This post was written in collaboration with Explore, Discover and Grow and the Mom it Forward Influencer Network. I received compensation in return for my honest review of the Explore, Discover and Grow series. Every opinion stated in this post is 100% mine. 

Our Kids’ Screen Time Consumption

The kids had been quiet for a little too long. I found them the living room with blank stares aimed at the TV.

Enthusiastically, I asked, maybe even begged them to go for a walk with me, but I was unable to “reach” any of them – that’s when I knew a change was necessary.

Our kids were “consuming” the TV equivalent of fast food: TV shows/ digital media with little to no educational value.

I recently read that only 1 in 8 TV programs is considered “highly educational”. This statistic is probably not a surprise to you, if you think about how children’s TV has changed over the years.

Children’s TV has gone from encouraging kids to interact and teaching simple concepts, one at a time, to fast-paced story lines requiring no interaction from the kids. Instead of being PART of the “show,” kids are now simply consuming the information with no hope of retaining or learning from it.

This reminds me of how adults “consume” digital media and TV shows. We “binge watch Netflix” and scroll aimlessly through our Facebook newsfeed without any thought, retention or digestion of the information.

The mass-consumption of digital media is an epidemic. It’s a problem for adults and kids alike, as young as 3-4 years old.

Thankfully, there’s hope and a solution available for parents concerned about the way their kids are spending screen time.

The Remedy for Zombie-like Kids During Screen Time

I was recently introduced to “Explore, Discover and Grow” a “back to basics” children’s program that puts quality “edutainment” in your arsenal of digital media appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers.

It’s as they say: “the proof is in the pudding.”

Yesterday, I put on two 10-minute “Explore, Discover & Grow” shows and watched them with our youngest boy who’s 4.5 years old. His reaction to this show was mind-blowing, in comparison to the zombie-like reaction he had to watching the children’s program on regular cable TV.

As soon as “Explore, Discover & Grow” started, Jonah immediately was drawn to the characters and their singing. He interacted with the main character and answered all his questions. Instead of passively watching the show, Jonah was ON HIS FEET, dancing, singing along and mimicking all the moves of the characters – without any prompting or encouragement from me.

Jonah’s reaction was EXACTLY what I needed to see with my own eyes. He was not a passive spectator, but an integral part of the show. His smiles were genuinely heart-warming.

It wasn’t a complete surprise to me that Jonah reacted the way he did to “Explore Discover & Grow.”

“Explore, Discover and Grow” the Cure for the Common Screen Time

The series of 10-minute shows was created by and starred Greg Page, better known as the original “Yellow Wiggle” from the famous Australian TV show “the Wiggles.”

Greg Page left The Wiggles over 10 years ago due to medical reasons. After making a complete recovery, he’s back creating quality children’s “edutainment” that kids WANT to watch and parents stand behind.

Greg and the team at “Explore, Discover & Grow” created 104 episodes of their 10 minute programs. The shows cover topics from literacy, numbers, science, the community, the animal world, places and the human body – to name a few. The messages are primarily delivered via music, song and dance and therefore have been well-received by children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The basis of “Explore, Discover and Grow” is developed in accordance with current early child development research. The program engages the WHOLE child and is designed to get the child moving, thinking, creating and asking questions about the world around them.

Greg says it’s time to start a revival of high-quality educational children’s content, and he seems to have done exactly that with “Explore, Discover and Grow.”

Get “Explore, Discover and Grow” for Your Kids Screen Time

At this point, you may be wondering “how can I get my hands on this show for my kids?”

I am so glad you asked!

There’s currently an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign available to fund the project.

• Support the project through Indiegogo for only $90, which is a 50% on the regular retail price.
• You get the “Explore, Discover and Grow” series of 104, ten-minute videos.
• New original content will be streamed into your home twice a week over a year-long span.
• The initial backers through this crowdfunding campaign receive continuing access to the content in this offer as well as future content created.

Check out the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for additional information.

For our family, adding the “Explore, Discover and Grow” series to our “diet of digital media” brings a much-needed balance.

I love how the episodes Jonah already watched prompted him to ask questions about the world around him. We have had numerous conversations about the topics on the show.

In conclusion: his “healthier” screen time has led to countless hours of screen-free conversations and activities.

Now hurry over and check out the crowdfunding campaign!