Wild Kratts- PBS TV Show

Wild Kratts- PBS Kids- http://pbskids.org/wildkratts/home.html

Ages:  4-10

Summary- Chris and Martin Kratt are brothers who explore the worldwide wild to learn about animals.  It goes from live action to cartoon and back again.  The brothers joke around, become the animals, and try to live in the wild.

Opinion- I think the name wild kratts is silly, which is why I never tried it with Chloe, my oldest.  Now it is a guaranteed 25 minute break with educational value.  It’s got the PBS learning feel in a pretty high energy format.  My general feeling is that there is high enjoyment (and nice future employment possibilities) in science.  My boys never really got Syd the Science Kid, so we have only addressed science basically.  They seem to pick up a lot from the show.

Rating- Must tape.  Guaranteed entertainment.  We even watch reruns.

Guiding Principles of WTD with kids

Guiding principles of the blog.

All activities will be fun.  This is not scientific, but it seems like 80% of the fun is parent driven.  My kids have thought that visiting a nursing home is very fun.  They’ve also cried at Disney when I wasn’t feeling it.  It is up to the parents to drive this.  I hope these reviews and descriptions allow you to find activities you can drive into fun.

New and different stuff is good.  Eastern Market in Detroit.  Cabella’s outdoor center.  The Great Lakes Zoological Society.  The DIA.  They are all good for kids to see.  Even the most boring new thing does more for the brain than the same old, same old.

Cities are unique and interesting places.  You will see a lot of activities centered in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Jackson, and Adrian.  These places have cultural infrastructures and attractions that should be visited. 

Colleges and universities are fun.  College is an “when”, not an “if.”  I realize that Mike Rowe (Ford Truck guy) says there is a disconnect between college and work.  I get that.  For my kids, I want college to be a natural place to go (even if they want to enter a trade or go into business).  I am not a degree worshipper.  However, college attendees typically make a lot more money, which can buy a lot greater freedom and enjoyment out of life.  My goal is to have my kids think college is fun and want to go there, as lifelong learners (cliche alert, cliche alert). 

  

Diversity is the spice of life (cliché alert, cliché alert).  Whether they are trying Pho for the first time or going to the Bell’s Eccentric Café with me, I want my kids to embrace the diversity and learn to enjoy it.  I am not a relativist.  I believe in right and wrong.  But, within what I believe is right and wrong is a whole lot of different things, beliefs, and people.  These activities are meant to enable my kids to understand multiple perceptions and forge their own conceptions of things.

A good spot should be revisited.  If I find a cool place, I will go back as much as possible because every time, the kids will be a different age.  They will appreciate it differently.

I see my kids’ brains as big closets of knowledge, perspectives, thoughts, and opinions.  I see these trips as hangers (not hangars, that would be a confusing mixed metaphor) in those closets.  By visiting the underground railroad exhibit at the Detroit Historical Society, my kids may be able to understand and think through the Civil War more clearly.  By walking through the DIA, art may be more accessible.  Over 18 or more years of these trips, I hope to provide them with a lot of hangers.

This is where I start..If you have specific questions or want help planning your trip, email me at kmowrer@gmail.com.  Enjoy the journey with your kids!!!!