if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

What do let them watch, what do they like?
What have you found helps them deveop language ro any other skills?

Just curious, he doesn't get much tv, but once a week or so I like to give him some veg out time, especially when he's sick or teething really bad and just not having good play time

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

My 2 yo has gone through phases since she was one. Her faves have been:

Hi-5 (discovery kids, and we bought the dvd set)
mickey mouse clubhouse
little einsteins
dora
diego

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

Sesame Street - the show & Elmo/Sesame Street videos - in particular Learning about Letters & Count with Elmo.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

At that age, DS loved:


The Wiggles
Dora
Elmo

He learned some Spanish words from Dora.

Not much from Sesame Street

Loves music from the Wiggles.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

My little guy goes through phases.
- Yo Gabba Gabba
- Chuggington
- Sesame street/play with me sesame
- Barney
- Dino Dan (which I hate)
- Fireman Sam (probably his favorite)
- Diego
- and his new favorite which I love is Caillou

ETA: These are more for veg out time. I don't really use them for improving his language. I truly believe only socializing does that! He does pick up things and role play from it (yesterday he told me he had the chicken pox and I should take him to the dr. b/c of a Caillou episode)

Message edited 3/10/2011 12:54:48 PM.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

DS watched Disney Junior. He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Special Agent Oso and Handy Manny. sometimes he'll watch sponge bob.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

Fresh Beat Band-he dances and claps to the music

Dino Dan: I dont' know about John but I def know a ton more about Dinosaurs then I ever learned in school.

Sometimes on the weekends: Blue Clues..- If steve draws something he knows.. he'll point and say the word.. ie.. bubbles.

Sometimes : nai ho kai lan (sp)- def wants to copy the words but really...I can't even do that....

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

he watchs Pat the Postman and La Gran Granja, both on Cbeebies, both in Spanish.

he knows that Pat has a cat (GATO) and screams Gato at the tv every time he sees it. also when people are wearing hats (gorra) cars (carro or "gaago" ) and any other words he knows.

La Gran Granja is a bunch of real live animals that they voice over with human dialogue. he makes different animal sounds at tv and points out all the animals.

it's interactive b/c we make it interactive. we watch with him and talk to him about what he's seeing...

that's really about all he watches. he doesn't have a great attention span for it yet. which is fine with me. he'd rather sit in his corner and read (aka pull all of his books onto his lap and flip through them )

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

On a side note: John has learned the MOST from the Baby Einstein "First word book"

It's a big picture book.. he can name and point to MANY MANY of the items on each page!!!

It's amazing how much they understand even without being able to say the words yet...I say point to the elephant...he cant say it yet.. but he sure points to it....

and the amount of words he CAN say.. are b/c he LOVES the book and we read it daily!!

Just my 2 cents.

ETA: sorry I know you didn't ask for books but Im so impressed wtih it... i had too.

Message edited 3/10/2011 12:59:44 PM.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

Yes, she watches TV and Videos

Yes, she learns and retains.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Barney – Manners, cleaning, etc
Word World


Leap Frog Videos – Taught her alphabet around 1yr
Pre-School Prep Videos – Taught her numbers at age less than 1yr


She watches Ni-how Kialan or whatever its called. She LOVES foreign languages. I hate dora the explorer and diego but I let her watch them for a little while because its Spanish.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

I like anything quiet-Little bear, Franklin.

DD likes Dora and Diego-I can't stand the repetition but fine.

We all like Backyardigans the best so we will watch that if possible when we let DD watch.

I don't think any of these shows teach a whole lot.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

DS loves Yo Gabba Gabba, the Backyardigans and the Fresh Beat Band.

They are great when he's having a bad day (tired, crabby, sick, teething, etc).

I am not sure how much he's actually learning from them though - he seems to learn more through daycare.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

DD is 13 months

She LOVES Yo Gabba Gabba
Likes Sesame Street, Dora, Nai Ho Kai Lan, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Mommy and Daddys wedding video

ETA I honestly believe she can say and understand so many words due to these shows!

