 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Braincandy 5 Senses DVD Series
- Review Date: December 25, 2007
- NR
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2007
Common Sense Media says
Cheery learning with puppet friends for ages 2-4.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the five-DVD Braincandy series (including See My World, Hear My World, Touch My World, Taste My World, Smell My World) reinforces "organic" learning, integrating movement, music, bright colors, and live action scenes of active preschoolers as they learn about the five senses. Gentle and cheerful, the Braincandy DVDs emphasize the learning process rather than the end results, and feature enough variety to appeal to all kinds of learners. Although the DVD packaging suggests that the series is appropriate for age 6 months and up, parents should know that both Common Sense Media and the American Academy of Pediatrics advise against allowing children younger than 2 years old watch TV and other screen media.
What's the story?
BRAINCANDY'S 5 SENSES DVD SERIES is a thoughtful and well-conceived effort to underpin how young children learn, not just what they learn. The series integrates many different activities to teach about each of the human senses (sight, touch, taste, sound, and smell), engaging learners of all different stages and approaches. (Each sense is covered on a single DVD.) Puppet guide Bruce Brain, with the help of puppet friends like Ana Ear and Harry Hand, talks in very simple terms about the sense in question. Repetition through various techniques drives the lesson home. For instance, the Taste My World DVD introduces the concept of "eating." We then see a baby being spoon-fed, listen to a grandpa talking about eating his sandwich, and watch a fun picnic with a mom making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a group of kids. Dance intervals are spaced perfectly for young viewers who may have a hard time sitting still through the entire episode, and the music is thoughtfully chosen.
Is it any good?
Although the recycled-organic DVD packaging suggests that the series is appropriate for age 6 months and up, parents should know that both Common Sense Media and the American Academy of Pediatrics advise against allowing children younger than 2 years old watch TV and other screen media. Studies have raised concerns that early exposure to TV could be detrimental to attention span and cognitive development.
That said, the DVD models positive, fun, and easily replicated interactions for caregivers and young children ages 2-4, and may prompt creative thinking about how to reinforce learning through all the senses.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about their senses by trying non-traditional ways of approaching the subject. Instead of just reading a book about colors, how about making up a dance that shows how a color makes you feel? Or cooking foods of different colors?
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| Studio: | Braincandy |
| Director: | John Dagnen |
| Cast: | Jane Mandelson, Peter Orr, Roger Mara |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 40 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | December 26, 2007 |
| DVD release date: | October 1, 2007 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
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