PBS KIDS DVD: ALL ABOUT ALLERGIES

May is Food Allergy Awareness Month, a topic of particular interest to our family as my daughter has a severe peanut allergy. I have to embarrassingly admit not knowing much on the topic before the fateful day when we discovered my daughter's medical condition after she went into anaphylactic shock and came very close to dying. If you haven't previously read about our family's experience with food allergies, here is my post about it.

With 1 in 13 children now suffering from food allergies it really is important for people to have a basic understanding of the condition and understand this is is not a joking matter even though you often see television and shows use it as the topic of comedy sketches. Yes I'm talking about you Big Bang Theory!  There is a really good chance that even if someone in your direct circle of friends and families doesn't have a food allergy you will be interacting with someone at some point who does.  Food allergies are a series, potentially life threatening medical condition.  Since I didn't know much about food allergies until they impacted my family, I  understand how easily others can be in the dark about them as well.  So please take a moment to learn some tips about dealing with food allergies this month as a favor to this food allergy dad.

As part of Food Allergy Awareness Month, PBS KIDS is releasing ALL ABOUT ALLERGIES a DVD collection of shows from some of its most popular animated series that all have allergies as a topic. These episodes are a great way for children and their parents to learn about food allergies. Young viewers can join Binky as he works to understand his peanut allergy in an ARTHUR story, and Daniel Tiger as he tries a peach for the first time and gets hives leading to the discovery he's allergic to the fruit.

The DVD also features a WORD WORLD story in which Pig struggles to tell his friends that he is allergice to peaches after Sheep and Dog bring over a bag of fruit for him to make into pies. I was a bit disappointed PBS included a PEG + CAT episode on pet allergies because it can cause confusion with the food allergy messages.  Also the WORD WORLD episode doesn't really explain food allergies correctly which is troubling because people don't sneeze in those circumstances when having a reaction they break out in hives or start having issues with their body swelling up. Overall though this is a very nice collection of shows that provide very valuable information in an entertaining format.

ALL ABOUT ALLERGIES will be available at retailers across the United States beginning May 9, 2017. It has a run time of approximately 70 minutes. The DVD features five stories from four of PBS KIDS television including these two standout episodes:

ARTHUR --  Binky Goes Nuts

When Binky discovers that he’s allergic to peanuts, he has so many questions: will he be forced to live without Chinese food? Will he ever again be able to eat with his friends? And most importantly, will his Mom ever calm down? Binky learns that the best way not to go nuts is to be well informed, and to understand his allergy.

PBS KIDS also has a special website filled with peanut allergy information and tips revolving around the episode.  CLICK HERE to check it out.  They also partnered with Cherrybrook Kitchen to create a line of ARTHUR themed snacks including brownies and cookies that are peanut allergy safe to eat.

DANIEL TIGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD -- Daniel's Allergy
When Daniel tries a peach for the first time, he learns he is allergic to the fruit. Dad and Doctor Anna take care of him, and Doctor Anna tells Daniel how he can take care of himself, too.

For more useful information about food allergies, please visit Kids With Food Allergies or FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education).  Plus here is an informative video on the topic:

Daniel Tiger Goes To School

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product from PBS Kids.  A Geek Daddy did not receive any financial compensation for this post.

Do you have children at home who may be getting ready to head to preschool, kindergarten or first grade as the summer wraps up.  If so your family will probably appreciate the new DVD being released by PBS KIDS on August 18, 2015 DANIEL GOES TO SCHOOL featuring stories from the popular The Fred Rogers Company's animated television series DANIEL TIGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD.  This series centers around 5 year old Daniel Tiger, who is the son of the original Daniel Striped Tiger from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.  These shows also feature the children of other characters from Fred Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe including Prince Wednesday (the son of King Friday and Queen Saturday), Katerina Kittycat (daughter of Henrietta Pussycat), O the Owl (nephew of X the Owl), and Miss Elaina (daughter of Lady Elaine Fairchild and Music Man Stan).  The stories in Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood involve topics that young children and their parents often encounter such as dealing with a new sibling, overcoming picky eating, and going to school.

With this new DVD, DANIEL GOES TO SCHOOL, youngsters can join Daniel Tiger and his friends as they head to school, where they discover that learning and using your imagination is grr-ific fun! It includes 8 fun-filled tales that will get kids excited about school and learning.  Some of the important lessons kids will learn from the adventures on DANIEL GOES TO SCHOOL include: everyone’s job is important and we all help in different ways, and, if you’re not successful at first, keep trying, and you’ll get better!  The DVD has a run time of approximately 100 minutes. The DANIEL GOES TO SCHOOL DVD has a run time of approximately 100 minutes and is best suited for children 3 to 6 years old includes the following stories: 

“A Trip to the Crayon Factory”

Daniel Tiger, Miss Elaina, and Katerina Kittycat take a fun trip to the factory to see how crayons are made but, O the Owl can’t come because he’s sick. At the factory, the kids watch the crayons being made, and Daniel looks and listens closely. Daniel has an idea to take pictures at the factory and give them to O at the end of the day, so that O can learn about crayons too! 

“Be a Vegetable Taster!”

Teacher Harriet introduces Daniel and his friends to the school’s vegetable garden and convinces them to pick out some healthy veggies for their snack. They explore the garden, picking and trying different vegetables…with mixed results!

“Line Leader Daniel”

The children are getting new classroom jobs at school. Daniel really wants to be line leader! When he doesn’t get the job he wanted, Daniel is disappointed. Soon he learns that all of the jobs are necessary to keep the classroom running smoothly.

