If you walk into a playground and start to sing “There’s a bear in there”, chances are someone else at that playground will join you with “and a chair as well”.
For 56 years, Play School has taught Australian children and their families games, stories, songs and craft ideas.
To mark 90 years of broadcasting, the ABC has been asking Australians to share what the organization has meant to them over the years through Your ABC Story.
A common story has emerged of how Play School has made generations of Australians feel safe, happy and educated.
“As a young child, my first television experience was being allowed to watch ABC, Play School being one of the shows I adored,” Jade said in her submission to Your ABC Story.
“When my younger brother was born in 2001, my love for Play School was reignited and I loved watching the show with him. This is when we would bond, watching hosts such as Jay, Rhys and Georgie.
“I now have had a daughter of my own and cannot wait to share with her this incredible show.”
Play School was first broadcast by the ABC on July 18, 1966, as a copy of the BBC’s Play School program, and it is the second-longest-running kids TV show in the world.
While the program has changed over the years to reflect Australian society, key aspects have remained the same.
Liz Giuffre, senior lecturer in communications at the University of Technology Sydney, says this is part of the program’s ongoing appeal.
“There’s something very familiar about Play School. Of course the presenters change… but you do have the old staples of Big Ted and Little Ted,” Dr Giuffre said.
For many parents, watching Play School with their kids can make them feel more connected, as they are sharing something they loved from their childhood.
“I grew up with the ABC watching Play School and felt a sense of pride when my son was watching it when he was little,” Michael wrote for Your ABC Story.
“I just love that I watched Play School as a child and am reliving all the fun games, songs and characters again with my daughter. So many generations have gained so much from this fabulous show,” Rebecca wrote.
The familiarity of the program format brings “dual comfort”, says Dr Giuffre, as parents know the program is comforting for the kids with familiar faces and activities, and it can also bring back memories of happy times for the parents.
For Tara, Play School was her “safe place.”
“Watching Play School as a child helped me to escape, particularly during story time,” Tara wrote.
“For half an hour a day, I could see what kind and safe adults were like.
“It was an experience of comfort in an otherwise very chaotic childhood.”
Dr Giuffre said this comfort factor was why Play School was so important during lockdowns, as a place to bring familiarity and reassurance to children and their parents.
And while Play School does not usually mention what’s going on in the world at the time, because wars and politics are “problems for the adults”, Dr Giuffre said she was pleased to see them make the Handwashing Song special segment at the start on the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Something like COVID, it did affect those children… it did change what they were able to do, and [Play School presenters] had roles to play,” she said.
“We’ve never had something that has hit us all so immediately and for so long. There was nobody who wasn’t affected.
“I was so grateful that [Play School and the Wiggles] they were there because it felt like we could work together with them.”
Teaching little kids and their parents
Play School is an educational program at its core and many Australians have been helped to learn their numbers, colours, and days of the week by watching Play School.
“Play School gave me hours of entertainment and the clock segment taught me how to tell time on an analogue clock!” Tayla wrote to Your ABC Story.
loading
The program has also helped many, both young and old, with learning English.
“I was eight years old and didn’t know a word of English,” Steph wrote about moving to Australia as a child.
“I watched Play School for one year to learn the days of the week and much more.
“I came home crying most days because of the language barrier, but Play School was always there to cheer me up.”
“My French husband arrived in Australia in 1990 with barely a word of English,” Meredith wrote.
“He would hurry home from his language classes in time to watch Play School. The simple and repetitive language helped him learn not only English, but Australian.”
While Play School is written by people with expertise in early childhood education, the presenters are actors, musicians and comedians who usually do not have an educator background.
Alanna wrote that she grew up watching Play School when it was in black and white.
When she was studying to become a teacher, Alanna worked on an assignment comparing early childhood TV programs.
“One of the differences being that Play School was shot in one take. Minimal room for error,” she wrote.
“All the presenters brought their own style and personality to the table.”
The joys of being a presenter
Many of the Play School presenters have gone on to have successful careers outside of the program, but there are a few favorites from over the years that are mostly known for their Play School roles.
Benita Collings was the longest-running presenter, appearing in 401 episodes over 30 years, with John Hamblin in second place with 357 episodes and 29 years.
“It’s one thing that I’d love to go back to now if they had great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers on,” Mr Hamblin told the ABC’s Overnights program in 2016 to mark Play School’s 50th year.
“As soon as I walked into the studio where we were doing the auditions, there were all these colored blocks and toys and things and I thought, ‘This is great’.
“They’re going to pay me to do this. I really enjoyed the whole thing.
“It’s the one job that really meant something to me…because it was doing some good.”
Play School continues to be broadcast on ABC TV and across digital platforms such as iview and the ABC Kids App, and as long as it keeps kids and their parents feeling safe and entertained, there is no reason why Play School won’t be here in another 50 years’ time.
loading
.