Cbeebies - Tikkabilla
Tikkabilla: The Television Series
The word 'Tikkabilla' is derived from the name of a game played in parts of India which is similar to hopscotch and the programme takes a hopscotch approach to its format, hopping on stepping stones from story to song to visiting a real place. There are six presenters and each episode is presented by two of them. Tamba, the puppet, is in every episode, joining in with the fun. Tamba plays the surrogate child asking those tricky and naive questions. The style of the programme is inclusive and interactive, directly addressing the viewing child, making links with their own experience and encouraging them to join in wherever possible.
PRESENTERS
The six presenters are Beverley, Justin, Lorna, Paul, Sarah-Jane and Simon. They sing and dance, tell stories and perform rhymes, make and decorate things. They lead your child through the 'window on the world' with entertaining, easy-to-understand commentary. They talk directly to your child in an engaging and chatty tone but occasionally take on the role of parent to Tamba.
Tikkabilla's puppet character, Tamba, is small in size, but big in personality!
As the surrogate child, Tamba asks the ingenuous questions, adds a little mischief and has a fun relationship with the audience.
THE TIKKABILLA HOUSE
The Tikkabilla house is brightly coloured, flexible and comfortable with different levels and areas. There's a cosy attic for story telling, a make table, swing seats, somewhere for pets and a large performance area.
The round, square and arched windows have been retained from the trusted 'Play School' series and provide a way into the real-world insert material.
The Tikkabilla Clock also builds on the original 'Play School' brand. In each episode the clock helps your child with time-telling skills and also provides visual clues to the story coming up with a rotating display of related items.
THROUGH THE WINDOW
'How many windows? One, two, three. Which one will it be?'
Through the window offers an interactive opportunity for your child to anticipate and predict which window will reveal the next real-world item. The real-world inserts include animal and natural history sequences, children from around the UK going about their daily lives, films about how things are made (such as cheese, crisps, ropes) and children talking about their favourite things.
STORIES
A story is at the heart of so many pre-school series - and Tikkabilla is no exception. Visual clues are displayed beneath the clock each day, to give children the chance to guess the theme of that day's story. There is a mixture of new and traditional, specially written and published stories, including some from around the world. Children have further chances to play with language in the poems and rhymes which are a regular feature of the show.
DRESSING-UP
There is a dressing-up box in the house. Children love dressing up, and they can watch the presenters (and occasionally Tamba!) dress up to get into character - for a story, poem or song. Afterwards, they could be encouraged to explore different characters themselves.
SONGS
Songs are a vital part of the programme. There is a combination of traditional and specially written songs, including new words to well-known tunes. There are lots of 'action songs', with plenty of scope for the viewers to 'jump up and join in' and songs with a particular theme such as the weather, transport, feelings, opposites and the very lively Tikkabilla Jive. There are also opportunities for your child to develop their musical listening skills.
MAKE AND DO
The 'makes' featured include art, crafts and cookery. They are paced slowly to allow your child (and any grown-ups who are watching with them!) to follow them and have a go themselves after the programme. Tamba asks the questions that your child might ask, to clarify any aspects of the make process.
Some of the makes are featured on the Tikkabilla website. Digital satellite and digital terrestrial viewers can press the red button while watching the programme and read the 'how to' instructions on digital text taking them through the steps of that day's make. Find out more about interactive television.
Tikkabilla featured a book for their Christmas programme, which we feel many would enjoy. It is called: 'A Christmas Story', written by Brian Wildsmith and published by Oxford University Press.
Tikkabilla: the website
On the Tikkabilla website you and your child can hop back and forth from game to story to make as many times as you like. The hopscotch theme from the programme is continued with Tamba hopping from one square to another when content is linked. Entering the site through the Tikkabilla house, you will find related games, music, stories, makes, colouring in and Through the Window inserts. There is also a newsletter which you can sign up for, telling you about forthcoming additions to the site.
GAMES AND MUSIC
In the Games and Music section your child can join in the Tikkabilla fun and learn at the same time. The games cover all the Early Learning Goals and the musical activities encourage your child's communication skills, creativity and physical development. Why not get up and follow Lorna, Paul and Tamba as they do the Tikkabilla Jive? There's more information on how the games fulfil all the Early Learning Goals in the notes for grown-ups.
STORIES
The stories on the website feature characters familiar to you and your child from the programme, such as Bonny, Banana and Mo, traditional stories acted out by Tamba and the presenters and stories in keeping with Tikkabilla's focus on finding out about different cultures and the world around us.
When you and your child read the stories together your child can join in, clicking when prompted to turn the page, keep the narration going or choose what the characters will do next. You can find out more about each individual story and how stories help your child's language, literacy and communication skills, as well as their personal, social and emotional development, in the notes for grown-ups.
PRINT AND COLOUR
You can print out various line drawings of the key features of Tikkabilla for your child to colour in: Tamba with the presenters, the clock, the house and a map of the UK with weather symbols.
PRINT AND MAKE
Encourage your child's creative development with the makes on the website. The makes reflect themes, features and ideas from the programme and also tie into some of the games, printables and Through the Window features on the site. Your child can dress up as Tamba, make a bracelet to be an Indian dancer, tell the time with their own Tikkabila clock and explore their emotions with the Emotion Theatre. The paper windmill make works well alongside the weather printable and if your child has enjoyed watching how a teddy bear is made in Through the Window they can make their own.
THROUGH THE WINDOW
'How many windows? One, two, three. Which one will it be?'
Building on the interactivity of the 'Through the Window' inserts on television, your child can choose which window to enter and has a choice of three real-world inserts. The 'Through the Window' section helps your child to find out more about the world around them.
eCARDS
Why not send an ecard with your child to a friend or family member? Choosing an ecard and getting a response back from the recipient will encourage your child's communication, language and literacy skills.