It used to be that Sesame Street was the most beloved children’s television show of all time. It’s certainly still up there in the ratings, but of all the shows that have come around more recently, Blue’s Clues is giving the old classic a run for its money in the popularity department.
The premise is simple. A young man named Steve lives in a house with his puppy, Blue, and several talking objects such as a drawer, a clock, a shovel and pail, and a salt and pepper shaker set. Each day, there’s something Blue would like to do or see or accomplish, and she helps Steve figure out what she wants by leaving her paw print on three clues, which Steve then draws in his handy dandy notebook. Then he sits down to figure out what it all means.
Steve is a very gentle host and allows the child viewer to feel that they figured it out for themselves. He throws in bits of ad-lib humor from time to time, for the parents’ benefit, I’m sure, and the show is entertaining to watch for parents and children.
Over several years of starring in the show and producing it as well, Steve Burns decided that he wanted to concentrate on his musical career and left the show. Joe, Steve’s brother, was introduced to the plot and the show continued from that point, although Joe never really had that connection with the audience Steve had.
Regardless of the host, your young viewer will learn colors, shapes, how to share their emotions, and how to solve problems. They’ll learn how to make friends, how to estimate, and how to weigh things. Each show teaches a wide variety of skills, one of the most impacting of which (at my house) is the ability to draw. Every one of my children learned how to draw from watching Steve do it, and now they’re all incredible artists.
Found on Noggin, Nick Jr. and CBS Kids, you and your family will enjoy Blue’s Clues.
Tristi’s Score: Entertainment: 9 Education: 9 Parental Annoyance Factor: 0 (Joe annoys me to the tune of 2)
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