It’s 2:30am. Do you know where your toddler is? If he’s sick and up in the middle of the night, he just might be watching programming on PBS KIDS Sprout. PBS KIDS Sprout is the only 24 hour a day television station dedicated to programming for 2 to 5 year-olds. PBS KIDS Sprout is a partnership between Comcast, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Sesame Workshop, and HIT Entertainment (the folks that bring your child Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank Engine among other shows).
What makes PBS KIDS Sprout different?
The programming on PBS KIDS Sprout follows a typical toddler-like day. Each day there’s a visit from the Birthday Guy, Kevin. Parents can send in colorful birthday cards for their children that feature pictures of their child and characters from any of the PBS KIDS Sprout line-up and Kevin will share the birthday cards that they select. While it’s exciting for your child to see her face on TV, it’s also fun to make the cards with your child.
The PBS KIDS Sprout afternoon line-up is packaged into a block called the “Let’s Go Show”. Interspersed between the regular PBS KIDS Sprout shows, host Miles and his puppy Banjo go on an adventure that allows your child to interact by shouting out the names of signs or by joining in by singing or dancing along.
PBS KIDS Sprout evening programming includes The Good Night Show. The Good Night Show is hosted by Nina and her friend Star (a star shaped puppet). From 6:00-9:00pm, Nina and Star slowly and quietly wind down the day for your child. Nina and Star sing songs, do yoga, and make simple crafts in between introducing the Good Night Show programming. The line-up for the Good Night Show includes two of my son’s favorites Sagwa the cat (written by Amy Tan of Joy Luck Club fame) and Kipper the Dog (which is a slapstick comedy featuring 3 dogs and 2 pigs based on the charming books by Mike Inkpen).
Other PBS KIDS Sprout programs include perennial favorites like Barney, Teletubbies, Bob the Builder, Dragon Tales and Angelina Ballerina and some you won’t see elsewhere like Fireman Sam (who is from Wales so be prepared to help decipher thick Welsh accents).
Lest you get the impression that my son is watching PBS KIDS Sprout from morning until dusk, let me tell you my favorite thing about Sprout. By far, the best thing about PBS KIDS Sprout is that the shows are short. With the exception of a few shows like Sesame Street, Sprout shows are generally 15 minutes long or shorter. Think one segment of Dragon Tales or one Sagwa the cat story.
So rather than watching a full half hour of television and then still asking for more, I can treat my son to several Thomas shows on PBS KIDS Sprout and the television will be on for no longer than 15 minutes. He feels like he’s had a lot of different stories and I feel like he hasn’t watched a full half hour or hour of TV including commercials I’d rather he not see. Speaking of commercials, yes PBS KIDS Sprout has them, but compared to Nickeolodeon or other kids stations, the commercials on PBS Kids Sprout are pretty benign.
Is PBS KIDS Sprout worth it?
Absolutely. The variety of shows and original programming combined with the ability to easily limit the amount of television your child watches makes PBS KIDS Sprout a winner all around. So if your cable channel doesn’t offer PBS KIDS Sprout, you might want to give them a call and request it.
