We try to limit our 3-year-old’s television viewing, sticking with Blue’s Clues before daycare, American Idol and The Middle (since she has a crush on Brick
**whispering** Brick). Sometimes, things like COPS and Entertainment Tonight accidentally slip through the cracks. I know, I know, take my mommy badge away from me now.
So when Discovery Channel’s gorgeous documentary series Life premiered on March 21, we were ecstatic to find an educational show we could all enjoy together. In fact, we were only three of the 11.8 million viewers nationwide who caught the premiere on Sunday.
Life is visually stunning, grabbing viewers from their sofas and plopping them in the middle of the rainforest or the Dead Sea. The tales of survival are particularly thrilling. Watching a baby ibex try to flee from a ravenous fox had me on the edge of my seat more than Paranormal Activity did.
Challenges of Life was the first episode, and true to its name, it spotlighted hunting and breeding, which worried me since there was a 3-year-old sitting with me on the couch. She’s heard Elton John sing about the circle of life a million times, but seeing it up close and personal – eek! Though we chose to flip the channel when three cheetahs took down an ostrich, we let her experience other worlds she may never see in person.
Too heavy for a toddler? Perhaps, but she was enthralled the entire episode.
The Discovery Channel runs two episodes of Life on Sunday evenings beginning at 7 p.m. Upcoming episodes include:
By Nicole Plegge, Lifestyle Blogger for SmartParenting
Metro East mom Nicole Plegge has written for STL Parent for more than 12 years. Besides working as a freelance writer & public relations specialist, and raising two daughters and a husband, Nicole's greatest achievements are finding her misplaced car keys each day and managing to leave the house in a stain-free shirt. Her biggest regret is never being accepted to the Eastland School for Girls. Follow Nicole on Twitter @STLWriterinIL
Discovery Club is an exploration of all kinds of science! Kids ages 7-11 will navigate through the sciences with projects, experiments and activities at this free program. Themes include robots, roller coasters, potato batteries and more.
Explore Ballwin's parks with your toddler or preschooler with the Little Explorers program, held twice a month. Each Little Explorers outdoor class includes a craft, snack, and lots of activities to get you and your toddler moving and exploring!
Visit The Magic House for Toddler Time, a special early-morning program for toddlers. Children age 1-4 can take part in exhibits and exclusive interactive activities designed just for little ones. There are new themes every week!
Open Gym at Miss Kelly's Gym is an opportunity for any child to have supervised free play in the gym. They can work on existing skills, try something new, or simply play around. It is completely up to them! Open Gym is open to both members and non-members ages 12 and under.
The Gateway to Reading program is a parent-child workshop that focuses on strengthening reading skills while engaging in fun, literacy-based activities. Participants will receive a free toolkit of materials to help children in their reading journey.