Purposeful Playlist | 2024

Our family's approach to screentime and media consumption has continued to work for us and felt good this year! We had some clear favorites as detailed below but there's so much out there to consume and/or avoid -- I continue to welcome recommendations and suggestions!

Favorite Shows
We've established that each child gets to pick one show on the weekend days for a "triple-header" viewing. A bonus of having siblings :) 

- Creature Cases (current favorite)
- Paw Patrol
- Octonauts
- Octonauts Above & Beyond
- Pupstruction 
- Thomas & Friends
- Daniel Tiger
- Bluey

- Puffin Rock
- PJ Masks

Favorite Movies
They reallllly like their shows, so it's been harder to incorporate movies, but in the new year, I hope to re-establish Friday as movie night (even if we just start a movie that night and finish the rest on Saturday/Sunday). Over winter break, we've also been watching movies, which has been a fun treat! 

- The Paw Patrol Movie
- Winnie the Poo
- Elemental
- Thomas the Train
- Robin Hood

- Wall-E 
- Toy Story 

Silly Songs
- Chicken in the Cornbread -- played when we eat cornbread
- Honey for the Bears -- played when we put honey in our oatmeal/yogurt
- Hot Chocolate from The Polar Express -- played when we make hot cocoa
- We're Going on a Lion/Dinosaur/Monster/Shark/Ghost hunt -- NLW favorite 
- Touch the Sky, Owlette -- CCW favorite
- Turtle Train -- EDW favorite

Favorite Albums/Playlists
- PJ Masks
- Wee Sing for Halloween 
- Winter Party 
- Lion King Soundtrack
- Casper Babypants -- I plan to do an entire post featuring this musical magician!

Favorite Spotify Listens

- Paw Patrol playlist by Philip & Mommy

- Blippi and Meekah's Road Trip 
- Mouse Tales Audio Collection 

Next year I'd love to incorporate more of the following: Wallace and Gromit, Roald Dahl audiobooks, Magic School Bus, and Disney movies. 

Surrounded by favorite characters,
- SJW

Purposeful Playlist | Favorites from Year 5

We have a predictable approach to screen time: on the weekends and special occasions. This has automatically made the weekends extra fun. :) In general, we try to join NLW for his first viewing -- to experience it with him and to see his reaction for any scary scenes. We've watched a lot of the classic animated Disney films, and can easily say these were his favorites/on repeat: 

Favorite Movies
- Aristocats
- Robin Hood 
- 101 Dalmatians (CCW's favorite)
- Lady and the Tramp
- Mary Poppins
- Cinderella 

I love introducing a movie with the soundtrack and often we'll listen to that on weekdays leading up to a new movie...and then daily for weeks on end :) So many breakfasts have been accompanied by one of these:

Favorite Soundtracks
- 101 Dalmatians

- Peter Pan

- Mary Poppins

- Charlotte's Web

- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 

As for shows, I think they'd likely enjoy anything we put on, but we've really only opted for the following up to this point:

Favorite Shows
- Frog and Toad
- Bluey (EDW's favorite)
- Puffin Rock
- Pupstruction
- Mr. Rogers
- The Busy World of Richard Scarry

Music, stories, and audiobooks are a welcomed entertainment throughout our day and especially midday for NLW since he no longer naps. Flights equal unlimited screen time :)

Next year I'd love to introduce Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Pixar, and some of the live-action Disney classics. We might even venture into the world of kid podcasts. There's so much out there to consume and/or avoid -- I welcome recommendations and suggestions! 

- SJW

Coronavirus Catastrophe Part 3 | The World at Small

I keep thinking how odd this time must be for recent graduates, sixteen year olds who just got their driver's licence but can't venture to the mall or the movies, the seniors without a prom, and even elementary schoolers who will all have a gap semester in their schooling. Fortunately for our family, a one-and-a-half year old doesn't really know the difference. NLW is still learning, growing, and developing at a rapid speed as if it didn't matter that restaurants, playgrounds, zoos, and museums are all closed. Regardless of pandemic circumstances, toddler life is both monotonous and exhilerating.

That said, I think I'll look back fondly on these just-the-two-of-us days consisting of meandering walks, park explorations, neighborhood drives, and snacks on benches. The daily sightings and confident proclamations of "airplane" "doggie" "bird" "baby" "squirrel" and "kitty" keep me on my toes. You just never know when you'll have the chance to explain the differences between crows, pigeons, sparrows, and hummingbirds :)

Hoping things re-open soon,

- SJW