The Great Outdoors! is one of the better videos
in the Elmo's World series. Children's favorite furry red monster, Elmo,
hosts the show in his little corner of the world. He calls on his friends to venture
into the great outdoors to explore nature concepts. There are three Elmo's
World segments with outdoorsy themes featured on this video: wild animals,
fish, and weather. As playful and fun as the video is, little viewers pick up
plenty of assorted facts as they accompany Elmo and friends on their adventures.
Elmo's World, with its distinctive crayon-scribbled decor, is comforting and
safe, but it's certainly not without whimsy. The playful television, computer,
dancing furniture, and Elmo's goldfish buddy, Dorothy, are all here to help
deliver educational tidbits and fun sequences. The silly mime, Mr. Noodle, for
example, performs a guessing-game skit in which he is a mystery animal. The
Weather Lady offers some fun facts about weather, and Elmo's friend shares her
experiences at the zoo.
Plenty of live-action clips featuring animals in their natural habitats and
children at play help demonstrate concepts. In the animal segment, Elmo opens
his door to a parade of wild animal muppets, performs a "waddle-waddle-hop-hop"
dance, and even transforms into a red and furry angler fish! The computer offers
video e-mail adventures, and simple multiple choice questions let kids know
which animals belong where (a deer lives in the woods, an elephant lives in
grasslands — not in a teacup, and so forth) with silly scenarios and obvious
answers that will tickle young viewers.
Kids will certainly find a lot to love about this video, even though some
of its humor is clearly designed to entertain parents as well. The video blends
a number of elements, such as live-action video and muppet skits, into an entertaining
whole. With Elmo posing all sorts of questions that become healthy food for
thought, Elmo's World: The Great Outdoors! is a delightfully playful
introduction to nature concepts with familiar and beloved characters.
The DVD edition includes a bonus Sesame Street sampler CD that includes three
entertaining songs from the full-length album, The Best of Elmo. It also
features a chaptering option.
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