I wish I was a toddler again (CBeebies)

Member Name: LisaW82

Product:	CBeebies
Date:	25/01/09 (69 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Evry show offers something unique

Disadvantages: None

I'll start this review by giving you a statement that will be explained as you read further down. "CBeebies has become MY best friend!"

Now the reason, or should I say reasons.

CBeebies, launched in 2002, is a dedicated channel from the BBC that is solely for pre-school children. As my daughter is now 2, I only discovered the joys of this channel 2 years ago and I have to say that there isn't a day goes by that I am not impressed with the variety they offer your child.

The best thing about CBeebies, other than the obvious program and character list that I will come to in a moment, is the fact that it is available on FreeView, so that means, once analogue is witched off, everyone will be able to see it. Too many children's channels are only aired on SKY or other subscription networks, which bugs me somewhat.

Now to the real stars of the show. CBeebies features approximately 70 shows at various times in the week. My daughter's particular favourite is Mr Tumble, but I have to say I much prefer Finley the Fire Engine. She has grown out of In the Night Garden now, but while it was aimed at her a year or so ago it was an absolute blessing and we used it regularly as a mechanism to relax her ready for bed during the CBeebies 'Bedtime Hour'. You only have to look in high street stores to see how popular some of the CBeebies shows have become, especially the likes of In the Night Garden and LazyTown.

The educational aspect of the channel seems to be spot on too and tends to focus the more educational kind of shows for the hours between 9am and 4pm, which I believe must be a good idea as it gets the child ready to be in learning mode during school hours.

There are really far too many quality shows and characters on CBeebies to mention here, but if I was going to recommend just 5 or 10 of them it would have to be the storytelling nature of Balamory and the Story Makers, the pop music style shows of Carrie and David's Pop Shop and Space Pirate, the learning featured in Big Cook Little Cook and Eco Beebies and lastly the general good fun shows like LazyTown, Nina and the Neurons, Lunar Jim and that age old classic Postman Pat.

I also like the fact that it goes off air at 7pm, almost to suggest to any child reluctant to go to bed that it is time to go to bed as CBeebies is finished for the day.

There is never nothing to watch on CBeebies and, if you cannot receive it, may I recommend a FreeView box straight away, if only for this channel.

Summary: The single most important reason to get FreeView