"I believe the children are our are future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be."
'The Greatest Love Of All', Whitney Houston
'Children In Need' took place on Friday 13th November 2020, hence the theme for this week's CST activities page focused on 'Children's TV'.
We asked members to attend the Zoom virtual CST session with stories about their first memories of watching TV and their favourite children's TV show.
After introductions, we discussed some facts about 'Children In Need'.
The first ever 'Children in Need' fundraising event was held on Christmas Day in 1927. It was a five minute radio broadcast that raised £1,143, 18s and 3d!
In 1955, the appeal was shown on television for the first time.
The BBC Telethon started on 21st November 1980. It raised £1,000,587. On 18th November 2016 the maximum ever raised was £60,000,000.
Pudsey Bear made his first appearance in 1985.
'Children In Need' fundraising efforts have included:
- 'The Rickshaw Challenge' (Matt Baker BBC 1 'One Show')
- 'The BBC Radio 2 Chris Evans Auction'
- 'Car Fest'
- Sponsored silences
- Cake bake sales
- Sitting in a bath of beans
- Costume fun runs and
- Various other weird and wonderful sponsorship events.
We remembered that Terry Wogan presented 'Children In Need' from 1980 to 2014. He sadly died on 31st January 2016, aged 77. Other things Terry Wogan was known as a 'National Treasure' for included presenting the 'Eurovision Song Contest', his chat show 'Wogan', his BBC Radio 2 'Breakfast Show' and of course his hit record, 'The Floral Dance'.
Next, we thought about other special children's shows. One that sprang to mind for most of us was Ed (Stewpot) Stewart's BBC Radio 1 show 'Junior Choice'. This show started in 1968 and ran for a dozen years. Sadly, Ed Stewart died in January 2016, aged 74 years. His other famous hit show was, of course, 'Crackerjack'.
Note: This album was today's virtual prize.
IDIOMS ABOUT CHILDREN
Ask members to complete the following phrases ...
Babe in ARMS – a very young child
Babe in the WOODS – a naive, defenceless, innocent young person
Baby - BOOMER - a child born between 1946-1964
Blue-eyed BOY – someone's favourite person
Boys will be BOYS – boys, or men, will behave in certain ways, often noisily or irresponsibly
Child’s PLAY – very easy and simple
Children should be seen and not - HEARD
Like a kid in a SWEET SHOP – very excited and happy about something
Mummy’s BOY – a man who is still very dependent on his mother
New kid on the BLOCK – a person who has recently joined a company, organisation, team, etc, and does not know how things work yet
Sleep like a BABY – if you sleep very well
Throw the baby out with the BATH WATER – get rid of useful things when discarding inessential things
Daddy's little - GIRL OR BOY - favourite child
Watch with - MOTHER - TV stream
We then had a more focused think about the best children's TV shows from our childhood, using the music and picture quiz below to promote memory recall and reminiscence.
MUSIC & PICTURE QUIZ
Note: It is important to remind members that these clips and the following rhymes, remembered from childhood, are included to prompt long-term memory and recall and of course to celebrate our younger selves. Perhaps they were simpler, happier times and certainly children's TV and entertainment is very different today.
Round 1. Watch With Mother
1. Name the TV show?
Name these three characters?
2. Name the TV show?
Name the flower?
3. Name these two singing pigs?
4. Name the 'Woodentops' dog?
5. Name the TV show?
6. Name the the TV show?
Name the three characters?
7. Name the TV show?
Name the three characters?
8. SONG. 'Puff The Magic Dragon', Peter Paul And Mary - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7lmAc3LKWM
Having heard the song, what was the little boy's name?
ROUND 2. Animated
9. Name these two characters? Can anyone do the dog's laugh?
10. Name these two characters?
11. Name the character?
12. Name the train?
13. Which 'Carry On' actor narrated 'Willo The Wisp'?
14. Name these two characters?
15. Name this cat?
Here is the TV theme tune - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bii-PIGprv8
16. 'Morningtown Ride', The Seekers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llbhqwTHsWE
Which BBC Radio 4 comedy featured a pointless game called 'Morningtown Crescent'?
