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Every parent has been through that stage of TV where your kids love some shows that you’d sooner have a root canal than sit through - like a certain bald French boy who shall not be named. Thankfully, our kids grow up, but finding common ground with young kids on TV can still be a challenge.
If your kids love to make and create, or you want to inspire them to do so, here are 5 great reality shows that are kid-approved and parent-interesting.
What it is:
Special effects make-up artists compete in challenges for prizes. Using sculpting, fabricating, and make-up, contestants push their creative and artistic talents to the limit to create realistic creatures. The challenges range from a collection of intergalactic beauty queens to gory zombies. We love the big reveal at the end when the make-up is shown on stage.
Parent Advisory:
Kids who do not like monsters or horror may find it frightening. That said, I found it helped my younger daughter see that movie creatures are just people in make-up and not real. The strong swearing is always bleeped out.
Where to Find It:
Space Network in Canada and SyFy in the US. Some episodes are free online. Aired episodes can be purchased on iTunes.
What it is:
You have likely heard of Project Runway, which has been on the air since 2004. This reality show, starring Tim Gunn, has clothing designers compete in various challenges to make clothes from scratch for their models to wear down the runway. Though I have always been a fan of the show, the contestants tend to be extremely catty and use vulgar language. Enter Project Runway JR. In this series spin-off, the contestants are teens, age 13-17. They have the same great talent, but without the adult drama. These kids are totally inspiring to watch.
Parent Advisory:
Lots of skin as designers dress models. But all real nudity is covered.
Where to Find It:
Bravo in Canada and Lifetime in the US. Aired episodes can be purchased on iTunes.
What it is:
The ultimate ‘maker’ series. Steampunk’d pairs designers with builders, tinkerers, and construction people, to create full-scale rooms in the Steampunk style. Steampunk is a weird blend of Victorian Era design and futuristic pieces. Think lots of gears, corsets, and pipes. The challenges include an outfit, a room design, and usually some moveable object. It sounds odd, but after watching a few episodes, it starts to make sense. The beauty here is the focus on reusing old things to make new. Each episode they get access to the “punk” yard where they search for pieces they can use in their next build and design. Thumbs up to this show, as my daughter noted, for having the only host that wasn’t a Caucasian blonde woman. Hmmm.
Parent Advisory:
The most ‘adult’ thing about this show is the concept. Steampunk is hard to wrap your head around. There are also some headstrong contestants that fight amongst themselves.
Where to Find It:
Sadly, there was only one season, and it can be found on Netflix.
What it is:
Creature makers get to work out of Jim Henson’s famed Creature shop to design puppets and animatronics. The winner gets a coveted job with the shop. Challenges include swamp monsters and Dark Crystal Skeksis. My kids loved this because it was an interesting combination of building faces, fabricating bodies, and designing electronics to work the eyes. Plus: it’s Jim Henson puppets.
Parent Advisory:
Some of the creatures may be frightening to very young children, but overall, they don’t look realistic - more cartoony.
Where to Find It:
Only one season. Can be purchased in iTunes.
What it is:
Science, building, and blowing lots of stuff up. Jamie and Adam, two special effects experts, try to test urban legends by recreating them in their warehouse. They have tested everything from "Can talking on a cell phone while filling gas cause an explosion?" to improbable movie scenes like whether Luke and Leia could actually swing over a chasm in Star Wars. The show has 14 seasons, and it's very popular with kids and adults alike.
Parent Advisory:
Some mild language (crap, piss), hosts get drunk in one episode, lots of faked violence and explosions.
Where to Find It:
Discovery Channel, or some episodes can be watched online. If you really love it, you can buy whole series on DVD.
Cat loves tech and tech loves Cat… well most of the time.
After Cat realized that her dream of being a professional back-up dancer was not in the cards, she pursued a career in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Cat spent over a decade working in the software department for a popular smart phone company where she wore many hats as developer, software architect and manager of very clever people. She has also been known to wear a toque because Waterloo is in the snow belt. The best project she’s ever worked on was a joint effort with her husband that produced two wonderful girls.
Now Cat runs her own business, Binary Tattoo, which teaches people how to safely and effectively define their online identities. Additionally, Cat is an advocate for girls in STEM, a dog lover, and a stupidly busy women.
You can follow Cat on Twitter: @BinaryTat or visit her site at: www.BinaryTattoo.com