“Problem Solver Daniel”

Daniel and Miss Elaina are playing with the blocks at school but they each want to build something different. They call Teacher Harriet over to help fix the problem, but she tells them to work out a solution without her. They do, and feel proud that they can figure things out all by themselves.

“The Class Votes”

At school, Daniel and his classmates get to choose their new class pet! Teacher Harriet explains that they can either get a bunny or a turtle. The kids learn what it means to “vote” and that sometimes it doesn’t always turn out your way. Luckily, ALL of the kids find something to love about their new pet, “Snowball”! 

“O Builds a Tower”

In the block corner at school, O the Owl is determined to use all of the blocks to build the tallest tower in the world. After many failed attempts, he is frustrated, but Teacher Harriet and O’s friends encourage him to try once again.

“Play Pretend”

Teacher Harriet shows the children a big cardboard box and asks them what they think it could be. Daniel and Miss Elaina have fun pretending the box is a space ship and a jungle boat, but O the Owl just sees a big cardboard box. With a little help from his friends, O discovers how much fun it is to pretend!

“Safety Patrol”

Today at school, the children are learning about traffic signs. Prince Tuesday comes for a special visit, wearing his crossing guard uniform. He takes the class on a walk through the Neighborhood and they practice their safety rules all along the way.

CLICK HERE for more information about ordering DANIEL GOES TO SCHOOL from PBS.  They are also offering a 15% off back-to-school discount on all PBS Kids DVDs until August 31, 2015 so now is a good time to peruse their catalog of kids oriented shows.  Also check out the two other The Fred Rogers Company shows, Peg + Cat and Odd Squad which are also some of our family's favorite shows on TV.  All three series produced from the Fred Rogers Company, Daniel Tiger, Peg + Cat and Odd Squad recently won Parents Choice Gold Awards.

Monday Sept 2 is NEIGHBOR DAY on PBS KIDS' Daniel Tiger Show

You'll often see a Tiger prowling through our house ... don't be alarmed though it is just my son playing as one of his favorite cartoon characters - DANIEL TIGER!  This PBS KIDS show captures my kids' attention and cultivates their imagination.  With one more year to go until  until Kindergarten, my 4 year old twins are at just the right age now to appreciate the stories and lessons portrayed in DANIEL TIGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD.

PBS KIDS will be celebrating Labor Day (September 2, 2013), and the first birthday of Daniel Tiger's appearance on PBS, with a special "NEIGHBOR DAY" episode of DANIEL TIGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD.  Check your local PBS outlet for broadcast times in your area.  In the upcoming "Neighbor Day" episode of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Daniel does a good deed which starts a chain reaction of kindness all around the the neighborhood of MAKE-BELIEVE culminating with King Friday's proclamation of an official "Neighbor Day".  The theme of this special is to show preschoolers that doing something nice for their neighbors can be a rewarding experience that can make you feel good about yourself - a message often presented in the long running Mr. Rogers Neighborhood which this show is based off ... you see the characters in Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood are animated preschool age versions of the puppets from Mr. Rogers.  For more information about Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood  CLICK HERE to read one of my earlier posts about this PBS KIDS animated series.

Check out "Neighbor Day" on Labor Day - you know my kids will be watching!

PBS Airing Brand New Episodes of DANIEL TIGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD this Week

My kids have been pretty geeked this week because PBS is airing brand new episodes of one of their favorite tv shows, DANIEL TIGERS NEIGHBORHOOD.  My daughter actually quotes Daniel Tiger to us during "teachable moments" when we want her to do something like "eat a new food" or "try something new" so it has been a useful show to let our children watch.  In fact the other day when I was noticeably upset about something my daughter came up to me and said from the show "Daddy, when somethings seems bad turn it around and make something good." DANIEL TIGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD supports behaviors that as parents we are trying to encourage such as eat vegetables, brush their teeth, play outside, and make friends with other kids.  Of course, what else would you expect from a show that is based off of Mister Rogers. The show is actually produced by The Fred Rogers Company to follow-up on the themes and purpose of the original Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

Unfortunately, Fred Rogers who hosted the children's educational program Mister Rogers Neighborhood from 1968 to 2001 passed away in 2003; but his mission to educate kids through children's television programming continues with DANIEL TIGERS NEIGHBORHOOD airing on PBS.  The animated show revolves around 4 year old Daniel Tiger, who is someone my 4 year old twins can really relate to themselves.    Daniel Tiger carries over the legacy from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood as he is the son of a character from that original show, the puppet Daniel Striped Tiger.  The new show also features cartoon characters that are meant to be the children of the puppets from the "Neighborhood of Make-Believe" in the original Mister Rogers tv show.  The children of Katerina Kittycat, O the Owl, and Prince Wednesday are featured in DANIEL TIGER. The Trolley also plays a big part in the new cartoon. I have to admit I always found the original puppets from Mister Rogers somewhat creepy, but these new animated versions are fun and entertaining compared to their predecessors.  Another fun tidbit is the show brings back a popular original character from Mr. Rogers in an animated Mr. McFeely the postman ... did you know "McFeely" was Fred Rogers middle name? In one of the episodes of DANIEL TIGER, Mr. McFeely saves the day!

Haven't seen an episode of DANIEL TIGER yet?  Check out this clip featuring Mrs. Rogers talking about how the new tv series continues her husband's legacy:

And here's a sample clip of the show where Mr. McFeely saves the day:

If you want to check out a full episode of the show online they periodically make some of the episodes FREE on iTunes or you can check out the PBS website.  DANIEL TIGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD is a fantastic program I highly recommend that promotes educational issues in an entertaining way for kids. This week all brand new episodes with the theme of PLAY DATE are airing on PBS.  Check them out!

For more information on the show, visit http://pbskids.org/daniel/