[HOPEFULINPA]

I've created a monster. I got my 2 year old son some Wiggles DVDs. Then I got some more. (purely because I got sick of the same songs over and over and over and over).

He now wants to watch them whenever the tv is on. Now mind you he doesn't sit and stare at the tv all day. He'll mostly sit and watch one whole 20 minute tape in the morning and then again at night. But he likes it on as background noise and when he hears a tune he fancies he'll stop what he's doing and dance.

Don't get me wrong. I love the Wiggles. I have a lot of respect for 4 grown men that act like they do. And they are downright entertaining.

BUT...Are there any other DVDs anyone can suggest that also have LOTS of singing and dancing? He hates anything I get him that has too much talking (that could be GOD FORBID educational). I'm very close to buying a Lawrence Welk DVD and I need to be stopped before I search Ebay.

My sanity is on the line here. Ever get a Wiggles song in your head that you can't shake?

[HBV]

Grin. I feel your pain. We are having the same issue w/ Thomas the Tank Engine these days.

One alternative---Have you seen Dan Zanes' House Party? We Tivo'd a couple of those and they are sort of cute. Better music, that's for sure. I know they have DVDs out, I saw them at Borders last week.

[pg13209]

Doodle Bops are cute. How about Sesame Street? One that everyone seems to forget about. Barney( I know pathetic but the big purple dinosaur really does teach the kids good things) My three year old loves Dragon Tales and Arthur as well. Hope this helps!

[HOPEFULINPA]

Thanks for the suggestions. I took my son to a live show of the Doodle Bops and he doesnt seem to like them on tv anymore. I think they have more talking than they used to. Sesame St. doesnt have enough music to hold his attention either. My husband will divorce me if I expose his son to Barney..lol. I think I'm going to just start renting different tapes from the library or video store and see what works.

And for now I'll just be do doing the move they call the wiggle groove.

[ddhuab]

A friend gave me a bunch of kid videos, and in one was a video called Baby's Busy Day. A string of cheaply made music videos with mostly original music... my daughter LOVES it. I also picked up a dvd for like $1 or $2 at the wal-mart check out counter, and it was something that I think used to come on pbs, but it was mostly music video's of this cast of kids (in this case, beach or travel songs). These were familiar songs, like oldies, but the kids sang them. She like that, too. My daughter loves music, so I am thinking of trying to go online to find some more of these videos. (I would try to be more specific, but all her videos are packed away because we are moving).

-D.

[HappyTwinsMom]

My daughters LOVED "Bear in the Big Blue House" when they were small. DH thinks I'm half in love with Bear - and why not? He's big and cuddly and can SING. I refer to him as the "Barry White of the toddler set." Plus...the videos feature lots of different styles of music (R&B, soul, reggae, rock, pop, etc.). I enjoyed them as much as my girls did!

[cvalda]

No help here, but my 3-year old LOVES the Wiggles, too! Although sometimes he's happy with Elmo videos. A friend of mine got us tickets to see the Wiggles live in August. That will be very interesting, to say the least, to see how my little one reacts to "the real thing"!

;~) Kelly

[SchmennaLeigh]

Buy a Laurie Berkner DVD. Pure singing and dancing that isn't nerve-grating.

[musemoon]

My daughter LOVES Laurie Berkner and Jack's Big Music Show on Noggin, they also have Move to the Music which is good. If you don't have cable (I don't) They have it on Noggin.com and you can play the music and videos on your computer.

Otherwise we listen to an easy listening station on the radio (I promised myself I would kill me if I ever listened to easy listening) but the songs are catchy and Aria loves to dance to them.

[snaps]

I have to second the suggestion for Jack's Big Music Show on Noggin. My daughter loves it (and anything musical). They have guest musical artists such as Laurie Berkner, etc that have their own CDs as well. Unfortunately, I don't think that they have Jack on DVD, but I know they do have a CD from the first season. My daughter loves Elmo as well and anything Baby Einstein although it is more classical music (they have musical CDs and DVDs). Dan Zane is also good and Choo Choo Soul that they sometimes feature on Disney Channel.

[sadiegirl]

OK, 1st of all, thanks for the laugh; I needed it today!

Just a few weeks ago, my friend and I were having a SERIOUS discussion about which Wiggles song is the best/our favorite, I kid you not. (In case you were wondering, I am not able to pick just one, I like several-Wiggle Groove, Eagle Rock, Brown Girl in the Ring but if pressured, I would say I Climb Ten Steps).

I would 3rd Jack's Big Music Show but would say it's not as "musical" as the Wiggles. Close however.

Kelly, just an FYI which you may already know; Greg is no longer with the group and Sam is his replacement. We saw them back in Nov but were totally unaware of the problems Greg had been having. I know my 2 y.o didn't notice the difference but *I* sure did. Sam (Professor Sing-alotta-Songa) is good but just not Greg. Plus he's a trained opera singer and well, it shows and doesn't always translate into good Wiggle music.

Anyhoo, good luck; I keep telling DH that WE need to make a kiddie show. I mean, there really hasn't been a HOT toddler kids show since Dora/ The Wiggles, kwim? We need some new sensation to come along!

[SamIAm2]

No help here...but I can empathize with you because your Wiggles problem is the same as our Doodlebops problem...they are the ONLY thing on our tv these days! But I may take a look at some of the DVD's that the others recommended to you.

[tinatyme]

Ugh . . . mashed bananas, mashed bananas, cold spaghetti, cold spaghetti . . . All day in my head.

I have a 2.5 year old and a 3 year old and they are Wiggles obsessed. I have tried everything. Doodlebops, Blue's Clues, Jack's Big Music Shoe, Dan Zanes, Laurie Berkner, Sesame Street, Baby Einstein, Richard Scarry and they weren't having it. The only thing that comes close to entertaining them right now (besides the Wiggles) is The Backyardigans and so now when we are in the car we have to play the Backyardigans CD over and over again.

Finally I broke down and got us tickets to the Wiggles show this August. I think my children will fall out in excitement when they realize who is on the stage!

Tina

[HOPEFULINPA]

Well I rented Laurie Berkner, Baby songs, a couple Elmo's world and tivo'd Jacks Big Music show. He looks at them...looks at me...shakes his head no and says "Iggles".

I've figured out it's the combination of the singing AND dancing he has to have. Not just random dancing, mind you...coordinated dance moves to every song.

I give up. I tried. But when all is said and done the Wiggles are making both of us happy. How can you resist a 2 year old trying to do the moves to "quack quack quack quack quack cockadoodleoo" or "rockabye your bear"?

Sadie: I think my favorite song would be "do the wiggle groove" (and YES i know the dance as well) but "brown girl in the ring" runs a close second. Just my opinion, but there aren't enough songs these days with "tra la la la la" in them.

[sadiegirl]

Luann,
I am in agreement with your DS; it just isn't the same. There really is nothing else out there with almost exclusively singing/dancing.

Have you tried all of their DVD's? I think "WiggleDancing" is the best of the lot; it's actually one of their concerts. It's very evident what great entertainers they are and how much they love what they do.

LOL, I know all the dances (and of course words) by heart too. In fact, we've seen the episodes so much on PD and dvr, that I actually KNOW what song is coming next. How pathetic is that?

Happily (?), DS seems to be getting into PBS Kids Sprout. A bit OT, but have any of you seen Jakers? (BTW, NOT musical at all). I think *I* enjoy Jakers more than DS! The other day, I was laughing hysterically at it. DS had actually wandered off into the playroom and was entertaining himself while I watched it! LOL

I mean, any cartoon that features Mel Brooks as a sheep; well, how can you go wrong?