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Children's Video/DVD Review:
Leapfrog:
Math Circus |
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Distributed by: Warner Video
Released: 2004
Reviewed: December 2004
Our Recommended Age:
Newborn to Toddler
Our Rating: A+
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Buy: Leap Frog - Math Circus
(VHS) or Leap Frog - Math Circus
(DVD)
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More Screenshots:
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Top
Pick. We thoroughly recommend this video/DVD for
children. Leap Frog: Math Circus is an entertaining animated
video devoted to teaching kids not only how to recognize
numbers, but also how numbers combine together through
simple addition and subtraction.
The
familiar frog siblings from the LeapFrog brand go on a
fun-filled adventure to the Math Factory. Tad, Leap, and
Lily don spring-y shoes and are introduced to the numbers 1
through 10, who are fresh from the Number Machine. Each
numeral has its own face, feet, and hands. As the story
goes, the numbers come out of the machine knowing who they
are (and they proudly announce their names, such as
"Divine Nine" and "Heavenly Seven"), but
they don't know their place, or how they add together. The
numbers are in need of training.
Who can
train the numbers? The Quidgits (plain boxes with feet and
hands—see picture below, in which number meets Quidgit!), Professor Quigley, and the frog sibling
assistants.
After a fun counting vignette and song that features a
Quidgit Worm ("see how it grows"), the Quidgits
and numbers are off to the Math Circus. Here, "amazing
acts of addition" and "stupendous subtraction
stunts" are performed.
All the
while, a grumpy factory owner watches on. At first, he is
very skeptical that anything constructive would come
out of the whole affair—simply because everyone seemed
to be having too much fun! Later, the fabulous circus
acts wins him over...and little viewers will certainly be
won over as well.
The
learning opportunities in this video are abundant and rich.
Associating numerals with "quidgits" is a simple
yet very effective and memorable demonstration. The trapeze
acts in which sets of quidgits swing towards each other and
become one larger (or smaller) set is another fabulous
visual demonstration of addition and subtraction.
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