Tiffany Raiford
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is setting the stage for little girls everywhere to find an obsession with Cutie Marks, colorful clothing and special powers. It’s a great show for little ones, and it’s mystical references are fun for kids who have an exciting imagination. Of course, it’s a cartoon and it’s colorful and that’s what makes it so appealing to small kids. However, it’s a lot more than that. The show is one that features so much that’s good for kids, and many adults don’t see a lot of what our kids are learning from the show. Let’s take a look at the many reasons we love My Little Pony and don’t hate that our kids are watching it, too.
It’s not Too Girly
It might surprise you to learn that the ponies are not as girly as one might think. Sure, they’re colorful and rainbow-like and they have pretty hair and like pretty things, but they’re not all girly. In fact, some of the ponies are more tom-boy than girly-girl, and many of their adventures find them involved in activities and experiences that are downright gender-neutral. Little boys aren’t afraid to enjoy this show because it seems like a girls’ show. Let’s think about the fact that ponies are not something that are defined as “girly” in the same way that a Barbie might be considered. Ponies are horses, and horses are for everyone, even if they’re colorful and bright.
The Message is Good
If ever you find yourself with 20 free minutes, sit down and watch and episode of this show with your children so that you can learn exactly how the show is good for kids in terms of their message. For the most part, the show is about friendship. It shows how friendships change, how misunderstandings can occur, and even how friends go through experiences that bring them close together. Some episodes teach your kids how to handle conflict both externally and internally. There are episodes that teach kids that fear is something that strikes everyone in the world, and that it’s something that has to be overcome. The message, for the most part, is spot on and great for kids. Yours will pick up a little something from each episode.
Free Items
You can find free items online such as downloadable My Little Pony Coloring pages and even games that your kids can play. You can download apps with My Little Pony coloring pages or dress up games, adventure games, and just about anything in between. What makes this awesome is the fact that these are things that will help you keep your kids entertained when you’re out, when you’re traveling or even when you’re at home and they tire of their hundreds of books and toys and just cannot find anything fun to do. My Little Pony Coloring pages are easy to find online, games are easy to download from the app store, and neither takes much effort or knowledge about the internet, so just about anyone can find them and print or download them.
The Availability
What we really love about these characters for our kids is the fact that they are so readily available. In fact, when a child asks for one of these ponies, you needn’t look far to find them. They’re a very old cartoon that’s been around for decades, which means they’re never going to be the hottest and the newest item on the block. This means you won’t spend hours at Christmas shopping for these items or standing in line for one because it’s the last one in any store in the state. It’s also on several channels and there’s always an episode on television – or Netflix.
The Learning Abilities
Small children who aren’t quite big enough yet to fully understand the message or the concept of the show will still get to learn something from each pony. These learning tools are often small and insignificant for many, but for small kids it’s a big deal. It’s learning to recognize colors, and it’s learning to recognize objects and what they mean or what they stand for. Small kids who aren’t familiar with certain things might be able to pick up on them through watching this show.
It’s Adult-Friendly
There are so many different pop culture references in the MLP series that it makes it easy for adults to watch. Even if you’re not watching it, you’re probably listening to it from the kitchen as your kids watch, and it’s far more entertaining to listen to cartoons when they occasionally make a witty comment that references something more adult-like and modern. After all, if parents are stuck watching something they don’t care for, writers might as well make the script intelligent and witty. That’s just one of the things we love about this show.
It Reminds us of Childhood
Let’s be honest here; most of us watched this show ourselves when we were small children, and the fact that it’s still relevant is pretty awesome. Many times, the things we loved as children went away after a few years and never came back. MLP, however, is not one of those things. It’s grown with us, changed a bit with the times and managed to stay completely relevant in the lives of little girls and even some boys. In fact, it’s a culture that spans a number of generations and years, and that’s why it’s not uncommon to see a MLP shirt or bag in an adult-oriented section of any clothing department. Adults love their ponies, too.
The Language
On occasion you run across a show that has some inappropriate children’s language. You don’t let your kids run around saying things like “Stupid” so it’s not something you want them watching on television (We’re looking at you, Spongebob Squarepants). MLP storylines might occasionally bring about a word of this nature, but not all of them are filled with inappropriate language. That’s just one of the better reasons this particular show is so child-friendly, in our humble opinion.
Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images
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