Cartoons have always been about children and one of the most dedicated niches of animation to target this substantial demographic are pre-school cartoons. By niche, it means these cartoons are really catered to young minds' sensibilities. So don't go blurting out that a pre-school cartoon sucks if it does not measure up to your standards as a knowing individual. Of course, they are created for children.
But just because they are created for children, that doesn't mean the potential for a huge market is not there. These kids may not have purchasing power, but they have the wallets of their parents backing them up.
It is important to note however that pre-school cartoons are a very sensitive niche. It cannot be all about the money. Animators for pre-school cartoons should take it upon themselves as a responsibility to promote excellent child education through these shows. They should feel accountable to the development of their children. By itself alone, that's a noble motivation already.
Thus, here are a few popular pre-school cartoons and we'll try to see what makes them click to children and even with their parents (who hypothetically are in charge of the remote control of the TV screen):
Dora the Explorer. This Nickelodeon Hispanic gem which can speak two languages have been carrying the flagship for pre-school cartoons everywhere. With problem solving at the forefront, Dora and her friends, Boots, Diego, Map and Bagpack, have been successful at attracting the curiosity of children thanks to their interactive conversations with the TV viewers. Not only does Dora help in keeping children behave, she also is an excellent training ground for memory skills and problem solving abilities.
This is a big reason why many parents voiced their outrage when they learned that the character design for Dora the Explorer has been expanded to appear as a pre-puberty lady. Parents are scared to lose the precious abilities of Dora the Explorer to engage their pre-school age children. But the creators of Dora are adamant that this new character design was just a branch out.
Little Einsteins. What would Albert Einstein would have felt knowing that a pre-school cartoon has been named after him - a high school dropout who happened to be a genius of science and technology? But that's beyond the point. This show, a music-based cartoon from Disney Channel, is straightforward about its intention: it is about education and little children.
Using music as a way to sharpen the critical thinking skills of children is a nice touch. It is similar to a mnemonic and this has been proven successful to keep the memories of children sharp.
Sesame Street. Who can forget this Evergreen PBS classic pre-school show which has still been continually running for decades already? With its eclectic and colorful cast of muppets Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster, Grover and Count Dracula, children are introduced seamlessly to the virtues of infotainment. This show has already taught many children of today and yesterday how to read and count even before stepping inside a classroom.
Bob the Builder. This is another adorable engineer which adorns the Saturday morning timeslot of CBS. This character has the requisite bright colors and sunshine attitude in its character design to attract children. Moreover, it teaches the virtues of hard work, self-reliance and critical thinking skills with his never-say-die approach to building and architecture.
These are only some of the most loved pre-school cartoons of all time. There are more of course and they have one thing in common: they all cater towards child education first and foremost. They have proven to be dedicated animation artists in making sure that children are empowered most especially in this Age of Information.