Review of The Money Mammals DVD for Children

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Snigglezoo Entertainment recently sent me a review copy of their Money Mammals DVD to try out. The results were both surprising and delightful. Here are the five key areas that impressed me about the video, along with resources for making sure all that new-found financial info really sticks!

The Music – While kids can tap their feet and sing along to almost anything with a beat, I can’t stand lame music on a kid’s video. I was relieved that the musical soundtrack to this program was more Goo Goo Dolls than Pee-Wee Herman. Not only was it catchy, easy to understand, and modern, but I still find myself singing, “We’ll Share and Save and Spend Smart, Too” while doing random house chores throughout the day.

The Characters – The title says it all – they are mammals. A monkey, pig, camel, and marmoset live life as regular children, while also playing in a band. They are likeable, without the grating voices or annoying dialogue of many educational programs.

It Made Sense – With concepts easy enough for my 2-year-old to grasp (one coin for one coconut card), it never strayed from its simple financial wisdom to indulge a crazy plotline. It was fun, but it was always about money.

Bits of Wisdom – With some of the major talking points of the video being redundant to every other financial program for preschoolers (save, spend, share), it was refreshing to see comments on conventional wisdom sprinkled throughout the video. The concept of an allowance was introduced, and need-versus-want was discussed satisfactorily. My favorite scene involved the animals using a receipt to return an unwanted purchase.

A Moral Compass – Beyond the money talk and music, there is also a lesson in doing the right thing. The final song, “Let’s Make the Right Choice” encourages children that it is never too late to try to do right. Past financial errors don’t have to mark you for life or determine a pattern of irresponsible behavior. This is something we all can learn from!

Unlike many of the educational videos my family owns, this is one that has been called up for an encore at least twice since receiving it. We have discussed the principles in the video, and I’m certain that -- at least for now-- my little ones grasp the simpler concepts of the movie. For more information on the Money Mammals, as well as access to some useful resources for further financial education, visit www.themoneymammals.com.