Dear Friends,

Although watching television or cartoons on computers may not be ideal, it is also increasingly difficult to keep our kids away from these devices.

I believe that if it is any form of TV, the least we can do is show them quality content and also spend time with them watching it or being near them so that they feel we are a part of the audience.

No, no, it is not because I like cartoons 🙂 but, because when I watch anything WITH my daughter, it makes her feel, she is enjoying the cartoon with a friend as she exclaims something or later on, when she tries to enact similarly. She knows there will be someone who understands all the funny things she has just seen. Also, I ask her questions when the main character is not behaving in the right way, “Aruja, do you think Pingu is doing the right thing?” or “Don’t you think he should help his friend?”

On a positive note, there are so many amazing cartoons with a great themes and animation quality and stories and messages for our kids.

We are not mentioning here the numerous rhyme videos or the song videos or educational videos.

Just pure animation for the “Nirmal anand” (Pure happiness) of watching cartoons. And they are freely available on the internet.

So here are few of our favorites and we hope that our reader friends would also enjoy these.

1) Uki aired on Ceebeebies was an animated pre-school show that centres on a cute, cuddly, upbeat and very, very curious little creature. Uki takes the littlest of viewers by the hand to discover the world through adventures that are playful, funny and cheerful.
Uki, Where’s the cake? : Link — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29ch07medYE

2) Maya the bee is aired on Discovery kids is a story of a honeybee who lives alone in a meadow and her adventures with her friends. We watch it pre-recorded on tata sky and often switch to Hindi language.
Maya to the rescue: Link –– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyrTk7MpwYI

3) Shaun the sheep was aired on Nickelodeon. All of us adults at home also used to enjoy the antics of this sheep on the farm. It has the whole story revolving around the problems arising at the farm and how the animals solve these together.
The big chase: Link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odWBuDaDqIs

4) Mickey, Donald, Minnie, Goofy and friends, the evergreen disney characters who never fail to entertain and teach in the most wonderful way.
Minnie mouse bow-tique: Link — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B56Z82GyNOE

5) Silly symphony is a series of disney cartoons with individual stories. Our favorites are: The Three little pigs, Goliath I & II, Elmer elephant, ugly duckling, Mother pluto.
The Three little pigs: Link — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olo923T2HQ4

6) Peppa pig is a story of a little bossy but sweet Pig and their family. Simple cartoons convey simple points to the kids very well. Also, there is a lot of family time and laughter and fun. Your daughter would definitely like this one.
Bubbles: Link –– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDTsyG9aNDc

7) Pingu is a story of a playful, naughty and a clever penguin & his family. His daily antics in the house, some of his crazy ways, sibling fights all resonate with our daily lives.
Pingu gets lost: link — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXPchnO7nTY

8) Chulbuli is actually an advert for a shampoo which picturises a small, active and a zesty chulbuli trying to help and in the process getting dirty. See it to know more. Also see Chulbuli and pyari.
Chulbuli: Link — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lqMV97ukJ8&list=PL908A1193954338B5

9) Shri Krishna is the story of Krishna from his birth. It has a few more stories of krishna leela on You tube. Krishna and the fruit seller: Link — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jik8Qyx206I

10) Other than the series of cartoons there are many individual stories which are available.

For example, the story of Lambert the lion: Link –– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRtKAQJUc3g . These are available in many languages too. In Marathi, Chal re bhoplya tunuk tunuk or Topi vikya ani makada or Sasa ani kasav are tales which we have heard in our childhood from our elders. These are available in animation form now.
Similarly, lion & mouse, Panchatantra tales, The monkey & the crocodile, Goldilocks and the three bears are all available in various languages on you tube. Search for these.
Chal re bhoplya tunuk tunuk: Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEhOX8ot4O4 — is also available in hindi as Chal bhai kaddu: Link — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfW10L60UJM

Do let us know if our little buddies love any of the above characters just like us or which are your favorite cartoons? We would love to know 🙂

Catch you later,

Poornima