Best educational cartoons for children: which ones to show?

Cartoni’s offer, especially for early childhood, has grown exponentially in recent years. Let’s try to reflect on some criteria to keep in mind in the evaluation of these productions

In recent decades, the offer of cartons for childrenaddressed in particular to early childhood, has multiplied exponentially. This is because the childhood exposure time has increased to the screens, and therefore many producers have ventured with the creation of television series to capture the attention of the little ones.

Many animated cartoons for children are defined as “educational”but who is that it establishes when this adjective can be attributed to this kind of product? How to understand if a cartoon really represents asignificant experienceas well as fun for the child? What aspects should a parent to decide what to propose to his child? Let’s see it together.

Cartoons for children: the criteria for choosing them

Before examining some cartoons for children who can be considered quality, let’s try to reflect on some criteria to keep in mind in the evaluation of educational postcards:

• Is the age of the protagonists close to that of the viewer? The trend (also in children’s literature) is to represent characters who are slightly higher than the reference public. This “scissor” should not be excessive. For example, if the character is about 10 years old, the content hardly can be suitable for 4 -year -old children.
• Duration. Before 5 years of age it is complex for a child to maintain attention on a television content that lasts a film. Therefore, cartoons are preferred between 5 and 20 minutes. If you really want to choose a movie, better segment the vision.
• The “story”. Do the sequences of the episode have a linearity and sequentiality? For example, we can verify whether our child, at the end of the vision, is able to tell the plot of what he has seen (obviously all this only starting from when the baby is able to verbalize).
• The rhythms. Both television programs and contemporary films are based on fast sequences, on engaging music, on constant movement images. During the early childhood, to encourage an effective use it would be desirable that the scenes had stretched rhythms, to leave the child the time to observe, listen and understand, without being involved only passively through the stimuli of the screen.
• The values. Each narrative implicit or explicit values ​​that, during use, can stimulate reflections. The adult should therefore ask himself, for example, whether the chosen cartoon encourages the collaboration between the protagonists or not, whether or not the theme of the difference saw as a resource and not as a limit, or the importance of friendship, or care For the environment, etc.
• Metaphors. Cartoons, just as literature does for children, should not reproduce reality, but rather use of metaphors that stimulate imagination and fantasy and that, at the same time, promote knowledge.
• The stereotypes. Opposite to the metaphor is the stereotype, which is a pre -packaged opinion based on a generalization or a simplification. Stereotypes generally help understanding, so it is natural that they are present in a cartoon, however it is necessary to avoid those who engage the way of thinking: for example, think of sexist stereotypes (the dad who reads the newspaper, the mother who makes the affairs domestic …), to cultural ones (an ethnicity that has only some specific habits), to family ones (a single type of family, in the face of the variety present in ours company), etc.
• Reality. We can ask ourselves if the narrative is able to create a connection with what the child does daily experience through the senses, or whether or not to offer the child the opportunity to retrace his past experiences (rereading them, reflecting on it) and having More information (or more points of view) for future experiences.
• The aesthetic dimension. Obviously, you enter a subjective criterion which, however, should not be underestimated. The parent should have his own idea of ​​”beauty” to be found in cartoon, for example linked to the proposal of well -kept and well -defined images, or to figures and settings that are helpful to follow the plot.
• The didactic dimension. The cartoon could prefigure the explicit objective of teaching something (the importance of the rules, the management of emotions, a second language) or, perhaps for older children, to transmit an education on logical-scientific, artistic, linguistic issues .

When and how much to show cartoons to children

A recurring question between the parents is: When to start showing cartoons to their children? Before answering this question, it is good to make a clarification: to make the difference, more than this aspect, is the fact that the time spent in front of the screen is a sharedin which the adult does not think about doing anything else, but accompanies the child in the use, observes the emotional reactions, monitors the times of the projection, stimulates sharing and dialogue regarding the newly seen narrative.

That said, the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatricians do not recommend the exposure of children to the screens before 2 years of age. In this age group, in fact, the little ones need something else (develop the fine motor skills, explore the reality that surrounds them through the senses …). Starting from 2 years the screens are granted, but with some limitations. It must be avoidedfor example, the use during mealsor use in the background while other activities take place.

