train is a show inspired by the son of creator, Craig Bartlett. While observing his son’s imaginary play with toy dinosaurs and trains, Craig came up with the idea for the show Dinosaur Train. Craig is also responsible for the catchy title song, which you won’t be able to get out of your head once you hear it. The show is about Buddy, a T-Rex, and his Pteranodon siblings and their adventures through prehistoric times on the Dinosaur Train, which allow them to learn about different types of dinosaurs.
I’ll just leave this here for you…
Watch on: PBS KIDS
Word Party
Word Party is a show created by Alex Rockwell, who rose through the ranks at The Jim Henson Company. She shared with us how she came up with the idea for the adorable show about baby animal friends while attending mommy and me classes while her own child was young, and observing what interested them. Filling a gap in the young toddler viewer bracket, Word Party entertains children with songs, play, and dance while teaching them about vocabulary.
Watch on: NETFLIX
Splash and Bubbles
John Tartaglia, creator of Splash and Bubbles started out as a puppeteer on Sesame Street. He continued his career in children’s television on numerous shows as a creator, executive producer, and director, winning several awards along the way. His latest show, Splash and Bubbles, was originally an off Broadway musical entitled Imaginocean. After receiving so much positive feedback, he reimagined it as a television series, which is about best fish friends and their adventures exploring the ocean. On this show, children learn about Marine Biology and Oceanography.
Watch on: PBS KIDS
Visit my Instagram feed (@WestsideMommy) for more photos from this event
Henson Family Hub
The Henson Family Hub is the official online home to The Jim Henson Company’s family entertainment brands and a virtual community celebrating, supporting and connecting all kinds of families.
www.hensonfamilyhub.com
The Jim Henson Company: www.henson.com
Westside Mommy was invited as a member of the media to attend this event. All opinions are my own.
Special thanks to MrsKathyKing.com – check out her site for movie-themed activities, mom’s guide, savvy party planning tips and more
