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Children's Public Television Gets a Workout With KID FITNESS

Posted on: Tuesday, 18 October 2005, 03:00 CDT

By Rollins, Judy A

Kid Fitness Inc., along with WQED Multimedia Pittsburgh and American Public Television, are pleased to offer parents, educators and children nationwide a jolt of heart-healthy exercise with KID FITNESS, its new interactive children's television series.

KID FITNESS is a non-animated series for children aged 2 to 8 that incorporates song, dance, bright colors, captivating special effects, adventure storylines and educational themes designed to get kids moving and learning. 'Kid Fitness,' the show's super hero, is played by certified personal trainer and fitness model, Jarred Sper. He is joined by Brenda Butterfly, Annie, the Club Fit kids, and a whimsical mix of costume-clad animal friends on a lush tropical jungle set. Interspersed between exciting adventure and educational segments, 'Kid Fitness' invites his young viewing audience to join him and his friends to mimic their stretching, hopping, and animal- like movements, and to sing along with the catchy tunes.

"I put on the Kid Fitness sample DVD in my waiting room and kids instantly became little crawling crabs, mermaids, kangaroos, and frogs. Best of all, parents were glued to the TV and wouldn't leave!" said a pediatrician in New York City.

Paul Neville, award-winning world-class fitness trainer with over 20 years of fitness experience, is the creator of KID FITNESS. Neville, father of two, hopes to counter the ill effects of obesity before it starts. "My passion is to get kids to enjoy exercising at an early age that will later become the foundation for healthy living in their adult years," says Neville. "We designed the show in such a way to make it visually stimulating, with engaging storylines, interactive games and songs, in order to captivate the kids and get them moving without realizing that they are exercising and developing healthy habits."

KID FITNESS was written and directed by an Emmy-award winning team at New York-based, Pro Image Studios. Ouisie Shapiro and John Florio make up the writing team with Lenny Stucker directing. Shapiro, a two-time Emmy award winning writer, has penned shows for NBA Entertainment, ESPN Classic, HBO, CBS, and NBC. Florio's writing credits include Jim Henson's The Muppet Show and Shari Lewis' Lamb Chop. Stucker has won 10 national Emmys for his directorial work. His credits include, The Dauid Letterman Show, The Today Show, Super Bowls, and International MTV Awards.

Original songs for the series were created by Pro Image's Tom Schizzano, whose credits include CBS Records, The Cartoon Network, Harry Chapin, B.B. King, Hall and Oats, and Cyndi Lauper. All original songs will be released on a music CD that includes: 'Exercising with my ABCs," Jumpin' Jack,' Tm Feeling Good,' 'Now I Exercise,' 'Stretching Goes a Long, Long Way,' Ι Can Do It, You Can Do it, We Can Do It,' The Mailbox Song,' 'It's Good to Have Friends,' and 'Help One Another.'

Physicians, educators, and concerned parents agree that regular exercise facilitates weight control, helps strengthen bones, can improve cardiovascular risk factors, and may benefit mental health in growing children. According to Prevention's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1 in 5 children in the U.S. is overweight.

Furthermore, a study by James Pollatschek and Frank Hagen says, "Children engaged in daily physical education show superior motor fitness, academic performance, and attitude toward school as compared to their counterparts who do not participate in daily physical education."

The KID FITNESS series is presented by WQED Multimedia Pittsburgh (home of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood), created by Kid Fitness, Inc., produced by Pro Image Studios, and distributed by American Public Television. Thirteen 30-minute episodes will begin airing on public television stations across the country on September 4, 2005. Another 26 episodes are slated for production in February 2006.

A website designed for children and parents will also launch in September. The website will be chock full of interactive fitness games for kids and a nutrition and fitness section for parents, hosted by pediatrician, Dr. Valerie Mokides and naturopathic physician, Dr. James Prego. The URL will be www.kidfitnesstv.com. To view Kid Fitness promo clips go to www.proimagestudios.com/kf.

Copyright Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. Sep/Oct 2005

Source: Pediatric Nursing

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