energeticjustinmaddiellabie

Barney is good for 3 and 4 year olds, but otherwise it can be artificial and overly saccharine - so much so, that it even spawned several hate sites in the 90s, which led to a documentary on Peacock. I do like the use of traditional tunes, not to mention that some of the original songs are quite catchy, but the show has no true educational value whatsoever - the kids on the show probably already know the things Barney is teaching them.

In Barney's world, everything is all sunshine and rainbows and every problem that arises is solved right away. On "Sesame Street," on the other hand, there are some tough topics dealt with, such as grief, disasters, and incarceration. Since the children on "Barney & Friends," act like little kids, they probably wouldn't know what those things are!

Barney also solves problems by using magic - for example, he can have kids experience four seasons for one day or make it night at daytime. He doesn't even tell kids that this is all make-believe, something Mister Rogers does often, as he has a Neighborhood of Make-Believe which he uses to blur the lines between reality and pretend.

Overall, "Barney & Friends" is a pseudo-good show. However, there are plenty of better shows that teach kids to deal with emotions and that magic may not be real.

When my sisters and I were little, we watched a lot of Dora, Boots, and their educational exploits. In later years, I grew out of the show. Nowadays, I can see why so many people hate it. Let's start with the most popular reason - Dora's show is repetitive as it gets - She's always seen asking kids if they can say a certain Spanish word and asking where something is that's right behind her. At least "Blue's Clues" is clever, and handled the fake interactivity well. Oh, and she encourages kids to yell at their TV screens - "Say 'Map!' Louder!" In one episode, she also teaches counting twice, which is most of the time ideal for a preschool television program, but in Dora's case it's absolutely ridiculous.

In this show, Dora is barely seen exploring with her parents - though they sometimes join in, like in "Catch the Babies!." This encourages kids do the same, which can lead them in getting into (sometimes serious) trouble. When I was in kindergarten, I also went out without adult supervision in a scenario inspired by the aforementioned "Catch the Babies!" episode.

However, I do like the "Mister Rogers"-type feel with Dora talking to kids and treating them like they're her friends, usually in the opening or closing of each show.

The show is wholesome, innocent, and good clean fun for its age range of one to four year olds - it even teaches them a new language, but otherwise it's a dumb show with repetition and shouting. At least the spin-off "Dora and Friends: Into the City!" is better.

I watched this show sometimes as a tiny tot. I enjoyed the catchy songs and cool things Chica and the gang did. Otherwise, I refused to watch (and Sprout in general for some time) due to the Sprout personalities who would make guest appearances from time to time. I got over this in later years. Aside from the segments featuring viewer submissions (like "ZOOM"), this show can actually teach you things, like that brushing your tongue as well as your teeth can give you good breath. The show also focuses on different themes each week - with this, kids can learn about dress up, letters, numbers, and family and friends. There are also humorous sketches and catchy songs, and occasionally something for adults like witty parodies or A-list guest appearances.

I wish more kids watched this - my generation enjoyed and learned so much. Plus, it would be nice to see them enjoy something other than the brainwashing nursery rhymes of "CoComelon." I also hope it gets rebooted for a new generation - look at "Blue's Clues!"

I'm always on the hunt for lost segments, and I've managed to find a few on YouTube pages on the Wayback Machine in August 2022 (I'm well-known in the Sprout fandom for finding rare stuff). In short, if children love fun, music, and laughs, they'll love "The Sunny Side Up Show!"