Martha and Friends
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What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this multimedia animated series will inspire kids to be creative and express themselves through simple crafting and cooking projects that are incorporated into the show's plot, but multiple references to the show's website remind them that they'll need to go online to find out exactly how to replicate what they see the characters make. By itself the content has a lot of merit for kids, working positive messages about teamwork, respect, and overcoming insecurities seamlessly into each story and even casting a boy as a forefront character to challenge the concept that creativity is strictly a girl thing.
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What's the story?
MARTHA AND FRIENDS is an animated series that centers on a group of friends who have fun cooking, crafting, and creating together. On any given day, you can find Hannah (voiced by Allie Shea), Lily (Quinn Schlatter), Kevin (Sean Ryan Petersen), and Martha (Anna Paredes) busy creating in their decked-out workshop, trying their hands at everything from scrapbooking to embellishing their clothing. DIY queen Martha Stewart lends her name to this collaborative project, which got its start as webisodes before inspiring full-length thematic episodes like "Back to School Party" and a beach party celebration for the Fourth of July.
Is it any good?
Young Martha Stewart wannabes will find their own creative outlet in this well-rounded series that, despite its codependent relationship with its partner website, doesn't try too hard to promote its other half. Sure, the characters often draw viewers' attention to particular crafts or kitchen concoctions to better enable fans to find them on the website later on, but the references themselves don't distract from the show in the least, and there are no how-to tutorials to bog down the story's flow.
Even if your kids aren't the crafty type, Martha and Friends is a pleasant watch, and its stories explore issues that will ring true with grade-schoolers, like starting at a new school and overcoming personal insecurities. Each story works in worthwhile messages about relationships and self-confidence, so there's plenty of value even without the creative inspiration.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about self-expression. What hobbies do you enjoy that allow you to express yourself? How does your creative style reflect your personality? What other interests do you want to try?
Kids: What role does brand name play in influencing your likes and dislikes? What does the Martha Stewart name invoke? Do you expect a certain quality from her products? Do you think this show lives up to her reputation?
What activities (cooking, sewing, building models, for instance) are stereotypically male or female? How do stereotypes affect our impression of what is acceptable behavior? Do you think these gender lines are becoming more blurred? Why or why not?
TV details
- Premiere date: December 20, 2010
- Cast: Allie Shea, Anna Paredes, Sean Ryan Petersen
- Network: Hallmark Channel
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Character Strengths: Curiosity
- TV rating: NR
- Available on: Streaming
Character Strengths
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