The Alphabet of Awesome Science
Things we loved
- Stretched kids with clever content
- Nicely crafted concept
- Brilliant pace
Things we would reconsider
- Some of the presentation teetered on the razor sharp edge between bright energy and overly sweet
We need more shows like this for kids.
As Amelia Moseley, presenter of Behind The News said in episode 274 of The Adelaide Show, kids love having new words and concepts to wrap their minds around.
Sadly, much on offer for kids (and adults, sadly) plays to the dumb end of the spectrum. And while there is always time for all of us to enjoy silliness, The Alphabet of Awesome Science proves (see what I did there) that you can pop balloons and talk about farts while still learning about science and the natural world.
The fact this show does not shy away from being sesquipedalian is laudable. Thank you, Professors Lexi Con and Noel Edge.
The structure of this show, working through the 26 letters of the alphabet, each with a challenging word and an entertaining (and often surprising) experiment is made all the better by being done in a random order (different each show, depending on letter tiles chosen by young attendees) and with a strict time limit per letter.
This means we have the pace required to hold the attention of tiny theatre goers, many of whom have beckoning mobile devices resting in their laps and surely ready to fill the minutest gap in concentration, and we have robustly planned and speedily executed experiments.
Arresting aliteration, excellent experiments, and dangerous ideas for my 10yo to reproduce at home (I have already hidden the cornflour to save us from fireballs in the kitchen), make this show a must-see for any parents who want to expose their kids to wonderful, wonder-inspiring wonderment well poised to spark (literally) interest in science. And, believe me, the world need a LOT more of this.
While the badinage between the professors was witty and illuminating, there were a few times when it just edged into sacharin sweetness; a fine line that is incredibly hard not to cross (something Amelia from BTN also discussed in the episode mentioned above). It feels really picky to even draw attention to this but there is so much that is so perfect about this show, I believe these professors have the elements to create an even stronger communication model that doesn’t need some of the old tropes and hand-me-downs from other kids shows.
The Alphabet of Awesome Science is a short but wonderful peregrination you can take with your child. And, who knows, its legacy might be a budding scientist, a home fire, or both!