Okay. We are guilty of allowing our children to use iPads. Yes, we have been fairly warned of the great dangers these gadgets can cause the development of our kids. And yes, we have failed to listen. (It’s Pancake Manor’s fault)
Perhaps it’s because we truly feel that we have found certain videos that we think can contribute to the growth of the boys. I mean, we don’t allow them to sit in front of the television or iPad the whole day. J gets a lot of running time, playing time and doing all-sorts-of-crazy-things time. He can read from books and appreciate the technology we have today as well.
One of the YouTube channels we love is Pancake Manor’s. Their catchy take on some children’s classic nursery rhymes and their upbeat songs on all sorts of things relevant to the kids are entertaining, educational and not annoying (even if it’s on loop). Zach and Reggie have become favourites of ours (and when I say ours – I mean, J, Tom and me), and we all catch ourselves singing their songs randomly.
Aside from their music and highly entertaining visuals, Tom and I really appreciate the positive twists they put into the videos. There is always a redeeming factor to what could have been a nursery rhyme with a sad ending. All five monkeys bumped their heads? Not with Pancake Manor – the last little monkey got off the bed and danced instead. And how about the Itsy Bitsy Spider? When things get tough, don’t give up – and because Itsy Bitsy, Hunky Chunky and Reggie Weggie Spider did not give up, they got their french flies. (If you don’t get all these private jokes, you better start watching Pancake Manor).
From counting and adding, to shapes, dogs and super turbo flying machines, Pancake Manor educates and entertains (both the kids and the awesome parents).
Check them out here: http://pancakemanor.com/
(Oh. And they are from Canada!)
As of this evening, this video has been viewed 5,944 times! That is a bit crazy. (But then again, it is very cute.)
Four months later, J and Tatay are still singing along to the same song (but with more words for J)!