Mommy & Me: Fun & Friends

Spending quality time with children up to 5 years old can be simple: this 35-minute Mommy & Me show features a host of enthusiastic mothers and their children in a play-group setting that includes fanciful characters like Walter the talking radio (Tim Conway), the singing Goldfish sisters, and Rosebud the talking flower (Caroline Rhea). The group revels in simple activities like singing, finger play, and dancing to the accompaniment of favorite songs like "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" and "Hokey Pokey." Interspersed between the live action are brightly animated segments like "The Wheels on the Bus," the classic story "The New Musicians of Breman," and a cloud-watching session set to Bach's Prelude 1 in C. Early-childhood specialist and Mommy and Me cofounder Dr. Cindy Nurik follows the program with details of skills and concepts that are advanced in the video and offers suggestions for further play and learning. This is a great interactive series. --Tami Horiuchi