Message edited 3/10/2011 1:43:46 PM.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

DD's favorites are:

Sesame Street (her fav)
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Yo Gabba Gabba
Fresh Beat Band

She's 21 months old.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

I leave on Disney Junior and sesame street. He never sits and actually watches more than 10 mins, he just looks up and claps when they sing songs.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

DD watches Nick Jr

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

I, for one, cannot have a quiet house...it 'creeps' me out....so for us - the TV is always on.

I keep it on Nick Jr or Disney & occasionally put on baby first tv.

Em sits and watches VERY little....but has her faves...right now -

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Where Is Warehouse Mouse (a little thing they do in between shows on mickey mouse)
Wow Wow Wubbzy (like, she FREAKS the freak out when this comes on and will sit and NOT MOVE)
Olivia
Blue's Clues
Jack's Big Music Show

all other shows, she listens to and if a song comes on - she'll dance...or if something interests her, she'll pay attention.

she has learned BOATLOADS from these & other shows. She knows a few words in Chinese thanks to Kai Lan, has repeated a TON of words from all the shows above, knows some sign language from Blue's Clues....

I really feel like TV has come a long way from when it was deemed 'bad' for you. The tv is very interactive now and as a parent, i play along....so when Mickey Mouse says, can you say, 'insert phrases here'....i do so and Em does too, learning new words, every day.

The only movie Emma will sit 100% still for is Finding Nemo - that movie is her all time favorite...and Horton is a close second. All other movies, she plays, reads, etc. while they are on.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

The only show DD will watch is Barney. She is obsessed. But, I think it's the music. She dances and claps her hands. We have Netflix for the Wii and she grabs the wii remote and points it at the TV and and waits...so I have to put Barney on. I can't stand it..but she really loves it. I sing the songs to her and she gets really excited. She loves to Dance and clap along. I don't see the harm in it, so I let her watch it a few times a week. She has no interest in the TV unless Barney is on.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

At that age mostly Baby Einstein videos. He did watch some Noggin (now Nick Jr.) shows -
Jack's Big Music show
Blue's clues
Little Bill
and some Sesame St.

Now, at 3, he watches
Yo Gabba Gabba
Backyardigans
Thomas
Toy Story movies

My DS prefers videos - he likes to watch the same stuff over and over and over and over.

I do think he learned things from Baby Einstein and Blue's Clues, the other shows, not so much.

Message edited 3/10/2011 2:06:58 PM.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

My DD is 2. Right now her big favorites are Blues Clues and Olivia, and the movie Cars. She also will watch whatever my 5 yo DS watches, lol.

Not every show is educational just because it's on Nick Jr. or Disney, IMO. For example, DD loves Olivia which is cute and harmless but really not educational.

I really am a big fan of Blues Clues. My DS loved it at that age and now DD loves it too. Of all the kiddie shows I've watched over the years, I feel it really has the most built-in interaction and educational value, it touches on a variety of subjects, and it's all done in a really fun way for the kids.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

YO Gabba Gabba - he loves this show. Usually our night show after bath time. He sings all the charectors and probably learned some things

Dora - he always says "Da Da Dor" he learns spanish and will sort of try to count

I sometimes keep Nick Jr on in the background, but those are the 2 main shows.
Between shows if he hears the "Move to the Music" part he gets excited b/c he likes to dance to the songs

He also will watch Wow Wow Wubzy and/or Ni Hao Kailan in the mornings b4 daycare.
He says "Wow Wow" over and over again or when Ni Hao is on he goes "Ya Ya"

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

My son is 13 months old and loves Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

If one of these shows is on, he will watch it for a little while, then usually will play or "read" a book, and then go back to watching it. He doesn't really sit there and watch the full episode.

Over the last 2 weeks, he really has started to understand and "speak" sooooooooooo much more. I don't think its because he watches TV, but think that those shows definitely can help.

Re: if your 1-2 year old watches tv/videos ..

Disney Junior is on in our house...DS LOVES
Mickey Mouse
Imagination Movers
Handy Manny
Special Agent Oso