Posted: 07/11/2011

Yo Gabba Gabba: Party in a Box

by Amber Burnham

Available on DVD July 12, 2011 from Nickelodeon and Paramount Home Entertainment.

Yo Gabba Gabba is one of the best children’s shows from a developmental standpoint and one that I would recommend to parents seeking worthwhile educational programming for their children. The show encourages imagination, learning, creativity, and movement through participation— the children are encouraged not to simply sit quietly and watch the show. And multiple intelligences, such as visual, audio, and kinesthetic, are being reinforced through this participation. This ensures that the children are learning within the learning style that fits their individual development.

Yo Gabba Gabba offers a way of reinforcing important learning concepts through songs, dancing, learning segments and fun imaginary creatures. While watching, you are able to see that the show is aware of its audience. One way in which this is demonstrated is through the songs, which are simple, upbeat and repetitive, yet will not be annoying to the adult who is watching along side the child. All the music in the show encourages movement through rhythms and fast tempos. In addition to the music itself, the rest of the show’s segments encourage participation through dancing, answering questions during the learning segments, making music with their bodies, and drawing.

One of the most impressive aspects of the show is how they address the issues included in the various themes. This is where the imaginary creatures are used to their fullest potential. Scenarios, involving themes such as sharing, are created through interactions between these characters. After the initial set-up, the characters talk to each other to find the appropriate solution, normally involving a song that helps to explain why the solution is correct. The show’s creators are aware that children learn through example, and use these scenarios in place of lecturing the children. It also opens the opportunity for parents and children to have a dialogue about what happened in the show and what that means in their life. Another wonderful part of the show is the way in which they take time at the end of each episode to review what was discussed. This helps to reinforce for the child the important concepts.

The box set is a three disc set, including the individual volumes Birthday Boogie, Clubhouse, and Dancey Dance Bunch, with the four episodes on each disc playing into the themes implied by those titles. Episodes include guest stars such as Erykah Badu, Mya, and Elijah Wood. Watch and participate along side your children!

Amber Burnham has a BA in Early Childhood Education from Kendall College. She is also a regular panelist on Kichicast, the all-girl, Chicago-based podcast devoted to anime, manga, and Japanese culture. You can listen to Kichicast at kichigi.com.

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