athleticBaby
Busy mother of three Karen Foster is the creator of the relatively new DVD series athleticBaby. She has produced a series of five DVD’s (with one more on the way) designed for children aged 3 months and up. TOP has been reviewing the newest DVD, athleticBaby Soccer.
This DVD is a delightful mix of fun music, colourful images and video of real kids playing. I question the age recommendation, simply because I can’t see any good reason for a 3 month old child to be plunked in front of a screen, but that’s a personal preference. For someone who is okay with that, this DVD would be better than many alternatives. There is enough real play to avoid the “entrancement” effect of quick change images that are often marketed to young children, and the DVD verbally encourages kids to get a ball and play along. It also encourages parents to watch and play along with their children, which is a recommendation that should always be adhered to when exposing young children to the media.
While we always prefer that kids actually play, rather than watch someone playing on TV, the athleticBaby soccer DVD would be a nice “down time” activity leading up to play time or an introduction to a new game. We also understand that there are parents who feel the need to use the TV in order to get a much needed break. The athleticBaby DVD’s would be a very safe alternative to broadcast television.
The 2-3 year old age group is perfect for this DVD. We had a friend over who is 2 1/2 and he loved it. He didn’t simply sit and stare at the screen, which would have turned us off as parents. Instead, he grabbed a ball and played along with the children on the TV and tried to sing the songs. I love how the DVD included some of the rules of the game “Only the goalie can use their hands!” without harping on it or presenting it as a lecture.
In all, this is a great DVD and I’d love to see the rest of the series. It comes with a TOP recommendation, with the usual cautions about children and screen time as well as our encouragement to watch and play with your kids.
Get 15% off your athleticBaby order with the code 99621
You’ll find athleticBaby in our TOP Shops!
Win the athleticBaby Soccer DVD for your little athlete! Send an email to theopinionatedparent[at]gmail[dot]com with Soccer in the subject heading and name one other DVD in the athleticBaby series that you’re interested in. Contest ends at midnight MST on March 9, 2007. Congratulations, Alexia!
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