This week, the children's television show, Sesame Street, celebrated its 45th birthday. My siblings and I grew up on Sesame Street and my kids still watch it, too. Television has now been around long enough that the parents, grandparents, and even some great-grandparents of today's children have fond memories of specific TV shows from their younger days. Thanks to the Internet and, more specifically, YouTube, we are able to share these shows with our children and grandchildren (for free!)
I grew up in the 80s, and virtually any sitcom, cartoon, or educational program from that era can now be found on YouTube. But, Grandparents, did you know that many shows from the 50s and 60s that YOU grew up with can also be found on YouTube?
I did a quick YouTube search of some popular family/children's programs from the 50s and 60s and here is a short list of what I found:
Howdy Doody
The Lone Ranger
Gidget
The Jetsons
The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
Mr. Wizard
The Andy Griffith Show
Classic Mickey Mouse Club
The Shari Lewis Show
Huckleberry Hound
Leave It To Beaver (the 1954 season of Lassie available for free on Hulu.com)
Lassie
Adventures of Superman
I Love Lucy (select I Love Lucy episodes also available for free on Hulu.com)
Also, check out the website, Free-Classic-TV-Shows.com. Lots of old shows, including some pretty obscure series and episodes.
I grew up in the 80s, and virtually any sitcom, cartoon, or educational program from that era can now be found on YouTube. But, Grandparents, did you know that many shows from the 50s and 60s that YOU grew up with can also be found on YouTube?
I did a quick YouTube search of some popular family/children's programs from the 50s and 60s and here is a short list of what I found:
Howdy Doody
The Lone Ranger
Gidget
The Jetsons
The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
Mr. Wizard
The Andy Griffith Show
Classic Mickey Mouse Club
The Shari Lewis Show
Huckleberry Hound
Leave It To Beaver (the 1954 season of Lassie available for free on Hulu.com)
Lassie
Adventures of Superman
I Love Lucy (select I Love Lucy episodes also available for free on Hulu.com)
Also, check out the website, Free-Classic-TV-Shows.com. Lots of old shows, including some pretty obscure series and episodes.
Introducing today's children to TV programs of the past is an easy, interactive, and fun way to get kids thinking about the past. Television history has become an important aspect of modern popular history and culture. Show them a black-and-white show from the 50s. Explain to them that TV hasn't always been in color. It will blow their minds that there used to only be three channels TOTAL; children today are used to having dozens of channel and show options. And don't assume that the children you know will find the shows boring or irrelevant to their lives. Last year, while on vacation, we stumbled upon an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. My six year old son was actually very interested in it, because the plot line involved Opie and some problems he was having with some kids from school. (He also LOVES all the slapstick stuff on Gilligan's Island!)
When you start showing kids television shows that meant something to YOU as a child, you are making a family history connection with them. Every child has a favorite TV show; it's something in life that we can all relate to. Don't be surprised if the kids then start asking other questions about your childhood - Where did you live?, Did you wear clothes like those kids in the show?, Did you have a bike like that kid in the show?, Who were your friends? What was school like then?, Where did you parents work?, etc. And all of a sudden, you have a budding family historian!
©2014, Emily Kowalski Schroeder.
When you start showing kids television shows that meant something to YOU as a child, you are making a family history connection with them. Every child has a favorite TV show; it's something in life that we can all relate to. Don't be surprised if the kids then start asking other questions about your childhood - Where did you live?, Did you wear clothes like those kids in the show?, Did you have a bike like that kid in the show?, Who were your friends? What was school like then?, Where did you parents work?, etc. And all of a sudden, you have a budding family historian!
©2014, Emily Kowalski Schroeder.
