Little Einsteins

Of all the children's videos out there, I am most impressed with the Little Einsteins. The stories illustrate great pieces of classical music. My favorite (as well as the girls' favorite) is the Rocket's Firebird Rescue, based on Stravinsky's The Firebird. It is a ballet that tells the story of Kastchei who seeks to destroy the Firebird, and the Little Einsteins seek to rescue the Firebird from the cage where Kastchei holds the Firebird captive.

The videos build knowledge of music terminology like crescendo and allegro. They learn about instruments, tempo, art, conducting, singing, and ballet, but the most significant thing they gained was appreciation and awareness for music. After the girls watched Rocket's Firebird Rescue, we got the music. We put the CD in without telling M & R what it was, and when they recognized the music, they started jumping with excitement, in time to the music.

In Little Einsteins - Our Big Huge Adventure, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony tells the story of the life cycle of a Monarch butterfly, which gives them some science as well. The 4 kids help a caterpillar get to the musical tree where it forms its chrysalis, and once it emerged, they helped the new butterfly migrate south.

M & R beg to watch these movies over and over, but even little K who is not even two yet loves to sit and watch them too.