Compared to exposure timespediatric recommendations invite to Do not exceed 30 minutes consecutive up to 3-4 years, time which stretches at a maximum hour after this age and up to 6 years. These indications on the times, however precious, offer references that then need to be integrated: the most important thing, in reality, is the type of relationship which is established with the screens. Although various studies underline how interactive screens have greater potential than TV, it should be noted that tablets and smartphones are often used as if they were small portable televisions. For this, if you choose to offer the baby a cartoon, it is better to opt for television, which favors a more comfortable posture and does not force your gaze to focus only on a few centimeters.

As regards specifically the animation TV seriesinstead of getting there with the stopwatch, better to reason in terms of episodes. These usually have a duration of 5-10 minutes eachand therefore it can be communicated immediately to the child that for that day it is possible to see a maximum of two-three; Seeing more, in fact, risks generating a heterogeneous narrative flow, which would not allow the little one to seize the potential offered by the screen.

Educational cartoons for children: 10 to be recommended

Following the proposed reflections, we try to formulate a List of cartoons for children that offer interesting stimuli Starting from 2 years of age.

1. Pimpa. Altan’s narratives, born as comics and then as illustrated books, have also become cartoon. The rhythms are lying, capable of flying the imagination and imagination. The figure of Armando is interesting, who supports Pimpa without ever being intrusive, listening to it and encouraging his fantasize.
2. Buffer. Figyo is a child of about 3 years who explores the world and discovers, in each episode, the reality in the company of his friends. It is a cartoon also particularly suitable for preschoolers, for the times lying and for the graphics that places the scenes on a white background. Proceeding for questions stimulates an active attitude of the viewer. The version is interesting Let’s Go Breatyo, aimed at learning the English language.
3. Minicuccioli. In the four series made by the group some, some friends live adventures of various kinds, first in the park, then in the woods and finally at school. The values ​​put in the center of each episode and the attention to the way in which, according to the others, you educate and formed are interesting.
4. Barbapapa. It is a classic that, starting from the French illustrated books of the 70s, has become cartoon and has been relaunched recently. The episodes narrate the stories of a family in which the characters (each characterized with specific traits) live various adventures and often put the theme of the difference at the center (to be understood as a resource and not as a limit) and ecological criticism.
5. Bluey. The dog Bluey, together with the sister Bingo, is committed to playing in each episode. The cartoon attributes to the game a fundamental value for childhood and the way the parents – without being intrusive, or distracted – support and encourage the game of children is very interesting.
6. The adventures of Paddington. Paddington is a bear from Peru who moved to London, a city where he is welcomed by a local family. Through aesthetically well -kept rhythms and images, the episodes show an empathic and attentive character to the needs of others, underlining the training value of friendship.
7. Curious as George. The George monkey, who does not speak but moves and thinks like a human being, explores reality thanks to a curiosity similar to that of children. Each episode places the viewer in front of a series of problems to be solved, encouraging him to stick together with the protagonist.
8. The cat aimed. These narratives of Cristina Lastrego and Francesco Testa represent very interesting stimuli that come out of the commercial parameters of most of the production and offer aesthetic research. The cat Mirò is an art enthusiast and, together with his friends, encourages the invention through the materials available.
9. Vampirine. The protagonist is a small vampire who moved with the family from Transylvania to Pennsylvania and who has often dealing not only with the prejudices of others on his own culture, but also with those of his own culture towards the host. Each episode, however, is based precisely on the awareness that the encounter with the difference offers resources and stimuli.
10. Leo & Tig. This Russian production narrates the adventures of two characters, Leo and Tig in fact, who are puppies of leopard and tiger respectively. They live in the Siberian taiga and are constantly busy saving other animals. In addition to the attention to differences (always understood as value), the fact that the need to respect the balance of the biosphere is underlined is interesting.

This list has no claim to be exhaustiveand indeed, to a careful analysis these cartoon also present some critical issues. In this regard, I refer you to the Bisettimanale Newsletter Play (which comes to all UPPA subscribers), in which I review the various content for children, identifying resources and critical issues from time to time.

Beyond subjective judgments, it is essential that the adult Analyze the contents before the use by the child. Just as you do with the dishes we put on the table for our children (first we inform ourselves about the ingredients and the quantities, cook, we serve …), in the same way it is precious question what we are offering And how we are proposing it to children.