Little People
Positive messages overshadow marketing in toy-inspired show.
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Based on 1 review
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Little People
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Little People is a preschool series inspired by the popular playsets and characters from Fisher-Price. The friendly characters let their imaginations take them far from their own neighborhood and teach them lessons about personal behavior and social interaction in the context of their experiences. Commercialism is an obvious concern, and your kids might take a new interest in the Little People line of toys and other products after seeing the show, but it doesn't self-promote at the expense of the stories themselves. Lively music and a diverse cast round out this enjoyable series for tots.
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What's the Story?
LITTLE PEOPLE follows the adventures of Mia (voiced by Emma Shannon), Koby (Aden Schwartz), Eddie (Kannon Kurowski), Sophie (Taylor Bertman), and Jack (Christopher Schleicher), best friends whose big imaginations take them far away from their hometown to learn new things. They may start their day in their neighborhood, but in no time at all, they're exploring far-flung places like the jungle and even outer space. Even though being with friends is always fun, the Little People tots discover that it can pose some challenges, and they must work together to solve them.
Is It Any Good?
This fun-filled musical series caters to preschoolers' sense of imagination and teaches some valuable social lessons along the way. When Eddie names himself the head chef in a restaurant, for instance, he discovers that his friends don't really appreciate being bossed around. When Mia gets impatient waiting her turn, she learns the hard way how it feels to be pushed to the back of the line. These scenarios will be easy for preschoolers to relate to, and the resulting messages give kids something to think about the next time they encounter (or cause) similar behavior among their peers.
Anytime a toy manufacturer makes the jump to the TV screen, you have to weigh the pros and cons of inviting this kind of commercialism into your kids' media world. Little People steers clear of blatant self-promotion, but it's safe to say that your youngsters may notice certain toys that bear the characters' images or resemble the sets (pirate ship, farm, jungle) in this show. Fortunately, though, Little People is a quality production that easily stands on its own merit and has some great takeaways for kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about solving problems like the ones that arise in the Little People's experiences. Is it always easy to recognize your own negative behavior? How can you tell a friend if his or her actions have hurt your feelings? How does communication help clear things up?
Kids: What are some of your favorite imaginative play themes? When you pretend, who do you like to be? Where do you learn about these subjects? Does having other friends play with you make it more fun or more challenging to pretend?
Kids: When you see characters like Little People as toys or on clothing and accessories, does it make you want them more? On the other hand, if you have or have seen the Little People toys, were you more inclined to want to see the show because of that?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 7, 2016
- Cast: Emma Shannon, Kannon Kurowski, Aden Schwartz
- Network: Universal Kids
- Genre: Kids Musical TV
- Topics: Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models, Music and Sing-Along
- Character Strengths: Communication
- TV rating: TV-Y
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: October 14, 2022
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