Big Fun Time! (CBeebies)

Member Name: munchkin-bitch

Product:	CBeebies
Date:	04/03/08 (716 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: educational programs, entertaining

Disadvantages: most programs are repeated morning to afternoon the same day

My husband and i recently purchased a 37 inch lcd tv. My husband was agog with excitement, yet since it has been home the main thing that has been on is Cbeebies!

My daughter first discovered the 'joys' of tv with this channel when she was around 6 months old-i used to let her watch the odd program when i wanted to get things done round the house. Since the birth of my second and third child, it seems that the tv is eternally stuck on the channel 702 (on virgin tv).

Its terrible really, as my eldest started playschool last week, so i thought that it would give me a chance to watch something else on tv-i didnt count on my middle child whinging at me constantly. She is 17 months old, and is at the stage where she screams at the top of her lungs if i walk out of the room. and the only way to distract her is to put the mesmirising songs from cbeebies on. Then, when my eldest gets in, she is really tired and wants to relax for a bit-and yep, you've got it, she wants to watch cbeebies.

The last full program of the night is a massive hit-'In The Night Garden', which my children know means bedtime after that, as the characters all settle down to bed.

In actual fact, can you guess whats on the tv at the moment?
Its 'Carrie and Dave's Popshop', a program on cbeebies that is designed to teach children about creating songs-all the different components that go together to create the full song.

I often find that my children like listening to all the songs and funny noises from the channel, rather than sitting and watching it-they'll be playing with their backs to the tv, but will come running in an instant if they hear the channel has been switched off!

The channel is aired from 6am to 7pm, and during the week the set morning programs are repeated in the afternoon, with a couple of exceptions (boogie beebies is one that springs to mind, and is on around 11.45am).

The programs are all aimed at preschool children-up to 6, yet i think that is a little ambitious, as i think that by 6 children would be wanting more cartoons-along the lines of disney and nick toons, which quickly bore my children.

Every program is designed to teach the child something-even if its only clifford the big red dog giving a lesson in sharing for example.

My daughter tends to enjoy the more interactive ones, such as mr maker, who teaches kids simple craft progects, or the new 'squiggle' one, that is a character that teaches you how to draw-the different shapes that make up the pictures.
-Then there are programs like the numberjacks-characterised numbers to help children learn numbers, or fun with phonics, which teaches children the sounds letters make.

overall i find that it is brilliant at educating the children when you're trying to get things done, or if they're at that ratty 'too tired to do much' mood-like my eldest is now!, although you may have a fight on your hands getting the channel off sometimes!

Summary: kids love it, better than non educational cartoons if they have to watch tv