Cbeebies - Fimbles
Fimbles: The Television Series
Finding out about the world, making discoveries and having new experiences is just what the Fimbles and all very young children enjoy doing!
The idea of 'finding' is central to the television programme and online, together with all the fun of exploring, discovering and experimenting. Children are offered opportunities to make their own discoveries by using their basic skills and senses. This is particularly encouraged in the games and activities sections of the Fimbles website.
Ingredients in the programmes, such as scenes of real-life experiences, enable children to see their immediate world in a new light and the programme promotes curiosity through these carefully chosen shots. Good use is made of appropriate questioning that encourages children to think about what they are viewing and engage in the process rather than simple passive viewing.
The friendly-faced costumed characters; Fimbo, Florrie and Baby Pom have instant appeal with their strong stripy colours and movements, which reflect the physical movements of the young child (children are likely to view the puppets as one of them!). They are joined by animated puppets: Roly Mo the mole, Rockit the frog, Bessie the bird and Ribble the chick, who take significant parts within the story line. They help to guide the child, causing them to think, consider and promote curiosity whilst viewing.
The various sections of the website provide a link to the sections in Fimbles Valley, where the characters enjoy specific activities.
The Busy Base area of the site provides printables of the three main characters for the children to print off and colour in.
The Play Dips section encourages the child's creativity combined with an activity, allowing them to make their own Shimmy Shaker, make a Play Dough Fimble or even create their own Tinkling Tree!
In the Purple Meadow there are Fimble games to explore and enjoy and your child can join in and sing along to three of the songs from the programmes in Happy Hollow. Comfy Corner reflects the story time from the programmes read in the distinct voice of Roly Mo.
The programme provides children with the opportunity to extend and enrich their language by offering words that help them explore the 'Find'. For example, the shape, form, texture and size of the 'Find' is discussed and the vocabulary used reflects the developmental level of this young age group. It is so important to extend a child's vocabulary by offering words that can help them express their own ideas and emotions.
The site provides the children with an area to continue and improve their knowledge and relationship with the Fimbles, taking their journey in Fimble Valley to a fun and exciting environment in which songs, games, stories and creativity are waiting to be found!
Child-centred programming is all about the capacity to meet the developmental needs of children. Fimbles achieves this objective by taking children on journeys which allow them to identify with the programme characters' feelings, perhaps happiness, sadness or times when they feel cross or misunderstood.
The humour, laughter and fun instantly draws young children into the adventures of the imaginative world of the Fimbles. Children are introduced to different areas within the Fimbles' world and each area represents particular times in a curious child's life. For example, 'Busy Base' and 'Comfy Corner' are just as their names suggest, reflecting typical parts of a child's daily rhythm. The careful pacing of the programme takes the young child through times of high energy, moments of reflection and repetition.
The type of humour used reflects the young child's fascination with absurdities and love of repetition. For example, the use of the phrase 'not here' is typically enjoyed by young children and Baby Pom's habit of repeating parts of phrases is typical at this age!
A gentle sound in the background and lively, well composed, music adds a subtle flavour and a magical feel to the programme. The colours, shades and textures used in the wonderful word of the Fimbles can enhance a child's visual experiences.
Young children can have great fun with the Fimbles and at the same time, expand their knowledge and understanding of the world.
Fimbles, the website
Finding out about the world, making discoveries and having new experiences is just what the Fimbles and all very young children enjoy doing!The website provides a link to the sections in Fimbles Valley, where the children can enjoy specific activities with their favourite characters.
The Busy Base area of the site provides printables of the three main characters for the children to print off and colour in. The Play Dips section encourages the child's creativity combined with an activity, allowing them to make their own Shimmy Shaker, make a Play Dough Fimble or even create their own Tinkling Tree!
In the Purple Meadow there are Fimble games to explore and enjoy and your child can join in and sing along to three of the songs from the programmes in Happy Hollow. Comfy Corner reflects the story time from the programmes read in the distinct voice of Roly Mo.
The site provides the children with an area to continue and improve their knowledge and relationship with the Fimbles, taking their journey in Fimble Valley to a fun and exciting environment in which songs, games, stories and creativity are waiting to be found! The colours, shades and textures used in the wonderful word of the Fimbles can enhance a child's visual experiences.
All the stories on the site have 'printable' versions. This allows the young children to enjoy their favourite stories 'offline', whilst also encouraging a love of stories.
Children can have endless fun on the Fimbles website and at the same time, explore their creativity and imagination, as well as have something to enjoy long after they have turned off their computer or television.