Kids might love Disneyland but the irony about the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’ is that a natural grove of orange trees was destroyed to build an artificial land that has successfully seduced generations of kids with its media. Regardless of your personal feelings about Disneyland, the reality is that it was created out of 160 acres of orange trees and it continues to have a massive carbon footprint. Yet Disney provides the very frame of reference for kids’ media.
Like many parents out there, I am hungry for positive kids’ media and by that I mean media that is positive in what it portrays, in what it teaches and in its ultimate impact on kids. Easier said than done, finding positive media for your kids has got to be one of the hardest challenges of parenting. You might say Why worry? It’s not like my kids are exposed to a lot of the media out there. Truth be told, it might not be in their face but chances are that they will get to it. Even if you do not own a TV or even if you abstain from a certain magazine subscription, most children know (or will know by some point in their childhood) how to find just about anything on the internet.
Given all of this, I was thrilled with the release of “Gorilla in the Greenhouse,” an environmental themed web animation that inspires kids to take real-world steps towards a healthy planet. The pilot episode is about The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (also known as The North Pacific Gyre), a growing collection of plastic waste in the Pacific Ocean. More than just a seven minute animation, this show and the green gorilla website includes interesting tidbits such as information about the gyre, the case for eco-friendly re-usable bags, actions that kids can take in their communities and of course, downloads of some great ‘Jack Johnson’ type music.
What I love about Green Gorilla is that it actually gets kids into action. Having seen the show, my eight-year-old has developed an ardent dislike for plastic waste. He is in the process of gathering all the plastic bags he can find…from the neighbors to create what he calls a “Mega Ball.” He has learned from Green Gorilla that a family of four consumes about 1,000 plastic bags each year. “We don’t need more in the Gyre!” says my son when we go to the grocery store. My ten year old daughter has teamed up with three other kids in the neighborhood to create a poster that encourages the use of re-usable bags. They have been calling upon local grocery stores and libraries to ask permission to post their posters. Finally, some of the teachers in local schools have actually presented the show in their classrooms followed by an entire discussion relating to the issue of plastic waste. The Green Gorilla website (www.greengorilla.com) includes two curricula for teachers, specifically tailored to this issue of plastic waste.
National Geographic Kids, one of my all time favorite kids’ websites is the ultimate positive media guru. In addition to featuring a range stories, videos and interesting animal trivia, their website includes games and tips that get kids thinking about issues. For example, their Get Green tips that actually get kids thinking about issues like recycling and improving the outdoors. Their Car Wash Kit has not only peaked my kids’ interest in washing our car on weekends but it has also helped instill in them a genuine interest in keeping the car clean. As an international parent who is constantly faced with the challenges of multicultural parenting, I love their People & Places section, a relatively new addition to their website that focuses on various people and cultures.
Check it out and let me know your thoughts. I am sure you are hungry for positive media too.
Written by Reenita, a San Francisco based freelance writer, Ayurveda Clinician and mother of two. Check out her personal blog at www.reenita.com
