Kids just love animals, and they love Hi-5. Put them together and you really can’t lose. The super popular team are back with a new video and DVD all about animals. The main idea of this, and all Hi-5 is to encourage the use of imagination. Kids are shown by example how the Hi-5 team pretend to be a variety of different animals, play with pretend and real animals, sing about animals and make animal themed craft. Children already familiar with the Hi-5 structure, which includes live concert songs with all the team, story telling episodes, Tim’s segments on beat, melody, and other musical concepts, Charli’s segments on movement and stretching, Kathleen’s segments on numbers, puzzles and mazes, helped by her tricky puppet Jup Jup, Kellie’s focus on language and sound with help from her puppet friend Chatterbox, and Nathan’s exploration of colour, shape and pattern. The props are all very simple ones which children can find around the house - broom handles, makeshift wings, cowbells (which could be pots or pails or anything bangable), coloured paper cut into shapes, tinsel, and backpacks. Some of the songs here will also be familiar like So Many Animals and North, South, East and West, both of which made the charts for the team. All of the segments have been aired on their TV show, but grouped into an animal themed video/DVD make for a very engaging and educational experience. There are plenty of subtle lessons about maths, exercises, music, shapes, language development, and lots of wonderful co-operative play and happy make-believe.

What sets Hi-5 apart is the combination of talent and enthusiasm which the young team has. They are very appealing to children and will also draw in slightly older children who have outgrown The Wiggles and are looking for presenters who dress , talk, and play just like they would like to. Good looking, modern, young, and above all, nice, these terrific young adults provide very positive role models. The focus in this CD/DVD on animals will raise the appeal up a notch, since children really seem to have an affinity with animals, and the make-believe will really stimulate children to copy. Hi-5 is never overtly sentimental like Barney, nor is it corny like The Wiggles. The music is good enough to make it into the top 40 charts, and the team really seems to enjoy themselves. Children will even learn about the Italian words on a pizza pie (a little exception to the animal theme). This is lots of fun, and will appeal to children ages 2 to about 8, a reasonably wide age. The DVD also includes Karaoke versions of North South East West, So Many Animals, and Special Days, plus subtitles for the hearing impared, and lots of custom selection options.

Hi-5 Animal Adventures Roadshow Entertainment
DVD and Video, March 2004, 56min
RRP $A29.95 for the DVD

This review first appeared on Preschool Entertainment. It appears here with permission.

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