Top Ten Preschool TV Shows of 2006

Most parents will admit that great kids programming is big parenting help. With the start of Sesame Street in 1969, Children's television has steadily evolved into a vast landscape of dedicated channels, educational shows, products and websites. There is literally something for every interest and age level.

With channels like Noggin, Playhouse Disney, and Nick Jr. running children's programming all day, and plenty of other channels dedicating a portion of their day to children's programming, there are plenty of choices for great pre-school television shows. Here are the top ten preschool television shows of 2006.

Barney and Friends

Say what you will about the big purple dinosaur with the annoyingly upbeat personality, but there's a reason he's been on the air since 1992. Barney teaches kids about the world around them, safety, cooperation and beginning education through songs and music. Ending every show with his signature song, "I love you, you love me..." kids have shown that they really do love Barney.

Bear in the Big Blue House

One of Jim Henson's muppets with the most expression, Bear is the occupant of the Big Blue house and greets his guests each show with a "sniff". Using music and songs to teach, Bear in the Big Blue house also uses the end of the show to recap everything they talked about during the episode. This is a great show for kids ages 2-5.

Blue's Clues

A popular kids show since 1996, Blue is an animated dog owned by a real person. Until 2002, Steve, was Blues owner, but when Steve left the show, his brother "Joe" took over caring for Blue. In each show, Steve and or Joe interact with the audience, asking them questions and even waiting for answers as they look for Blue's Clues, recording them in their notebook, and seeing if they can solve Blue's Puzzle . Shows explore music, science, and social/emotional issues.

Dora the Explorer

Since 2000, Dora the Explorer has been a regular series on Nick Jr. In each episode, Dora has a "mission" to accomplish. She does this with the help of her backpack, her map, and her good friend "Boots". Dora speaks English during 98% of the show, but occasionally will teach words in Spanish. The TV audience is asked to repeat words, jump up and down, or try and find hidden objects .

Go, Diego, Go!

Diego is Dora's animal conservationist cousin and a recent addition to the Nick Jr. lineup. Go, Diego, Go has much the same feel as Dora's show. Diego has a rescue pack and camera that help him complete each animal rescue mission. Each show is interactive and teaches preschoolers about a different animal. At the end of each show, there is an easy quiz where kids can recall what they learned.

JoJo's Circus

This "claymation" type animated show features JoJo Tickles who lives in Circus Town. Everyone in Circus Town works for the circus in some way. There are clowns, acrobats, jugglers and more. Each episode teaches simple lessons on social and emotional issues such as responsibility, personal hygiene, being a good friend and safety. JoJo also encourages kids to get up and move with a lot of audience interaction.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

This is a new edition to the Playhouse Disney channel. This updated CGI animated remake of the Mickey Mouse Club does not feature real people. However, all the standard Disney Characters are in every show including, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse focuses on problem solving and teaching basic math skills such as shapes, patterns, colors and sequencing.

The Wiggles

Another kids show that kids seem to love a lot more than their parents is The Wiggles. All four of the Wiggles are qualified pre-school teachers from Australia, two of who had their own popular music band for 10 years before deciding to focus on Children's music and entertainment. Their shows feature music and signing and encourage kids to get up and dance or "Wiggle" with them.

Sesame Street

Some may say Sesame Street is the groundbreaker for most children's programming today. Sesame Street combines live actors with muppets and animation to teach kids letters and numbers using a lot of smaller segments. Sesame Street is one of the most highly regarded children's shows, having been shown in 120 countries. It has received 109 Emmy Awards, which is more than any other show.

Teletubbies

Created in England with actual research, The Teletubbies is geared towards infants and toddlers and is designed to respond to their physical, emotional and cognitive needs. The Teletubbies have often been the center of controversy. Some argued that the Teletubbies "baby talk" did nothing to encourage infants and toddlers to use correct pronunciation and speech. Of course the biggest controversy came when Christian Leader Jerry Falwell suggested that Tinky Winky, the purple Teletubby might be gay.

One impressive trend in children's television programming today is the large number of educational shows available. Almost every children's show has educational value and parents can feel good about an hour or so of television entertainment for their pre-schooler.