'Fun and learning' programs for children

'Fun and learning' programs for children - Mothers have their say!

A recent poll of 605 mothers has provided an interesting insight into children's learning programs such as Play School, Stanley, Blues Clues, Sesame Street and The Wiggles.

The on-line opinion poll, conducted by Australian parenting website Motherinc.com.au and Buena Vista Home Entertainment, involved mothers with children aged ten years or under. The poll involved questions about television or video programs that blend fun and learning.

Poll results show that the majority of children (94 percent) enjoy watching 'fun and learning' programs and 61 percent of mothers believe these programs are 'very beneficial'.

Mothers indicated that 62 percent of children watch 'fun and learning' programs every weekday and 33 percent of children watch every day.

The most popular programs for children were the ones that included songs and actions, dancing, fun characters, alphabet and counting exercises, information on animals and story-time. Most parents (72 percent) believe that programs containing alphabet and counting exercises are particularly beneficial for their children to watch.

Seventy-one percent of mothers believed that their children's level of enjoyment improved with watching 'fun and learning' programs, 53 percent of mothers believed their child's imagination improved and 45 percent believed their child's knowledge improved.

'Fun and learning' programs were viewed on free to air television by 83 percent of children and on cable television by 29 percent of children.

Ninety percent of families owned 'fun and learning' programs on DVD or video. Kerry Alleaume, Product Manager for Buena Vista Home Entertainment who distributes Playhouse Disney's popular 'fun and learning' title Stanley, says that mothers are comfortable with DVD and video formats because they can control what their children are watching.

"Mothers who are concerned about their children 'channel surfing' and viewing inappropriate television shows have embraced learning programs in DVD and video format," she says.

"Programs like Stanley are not only fun and entertaining, but are designed to help preschoolers learn about animals, build vocabulary, sound recognition, numbers, and counting skills," says Ms Alleaume.

Children's television and video viewing also appears to be a hot conversation topic amongst mothers with 74 percent of poll respondents indicating that they discuss their child's TV and video viewing with other mums.

Claudia Keech, founder of Motherinc.com.au, says the large number of poll respondents indicates that mothers are acutely aware of the impact television and videos have on young children. "The Poll proved today's mums are tuned-in to using appropriate videos as entertainment and as a method of stimulating early learning and creativity in young children," says Ms Keech.

While television and video viewing are regular activities for young children, it is just one of many activities they enjoy. The poll also reveals that 74 percent of children enjoy playing outdoors and 66 percent of children enjoy reading / being read to 'very much'.