Our 3 Favorite Snow Theme shows and WHY!

 The Snowy Day (5 Stars: 30/30 points)  

(25 min) Based on the award-winning 1962 book by Ezra Jack Keats, “The Snowy Day” follows Peter as he explores his neighborhood on a snowy day.

Pacing: 5/5 This show checks all the pacing boxes. This show provides a developmentally-appropriate use of pacing as to not overwhelm or overstimulate your child. It looks like an animated book.

Conversation Connection: 5/5 Promotes easy conversation and connection between you and your child. Themes of helping, family, the true meaning of the holidays, and friendship abound--all of which are great conversation prompts for your littles. 

Social/Emotional Skills: 5/5 Promotes positive social/emotional skills development. Peter and his Nana discuss Peter’s sad feelings about not playing snowballs with the big kids, and Nana addresses the conflict directly with the big kids, who include Peter. Peter learns the holidays are about people, not presents.

Language: 5/5 Uses child-friendly language and will likely promote language skills. There are several side characters who use Spanish and three beautiful acapella songs.

Diversity: 5/5 This show has a racially-diverse neighborhood with religiously-diverse families and a black main character.  It also has non-traditional family configurations and has both Hanukkah and Christmas references.

Intensity: 5/5 Evokes developmentally appropriate use of emotion.

The Snowman: (5 Stars 25/30 points)

(27 min) A boy and his snowman friend take an imaginary adventure together on Christmas eve. A beautiful adaptation of Raymond Briggs’ picture book that both adults and kids will enjoy. 

Pacing: 5/5 This checks all the pacing boxes. This show provides a developmentally appropriate use of pacing as to not overwhelm or overstimulate your child.

Conversation Connection 5/5 This wordless story can inspire talks on friendship (What do the Snowman and the little boy do together?), wordless books, (how can we understand books and shows without words?), and ways to celebrate the holidays that don’t include gifts. 

Social/Emotional Skills: 5/5 This show promotes imaginative thinking as the boy and the snowman believe in magic together, whereas the adults have stopped believing and adventuring. This story promotes friendship and also tackles goodbyes, as the snowman melts at the bittersweet end.

Language: 4/5 The wordless track of this show gives your little one lots of space to interject their own narration, ask questions, and get exposed to the language of a beautiful symphony.

Diversity: 2/5 If you are outside the UK, this book brings some cultural diversity with a British author and composer. Other than that, this show does not enhance much on the diversity spectrum.

Intensity: 4/5 Evokes developmentally appropriate use of emotion. There is a brief walk in the night woods that may be momentarily scary for some children and require the presence of an adult. While the boy does not seem distressed at the end of the film when his snowman melts, the ending is a good place for adult/child conversations.

Frosty the Snowman: (4.75 Stars 24/30 points)

(25 min) Based on the holiday song with the same name, this 1969 show shows Frosty turning to life with the help of a magic hat. Frosty and a little girl together navigate and compromise over contradictory goals: Frosty needs to stay cold to not melt, while the little girl needs to stay warm!

Pacing: 5/5 This show checks all the pacing boxes. This show provides a developmentally-appropriate use of pacing as to not overwhelm or overstimulate your child.

Conversation Connection: 5/5 Promotes easy conversation and connection between you and your child. Your toddler will find themselves singing along to the familiar holiday tune. The friendship negotiation between the girl and Frosty is also a moral worth discussing!

Social/Emotional Skills: 5/5 Promotes positive social/emotional skills development. Bravery and creative thinking are highlighted as the characters problem-solve ways to keep both Frosty and the girl both together and happy.

Language: 4/5 Uses child-friendly language and will likely promote language skills. The title song creates a great extension for dance parties and holiday sing-a-longs

Diversity: 2/5 This vintage show does not enhance much on the diversity spectrum. There is a female heroine, however.

Intensity: 3/5 Evokes developmentally appropriate use of emotion. Frosty does use a pipe and the magician does follow the main characters on their search for the North Pole.

Click here to learn about our rating scale and click here to learn more about Jennifer and Kay!