Kids TV cunningly disguised self sufficiency education?

Right now, one of my son's favourite programs is on. Its called Mr Bloom's Nursery. It's set in Mr Bloom's allotment. The characters are Mr Bloom the gardener, some animated veg, and a rather sinister machine that seems to call the shots, the 'Compostarium'. Among the songs and weak story lines, there's an abundance of basic tutorial about growing veg. Today we've just learned about carrot fly for example.

There's also 'I Can Cook', starring the lovely Katy. Her program is just a cooking show for kids, except many of the ingredients grow in her garden, and she gets the kids to go out and find and harvest what they need.

Or 'Dirt Girl World'. I've only seen that one a couple of times, but it seems to be about a girl who knows surprising amounts about what lives in the soil, and how to nurture it.

I could go on, there's several more examples. I wonder if the BBC has secretly been told to ensure that the kids of today grow up to have at least some basic skill in self sufficiency. I can't remember Rainbow or Playschool or even Blue Peter teaching us such things

 

Interesting! Or, perhaps it reflects the growth in people generally growing their own? And the rise in schools having small raised beds to grow herbs/vegetables in?

Mind you, I did get the "Dig It" seed promotion they ran a few years ago (vegetables) which was also aimed at getting children more involved in growing food.

I think it's a very positive thing though
*note to self: start watching children's TV more often*

 

50 years ago we had cheery public information broadcasts telling us to do things like use a hankie when you cough - presumably the population was primed for cooperation and obedience after the war effort.

Times have changed. I don't think the government would get away with such blatant attempts to improve the nation now. Instead we lap up TV shows which lecture us more subtly (slightly) on everything from wiping the cooker, tidying up the lounge, seeing the doc about those embarrassing spots and not filling our faces with lumps of lard, salt and sugar.

Thinking about it, the way they do it is not by telling us what we should do, but by making us feel superior to the fat, slobby, unhealthy numpties that feature on the shows. Nice! Still, I've learnt a lot about washing skirting boards.

These shows are all highly necessary, it would appear. Glad they've got a fun, junior version. "Dirt Girl World", hmm? I can identify with that and I bet she doesn't wear pink!

 

She does.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/dirt-girl-world

 

Almost makes me wish I had a telly.

 

I'm off work today (on leave).

Today's episode of Mr Bloom's Nursery is teaching us how even people in flats with no garden can grow some veg in a window box.

 

My son loves Mr Bloom. When he has eaten an apple or banana he gives me the waste and says its for compo. I have actually picked up a few tips myself. In the summer there was a Mr Bloom roadshow and we managed to get tickets after a 15 minute stage show there were a lot of stalls and tents where the kids could dig and plant things. There was a tent with people explaining about pollination and there were lots of bee keepers there explaining about habitat for bees. There was a allotment association there talking to the kids about what veg was what and the qualities of each one. And one where the kids got to plant up there own herbs in paper pots to take home. I think that I may have enjoyed it more than some of the kids though.

Rusty

 

Fantastic Rusty. I'll have to keep an eye on the Ceebeebies website to see if there is going to be another roadshow next summer. Sounds brilliant, erm, for the kiddies

My lad does the whole compo thing too. We keep a bucket in the kitchen, into which goes all the fruit and veg peelings, and old tea bags etc. The lad knows it as the compo bin, and has gradually got the hang of what type of rubbish can go in there.

 

If you google BBC be in the audience and register on there you get emails offering tickets to all kind of shows on the BBC. This is where we got tickets also had them for Question of sport and been offered lots more.

Rusty