Kids learn to count infront of the box! (In the Night Garden)

Member Name: joannan

Product:	In the Night Garden
Date:	10/06/09 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A lovely, harmless program that parents can trust

Disadvantages: Non, apart from I find it a bore!! Thats just me!

So, prior to having my 2, the thought of a mother plonking my children on front of the telly in order to get thing around the house done made me judge....not in a good way...I am now that mother!!! The kids get about an hour of telly or so each day, just so I can clean up after them, or do ANYTHING! Not something I am proud of really, although they love to cook and clean with me and it is fun, but that certainly that doesn't get things done, infact cooking together really creates a whole load of mess!! But they Lerve it..so ho hum.

On the other end of the spectrum, I work 2 days a week, and my hubby looks after the kids on these days....meals are planned, clothes are planned,\and the laundry and cleaning is usually up to date......so the 3 of them chill infront of the telly pretty much all day long...and have a fine old time.


Sooo, it was my husband that introduced me to In the Night Garden. Am am so not into kids telly at all, I find it annoying and really don't bother. He can sit for hours with the kids and really interact and watch it with them. I needed to try to get to grips with what on earth Iggaapaga was (Igglepiggle)

So, I can only discribe In the Night Garden as a really trippy hippy cartoon/character childrens program that is on Cbeebies twice a day, at lunchtime at nearing bedtime. It is based around a garden...park thing. Very green and outdoorsy. Lots of bushes and trees etc. It sort of but reminds me of the magic Roundabout in its madness. I was so not impressed by it, and infact will go as far to to say hated it. But the kids, especially my 2 year old love it. (I have a 2 and a half year old and a 1 and a half year old for reference) It was strange, characters that were not anything that one can identify......not a cat or a dog or whatever.

Charecters:

Main man is Igglepiggle. He is a blue teddy thing, that carries a red blanket, and it all seems to revolve around him. Doesn't speak as such, more makes familier noises.

upsey Daisy is female interest. She is a creamy/brown character with a coloured skirt much like a puff ball from the 80's that inflates at random times, particularly when she is singing or dancing. She sings, very BADLY.....my daughter likens it to Mummys singing...joy.

We then have 3 similar bods called the Tombleeboos. They live together and have trousers that fall down. They do great things like wash clothes and brush teeth. Very sweet little things called unn, ooo and eee.

We then have the Haahoo's they are 5 (I think) big infatebable things that float around in the background. Different colours, and just have a distinct music behind them. They don't really bring anything to the table, however my little girl for no apparent reason loves episodes more when the are there!

Makka Pakka is a small beige round thing that pushes a scooter called an ogg pog. (My daughter has the toddler version of this now!)He has a spunge and goes around washing all the other characters faces.

Then we have 2 little families of 10 little people called the Teeny tiny Pontipines and the Whatingers.

There are 2 forms of transport, the Ninky-Nonk and the Pinky-ponk. One is a train...not like we know it, more of an Indian ritual carrier and the Orient Express's love child.......

Now, if you are confused...then so am I. You kind of just have to watch it.

I started doing so as my little girl all of a sudden started to count. At 20 months, she was able to count to 10. Not I am ashamed to say, because of my wonderful mothering...but because they repeatedly counted out the 10 teeny tiny ponty pines. So I started taking note!

The program, really adds to the very strict routine I like my kids to have. They are very strong on repeating things. They always do certain things, such as Makka Pakka washes faces, the tombeeboos brush teeth, and Igglepiggle always is the last one in bed.....who's not in bed??.... the Shakespear and very accomplished actor Derek Jacobi always narrates.

To summerise, in my opinion, and I am no child psycholgist, it promotes counting, routine with tooth brushing and the love of washing, has lots of singing and dancing (not well) but Lara loves to copy and dance with upsy Daisy and a real emphesis on going to bed being a wonderful thing and something to be looked forward to.

I love what my kids have gleened from this Cbeebies show, it has happened without me, and has really given me an insight into how repetition helps counting and memory, and making things like brushing teeth a fun activity that loved characters do help a treat!!!

A wonderful strangly educational program for toddlers and pre school children.....and Daddy's that are just kids at heart :-)

Summary: A great program that toddlers love & teaches them good routines and counting!