Posted May 3, 2015

By COURTNEY BARICH

Over the holidays, I always want to find a new way to bond with my three-year-old twin girl cousins. Although, “girls are girls” and I can always find a way to light up their faces with materialistic clothes or toys, I was looking for something that we could all enjoy and is age-appropriate for them at the same time.

My Aunt Nancy told me that a television series called “Little Charmers” had just premiered in January and my cousins were obsessed with the show. As a result, after the first Passover Seder this past weekend, instead of doing Chelsea and Kira’s makeup or straightening their short hair, I decided I was going to sit with them and watch “Little Charmers.”

“Little Charmers” is a Canadian-American computer-animated television series that premiered in the United States on Jan. 12, 2015. It later premiered on Jan. 31 in Canada. “Little Charmers” is produced by Nelvana Enterprises and Spin Master Entertainment for Nickelodeon and Treehouse TV. The show airs on both Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. in the United States. Thus far, 13 episodes approximately 24 minutes each have aired.

“Little Charmers” features a magical land called Charmville in which three cartoon girls are best friends and have their own special powers. The girls are charmers-in-training and are still experimenting with their powers.

Hazel, the fearless go-getter, leads the group on adventures designed to test their magical powers. In most episodes, Hazel knows she should only be using her magical powers for essential actions. However, the young pink-haired charmer can’t refrain from having fun or helping her friends. When her powers backfire on her, Posie and Lavender, her two best friends are there to help her out.

The episode I watched with my cousins was called “Sparkle Bunny.” The episode is about Easter but the show refers to it as “Sparkle Bunny Day.” In the episode, Hazel begs her mother to “charm” eggs for the holiday. Her mother is hesitant to give her young daughter such a big responsibility but is convinced to take the risk.

Each Charmer, Hazel, Lavender, and Posie, has their own responsibility to prepare Charmville for “Sparkle Bunny Day.” Although Hazel has the biggest responsibility, she puts her friends before her and wants to help them with their tasks before fulfilling her own. The three girls say “One is fun, but three is charming!” They work together to prepare for this very special day.

However, when Hazel takes a shortcut with her wand, “charming” her eggs takes a turn for the worse. Hazel does not use her wand responsibly and loses most of the eggs as a result.

Without hesitation, Hazel is on a mission to fix her problem and find the lost eggs without using magic. She shows inspiration, motivation and that using your brain is better than any magic.

By the end of the episode, Hazel, with the help of her friends, has the eggs ready for the egg hunt on “Sparkle Bunny Day.” Although this episode sounds childish and immature, I found the underlying lessons very important. As a result, I watched the first few episodes of the series, including “Prince Not So Charming,” “A Charming Outfit,” and “Double Trouble Spell” on my own.

Each episode has a storyline in which the three Charmers-In-Training attempt to solve everyday problems. In this process, they learn that with friendship, teamwork, optimism, and creativity they can overcome anything. The series emphasizes how valuable are friendship and cooperation.

The computer-animated television series was created by Jennifer Dodge and Irene Weibel, developed by Carolyn Hay, and directed by Alex Gaidachev, Daniel Wexlar, and Ryan deKeer.

The little characters are each unique and bring different traits that children can learn from. Hazel is a big-hearted, spirited, active girl who has a passion for trying new things. Posie is a blonde, creative, young-hearted flute player. Lavender is a purple-haired charmer who knows how to make the perfect magic potions.

Overall, although I would not recommend “Little Charmers” for anyone over the age of 5, the series is perfect entertainment for preschoolers. It demonstrates the joy of individuality, teamwork and the rewards of problem solving. The show’s characters are positive role models to preschoolers and reminds children that it is always important to learn from your mistakes.

Many parents believe that young children are being exposed to unhealthy media. Since the 1950s, 98 percent of households have at least one television. This results in children being easily occupied by cheap entertainment. However, many shows that are aimed for a younger audience are not completely age appropriate. They may contribute to physical health problems, mental health problems, or just have a negative impact on a child’s overall learning. I believe “Little Charmers” is a good example of an age-appropriate, magical ride for children like my cousins to go on.

“Little Charmers,” Nickelodeon, Nick Jr.
First Episode date: Jan. 12, 2015
Computer-animated television series
Created by: Jennifer Dodge, Irene Weibel
Directed by: Alex Gaidachev, Daniel Wexlar, Ryan daKeer
Starring: Addison Holley, Alexa Torrington, Matilda Gilbert
Running time: 22 minutes