ROUND 3. Puppets
17. What was Basil Brush's catchphrase?
18. Name these three characters?
19. Name these alien creatures?
Which monster lived underground?
20. Name the cat and her owner?
21. Name the TV show?
Name these two characters?
22. Name the TV show?
Name these four characters?
23. Name the TV show?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMl6HnhFFIA
24. SONG. 'The Monkees', TV Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKs43dHBSWA
What were their names?
ROUND 4. Identify The Person
25. Name the TV show?
Name these two presenters?
26. Name the TV presenter and his puppet?
27. Name the TV show?
Name these two presenters?
28. Name the TV show?
Name these three presenters?
29. Name this artist and his puppet?
30. Name the TV show?
Name these two presenters?
31. Complete this song from 'Magpie'? "One for sorrow,
Two for -
Three for a -
Four for a -
Five for -
Six for -
Seven for a secret -
32. SONG. 'Lily The Pink', The Scaffold - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7pHDoJrrzA
What was their other Top 10 hit, which was used to advertise 'Roses'?
ROUND 5. TV & Film
33. Name the film?
Name the Station Master (actor)?
34. Name the island (lots of us made one)?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YyTfxeJxvQ
35. Name these two characters?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK4H-LkrQjQ
36. Name the TV show?
Who wrote the book in 1877?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flvxbw8YYM8
37. Name the TV show?
Who wrote the book in 1719?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE10msGsCn4
38. Name the TV show?
Name the two actors?
39. 'The Wombling Song', The Wombles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWQMMPFtoG4
Which 'Uncle' is named in the song?
40. FINAL SONG. 'The Greatest Love', Whitney Houston - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYzlVDlE72w
Complete the titles of some of her other hit songs:
Saving All My Love *** ***
How Will I ****
I Wanna Dance With ********
One Moment In ****
I Will Always Love ***
ACTIVITY
Buy some ginger biscuit decoration kits. You can get gingerbread men, ginger bread houses or Pudsey Bear kits and ask the group to decorate them so they can be enjoyed later with a cup of tea.
A FEW NURSERY RHYMES
Ask members to complete the lines, again as a long term memory and recall activity
(Maybe just do a couple of these, or none at all if any members view this as being a childish activity or if you have limited time. The idea of the activity is people with dementia often have relatively well preserved long term memory, whereas their short and immediate term memory can be severely affected. If they can be helped to feel they are remembering words and phrases learned and rehearsed in earlier life it can be an uplifting experience.)
As I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven WIVES,
Each wife had seven SACKS,
Each sack had seven CATS,
Each cat had seven KITS:
Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,
How many were there going to St. Ives?
Answer: ONE, THE NARRATOR
Bobby Shafto's gone to SEA,
Silver buckles at his KNEE;
He'll come back and marry ME,
Bonny Bobby Shafto!
Bobby Shafto's bright and FAIR,
Panning out his yellow HAIR;
He's my love for EVERMORE,
Bonny Bobby Shafto!
Cock a doodle do!
My dame has lost her SHOE,
My master's lost his FIDDLESTICK,
And knows not what to do.
Ding, dong, BELL,
Pussy’s in the WELL.
Who put her IN?
Little Johnny THIN.
Who pulled her OUT?
Little Tommy STOUT.
What a naughty boy was THAT,
To try to drown poor pussy CAT,
Who never did him any HARM,
But chased up all the mice in the farmer's BARN.
Doctor Foster went to GLOUCESTER,
In a shower of RAIN;
He stepped in a PUDDLE,
Right up to his MIDDLE,
And never went there AGAIN.
Georgie Porgie, pudding and PIE,
Kissed the girls and made them CRY,
When the boys came out to PLAY,
Georgie Porgie ran AWAY.
Goosey goosey GANDER,
Whither shall I WANDER?
Upstairs and DOWNSTAIRS
And in my lady's CHAMBER.
