Bambaloo is a narratively driven pre-school show. It is suitable for children 3-5 years (and older, in fact we hope the whole family enjoys watching it). Each episode is 30 minutes.
Each day sees Sam and her friends finding new and creative ways to explore the world through music, stories, puzzles, imagination, games and songs. It is a known fact that children love repetition. So every episode of Bambaloo has elements that are repeated so the children will anticipate what’s coming up next.
Each of the following segments has a song that either Sam or the mice sing, signalling to the child watching what will happen next. When these songs are heard we hope the kids are singing along at the tops of their voices.
Mail Time - The song ‘Open It’ sung by Jinx & Gypsy means it’s time for them to deliver a letter or a present to Sam and her friends, which ties into the theme for the day.
Games and Puzzles – The song ‘Let’s all play together’ sung by Sam and the gang leads us into the segment where they play a game or do a puzzle. Our intention is for carers and parents to draw on some of these ideas and recreate them to be played at home.
Footage – Jinx & Gypsy sing the song ‘We can show you’ as they push the button that activates the screen down stairs where they transmit location footage to help Sam and the gang with their quest. This is an opportunity for children watching to see footage of children in their environment who they can directly relate to.
Storytime – Wanting to help the others solve their dilemma the mice sing ‘Hello Hello’ and phone for a friend to come and help. This guest arrives and announces they’ll help by telling a story and Sam sings ‘We can be’ as they all get ready to act out the story for the day. We hope that children watching will be encouraged to re-enact their own stories. Role-playing, dressing up, formulating stories are all important aspects for early childhood development.
Feature Songs - There doesn't seem to be many children that don’t like music. With this in mind, and the fact that parents and carers will hear the songs over and over again, we have written 13 feature songs for the series that all can enjoy. Each week the same song is played over the 5 days. This song is based on the theme for the week. For example, in our week about flying, the feature song is ‘I can fly’. Again this repetition of songs encourages the children to learn and participate. This encourages memory and gross motor skills.
Jake's Place – Jake lives across the river and he’s our 'make it' guy. The mice visit him daily with the intention of asking him to make something for them but, as always, their stomachs rule and the need for food drives them – and Jake – to distraction. The making process is a quick montage that gives an overview of how to make the craft for the day. You’ll find detailed instructions of some of these activities on our website for kids.
The group of friends in Bambaloo gives us great opportunities to explore all the emotions that go with friendship. They express ideas and feelings that relate directly to today’s child. It gives us constructive ways to deal with conflict, positive role modeling, problem solving, creative play and the celebration of difference.