Team Umizoomi

The only tv show Lilly watches that is educational is Sesame Street, and sometimes Signing Time. Otherwise, she's into musicals and Disney-esque drama, which is fine by me - but there's only so much Jonas Brothers and Annie and Aladdin that we can watch.

Recently Lilly turned on the tv (she knows every function of a remote control, of course) and found a show called Team Umizoomi. She's never watched random regular tv shows before, usually it's me putting something on that she's requested - but this day we sat down together and watched a show she's never seen before. She's never been into animated tv, but this peaked her interest (there's a birthday cake in the opening scene which I think made her want to watch!). And I think we've found our new favorite show.

It's a show about helping someone accomplish something, with educational steps along the way. Shapes, numbers, problem solving - all areas that we're working on. And for some reason it's capitvated her attention and when they ask a question, she loves the long pause and shouts out her answer. I sit right next to her when we watch it, and if she needs help with a question, I pause it and we talk about how to figure it out.

Some examples of recent show topics were how the subway works (and what to do if it's stuck!) and the steps it takes to get an airplane ready for takeoff - certainly interesting to Miss Lilly, and throughout the show there are great questions and learning opportunities about skills so appropriate for Lilly. So I'm really liking our new favorite show - mostly because of the way it challenges Lilly's brain and teaches her really important skills (instead of how to do new choreography like her favorite movies - although those will still be in rotation).