There I met an old MAN
Who wouldn't say his PRAYERS,
So I took him by his left LEG
And threw him down the STAIRS.
Hey Diddle DIDDLE,
The cat and the FIDDLE,
The cow jumped over the MOON.
The little dog LAUGHED,
To see such FUN,
And the dish ran away with the SPOON.
Hickory, dickory, DOCK.
The mouse ran up the CLOCK.
The clock struck ONE,
The mouse ran DOWN,
Hickory, dickory, DOCK.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a WALL,
Humpty Dumpty had a great FALL.
All the king's horses and all the king's MEN
Couldn't put Humpty together AGAIN.
I love little PUSSY,
Her coat is so WARM,
And if I don't hurt HER,
She'll do me no HARM.
So I'll not pull her TAIL,
Nor drive her AWAY,
But pussy and I,
Very gently will PLAY.
Additional lines are:
She shall sit by my side
And I'll give her some food;
And pussy will love me
Because I am good.
I'll pat pretty pussy,
And then she will purr;
And thus show her thanks
For my kindness to her.
I'll not pinch her ears,
Nor tread on her paw,
Lest I should provoke her
To use her sharp claw.
I never will vex her
Nor make her displeased:
For pussy don't like
To be worried and teased.
It's raining; it's POURING.
The old man was SNORING.
He went to bed and bumped his HEAD.
And couldn't get up in the MORNING.
The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the WATERSPOUT.
Down came the RAIN
and washed the spider OUT.
Out came the SUN
and dried up all the RAIN
and the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout AGAIN.
Jack and Jill Went up the HILL
To fetch a pail of WATER
Jack fell DOWN
And broke his CROWN,
And Jill came tumbling after.
Up Jack got
And home did TROT,
As fast as he could CAPER;
And went to BED
And plastered his HEAD
With vinegar and brown PAPER.
When Jill came in
How she did GRIN
To see Jack's paper PLASTER;
Mother VEXED
Did whip her NEXT
For causing Jack's DISASTER.
Jack be nimble,
Jack be quick,
Jack jump over
The CANDLESTICK.
Ladybird, ladybird fly away HOME,
Your house is on fire and your children are GONE,
All except ONE,
And her name is ANN,
And she hid under the baking PAN.
Little Miss MUFFET
Sat on a TUFFET,
Eating her curds and WHEY;
Along came a SPIDER
Who sat down beside HER
And frightened Miss Muffet AWAY.
Mary, Mary, quite CONTRARY,
How does your garden GROW?
With silver bells, and cockle SHELLS,
And pretty maids all in a ROW.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and JOHN,
Bless the bed that I LIE ON.
Four corners to my BED,
Four angels round my HEAD;
One to watch and one to PRAY
And two to bear my soul AWAY.
Monday's child is fair of FACE
Tuesday's child is full of GRACE,
Wednesday's child is full of WOE,
Thursday's child has far to GO,
Friday's child is loving and GIVING,
Saturday's child works hard for a LIVING,
But the child who is born on the Sabbath DAY
Is bonny and blithe and good and GAY.
Oh, The grand old Duke of YORK,
He had ten thousand MEN;
He marched them up to the top of the HILL,
And he marched them down AGAIN.
And when they were up, they were UP,
And when they were down, they were DOWN,
And when they were only HALF-WAY UP,
They were neither UP NOR DOWN.
Oh, a-hunting we will GO,
A-hunting we will GO,
We'll catch a fox, and put him in a BOX,
And then we'll let him GO.
Old King Cole was a merry old SOUL,
And a merry old soul was HE;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his BOWL,
And he called for his fiddlers THREE.
Every fiddler he had a FIDDLE,
And a very fine fiddle had HE;
Oh there's none so rare, as can COMPARE,
With King Cole and his fiddlers THREE.
Ride a cock-horse to Banbury CROSS,
To see a fine lady upon a white HORSE;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her TOES,
And she shall have music wherever she GOES.
Ring-a-ring o' ROSES,