"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' takes place on Friday 19th November 2021, 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 highest 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 Bonanza Auction'
- 'Car Fest' (Chris Evans DJ)
- 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 in 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', hosting 'Blankety Blank', his BBC Radio 2 'Breakfast Show' and of course his hit record, 'The Floral Dance'.
Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlH1af4siKQ
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 also 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 together ...
As easy as child’s PLAY – very easy and simple
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
Children should be seen and not - HEARD
Latchkey CHILDREN - children home alone while parents work
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
Spare the rod and spoil the CHILD - corporal punishment doesn't work
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
MONDAY'S CHILD
Read this well known poem together ...
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?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxCKELNKFlQ
2. Name the TV show?
Name the flower?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIzh3mKMUp8
3. Name these two singing pigs?
Here they are 'performing' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsr_k1wKSWI
4. Name the 'Woodentops' dog?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QewiLgTJYyQ
5. Name the TV show?
And this character?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecsmBFUtMyc
6. Name the TV show?
Name the officers?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6YE4PCRNwc
7. Name the TV show?
Name the characters?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUdbZ9QY5VU
8. SINGALONG. '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 Children's TV
9. Name the TV show?
Name these two characters? Can anyone do the dog's laugh?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uU6KzAbSTg
10. Name these two characters?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zedq1VhaS90
11. Name the character?
There were 14 episodes and costumes. Can you remember any of them?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF0qLIyDaGI
12. Name the train?
Who is driving it?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrSv1ZSmwNk
13. Name the character?
Which 'Carry On' actor narrated this TV show?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE3ULzR_AMg
14. Name the TV show?
And the characters?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiHZen0Goy8
15. Name this cat and the detective?
Here is the TV theme tune - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bii-PIGprv8
16. SINGALONG. '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. Name the puppet?
What was his catchphrase?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPZfD8Er5jQ
18. Name these three characters?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ73gEcryho
19. Name these alien creatures?
Which monster lived underground?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok6CoIwcJ-E&t=21s
20. Name the cat and her owner?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU8y66exzCo
21. Name the TV show?
Name these two characters?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGOuDRViTGw
22. Name the TV show?
Name these four characters?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aemoQm4Gxus
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?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzvI4p6ncqk
26. Name the TV presenter and his puppet?
27. Name the TV show?
Name these two presenters?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QFt1ZeDftk
28. Name the TV show?
Name these three presenters? And the pets?
VIDEO BREAK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X2PLKR6000&t=143s
29. Name this artist and his puppet?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCI5ig9QawU
30. Name the TV show?
Name these two presenters?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypgaNws0-sc
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 -
Eight for a -
Nine for a -
Ten is a **** you must not miss
Here are the opening titles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkd-1hBK9fI
32. SINGALONG. '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?
TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUPOm8YDWtM
39. SONG. 'The Wombling Song', The Wombles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWQMMPFtoG4
Which 'Uncle' is named in the song?
40. FINAL SINGALONG. 'The Greatest Love', Whitney Houston - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRX4ip6PVoo
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 ***
PRACTICAL 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,