As a father who takes care of my young children during the day, I cannot emphasize enough of the importance of Playhouse Disney.

I know that some may take issue with this, suggesting that I might use the television as a babysitter, and I don’t deny that never happens. However, it is a fact of life as a parent that kids are going to want to watch something now and then.

The television can be dangerous. You can’t just sit your kids in front of it to watch anything. Even the so-called children’s programming can be inappropriate for kids. I’m not talking about some Looney Toons cartoon violence, but instead some politically persuasive programming that is seeded throughout the shows.

Playhouse Disney tends to steer clear of these problems and manages to provide fun entertainment without attempting to raise political activists.

One of the nice cartoons on Playhouse Disney is “Stanley,” a show about a boy who gets lost in his own imagination. His best friend is his fish Dennis, and other characters include his dog and cat. They consult the “Great Big Book of Everything” whenever they have a question, affording the audience to learn with them.

With a slate of DVDs aimed at preschoolers, Disney has released “Stanley’s Dinosaur Round-Up.” This feature-length cartoon follows Stanley and his pals to the Wild West on the search for dinosaur bones. Stanley hopes to find some lost fossils and save his Uncle Stu’s dude ranch from being sold.

The film gives us a villain in the softest Playhouse Disney way possible. He’s a greedy land-grabber who is hoping to get control of Uncle Stu’s dude ranch. The show features the special guest voices of Randy Quaid as the villain and John Ritter as Uncle Stu in one of his final roles.

Anything involving dinosaurs is a shoe-in for young boys. My kids are 4 1/2 and 2 1/2, and they responded exactly as you’d expect for a fan of dinos. Add to the fact that they love the “Stanley” show, and you’ve got a hit for preschoolers.

The DVD his a game which allows kids to find dinosaur bones in a field. It’s a hit-and-miss random guessing game, but can be fun if the kids can run the remote. However, the best feature on the disc is the ability to assemble your own “Great Big Book of Everything.” Giving kids lessons in biology and paleontology, this game teaches kids about the different animals from around the world. It won’t be a quick activity, but it will keep your kids occupied – and they will learn something in the process.



Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Fullscreen (1.33:1). French language track. English subtitles for the hearing impaired.