No One's Lazy in LazyTown
by Aaron Reynolds
posted 5/01/2006
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If you haven't seen LazyTown, then your first exercise is clear. Program the VCR, set the TiVo®, or get the kids off to school, pour yourself a cup of joe, and tune in real-time to Nick Jr.'s powerhouse program. Imported from Iceland, LazyTown raised the bar on making "healthy living" exciting to kids. Taking on topics like "playing outside versus video games", "getting enough sleep", and "not eating junk food", while geared toward the late pre-school crowd, this Scandinavian success has kids of all ages tracking along.
So, what can a new show about health teach us in children's ministry? Sit up and take notice.
Energize Me!
One viewing of LazyTown will reveal it: this is an incredibly energetic show. For a warm-up, the main character, Sportacus, doesn't just walk—he flips, flies, tears, and tumbles everywhere he goes. "Great," you say, "I already have to tap-dance to keep my kids attention during the Bible lesson. Now I have to stand on my head?"
Not unless you want to; because there's more to this high-energy excitement than first meets the eye. In addition to the va-va-voom of the vibrant characters, you'll also notice energizing music and sound effects that continually drive the pacing of the show forward.
That's powerful learning. If LazyTown's soundtrack can juice up a snore/bore topic like health, imagine the goose your teaching might get from a little mood music when the topic is something exciting like the Bible. Next time you have an exciting Bible story, set some stirring music under the scene. Heighten the mood of a more serious story with a little dramatic underscoring. You'll be amazed by the power it can bring to your storytelling.
Where can I find all this music, you ask? Instrumental movie soundtracks make great choices. To get you off and running, check out the soundtracks to Batman, Henry V, and Prince of Egypt. They are custom-designed for the purpose, and as long as you're playing it off the original CD and not charging admission (you're not, are you?) you're not likely to have any copyright worries.
The Right Who
One time watching and you'll see something else about LazyTown: these are some cool characters. Check out the girl with the crazy pink hair. And Sportacus's outfit? I wouldn't mind taking my morning jog dressed in those digs. This cool collection of characters draws even older kids to LazyTown. While my three-year-old is now fervent about her daily teeth-brushing so she can "be like Sportacus", my eight-year-old is equally enamored by these high-flying characters. No doubt about it. LazyTown's cast is cool.
Here's the learning, although it may make you sweat to hear it: the "who" counts. The right person up front goes a long way to ensuring buy-in from your kids. And while a grandmotherly figure may be ideal for your Kindergarten room, cool counts when it comes to 2nd through 5th grade. These kids hear their teachers and their moms weigh in all week, so putting someone from a different demographic in front of them on Sunday really makes a difference.
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