I’m overdue for a YouTube video roundup, and while it’s easy to overdo TV time these days, there are lots of great videos available if you or your kids need a break. Some are straight-up educational, some are fun, some are super-interesting, some are good distractions. A mix is good, right?
Here’s what we’ve been watching lately:
Kermit Says It All
For my money, there’s no sweeter or more hopeful song than “The Rainbow Connection,” the song Kermit the Frog sings in the opening sequence of “The Muppet Movie.” It’s a comedy, and a great one, but it’s also about the Muppets trying to make their dreams come true, and as Linda Holmes said in her great essay about the movie, Kermit realizes that his dreams of being rich and famous are actually “about hoping to learn that belief in the power of uncertain and ethereal things — rainbows, for instance — is not unfounded.” Which is kind of a perfect explanation of the magic of the Muppets as a whole.
Anyway, what a treat it was to find that the latest video on the Muppets YouTube channel is Kermit the Frog, playing “The Rainbow Connection” on his banjo outdoors. He doesn’t say anything in the video, apart from the song, but the video description says “to the Lovers, the Dreamers, and You… Keep Believing.” (It goes without saying that I teared up during this song, and again writing about it.)
Theremins!
Music is therapeutic anytime, but especially now. But it’s also fun – as are the Franklin Institute’s “Spark of Science” videos. They cover a range of topics, but this one was extra-fun because it’s about the amazing Theremin:
Bear in a swing, chilling out
We’re watching lots of animal videos these days – and there are lots of great livestreams from zoos, museums and aquariums, too – but this one is one of my favorites. This bear lazing in a swing is what I aspire to be right now.
And goats in pajamas
The adorable goat baby video game is strong at Sunflower Farm Creamery in Maine, and this video of little goats running around in pajamas is just off the charts adorable.
