Kid's Show Banana Splits Makes a Comeback!

When  you say "Banana Splits," I automatically think, "Yum!"  But pretty soon, the first response will be a dog, a lion, a gorilla, and an elephant, singing and telling jokes! 

The Banana Splits, the hugely popular costumed rock band from the '60s, is back.  This time, it's on the Cartoon Network.  Starting September 2, the furry rockers will have new comedy shorts and music videos.  The most appropriate ages for the Banana Splits is 4-7, however, my 2 1/2 year old loved it!

I watched as my kids explored the website, www.bananasplits.com, and it was almost as entertaining as the site itself.  They enjoyed the music videos, and I wondered if this show was going to be just entertaining, or offer educational value, too.  I remembered when my 7 and 5 year-old were just starting to "get" joke-telling.  I thought I'd explode if I heard "Knock knock..." or had to fake a laugh one more time!  Watching the Banana Splits tell jokes helps kids language development, extend understanding and logic, and expand vocabulary.   Besides the fact that it's just plain funny!

Another educational aspect is the secret code episodes.  There is a game on the website where kids can decode words  with pictograms.  My 7 year old was able to sound out the pictograms, and the younger ones enjoyed choosing the picture according to shape cues.  Play the game by going to the Secret Code section and clicking on the code wheel.

Over all, this show is worth while for kids' entertainment, and the website is fun and educational.  It was also easy to navigate for my 5 year old, who sometimes has trouble with fine motor mouse skills.

What do you think?