Wiggly, Wiggly World - A fun place to visit!

We learned about The Wiggles from The Disney Channel. Our son used to sit and watch it over and over for hours, so we would often catch the little clips they would show. I'll be honest, they used to drive me crazy. I cringed as Zacky would jump up and get right in front of the TV during the clip. He loved to watch them dance and sing.

When we were in Target I happened to see Wiggly, Wiggly World on the shelf. I had no idea someone had actually made a video of those clips. At the time I didn't know that they had a children's show in Australia and were very popular there. Since Zack seemed to enjoy the little clips I thought I would pick it up, much to my husband's horror.

Who are The Wiggles? They are for men that sing, dance and play musical instruments. The leader of the group would be Greg. He wears a yellow shirt and pretty much always sings lead and occasionally plays the guitar. Anthony wears the blue shirt. He sings and plays the drums. Jeff wears the purple shirt. He plays the drums and keyboard, but I have also seen him playing other instruments as well. I would say he is my favorite because he really seems to be enjoying what he is doing and at no time in any of the movies does his good time look forced. Then there is Murray in the red shirt. He is often holding a guitar as well.

I'm not sure the best way to do this since this isn't a movie with a plot. It is a recording of many different dance routines with some skit sequences. I will just explain each section in the order that it is shown, without getting into to much detail, I hope.

In The Wiggles' World - This is the introduction song. You follow a bumble bee around the town while The Wiggles sing about what you can find as the bee flies by. This segment was short, but splashed with lots of color.

Here Comes The Wiggles - This features all four Wiggles dancing with a group of children and Officer Beaples, the female officer for the town. The Wiggles introduce their four friends to us. This was nice, since it was our first video and we had no idea who all of the characters were. They introduce you to Henry the Octopus (who is purple and wears plaid colored pants and black shoes), Dorothy the Dinosaur (who is green with yellow spots, wears a while hat and carries around a bouquet of red roses), Captain Feathersword (a human friend dressed as a pirate and carrying a red feather instead of a sword), and Wags the Dog (a brown dog with a light brown "W" on his chest).

In The Big Red Car We Like To Ride - "...through the rainbow and the country side." This song is sang as The Wiggles drive thru the country looking at the scenery. They encounter a dancing scarecrow, cows and a kangaroo. All of these are people dressed up in costumes. They are in a red VW Bug type car with multicolored seats that match their shirts.

I Love To Have A Dance With Dorothy - This song features Slim Dusty. It is made to look like a barn dance and The Wiggles dance and sing with each of their friends again telling what dance it is they like to dance with each one.

Taba Naba - Translated to "Let's all go down to the reef and have a good time." This song features Christine Anu. Even my husband likes this one. Christine sings a duet with Greg while sitting down and surrounded by children. The other Wiggles are playing instruments behind them. They sing the same verse five times. It also has some simple hand movements that the children follow along with as well.

Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport - This song features Rolf Harris and his Wobble Board. This was an odd song, but is fairly peppy. The Wiggles are singing and acting out animal movements that either Greg or Rolf are singing about.

Sing With Me" - This song features Kamahl and is sang as a duet with Dorothy the Dinosaur. They are singing and dancing in a rose garden with the other Wiggles and all of their friends.

Hey, Hey, Hey, We're All Pirate Dancing - This is a catchy tune sang about dancing like pirates. There are 7 older children dressed in silk shirts dancing out front with Greg and Captain Feathersword. There are also 4 smaller children dancing in the back closer to the other Wiggles that are playing instruments. Zack really enjoys this one and gets excited as they sing "Come on Everybody! Let's dance with Captain Feathersword! Come on everybody! He'll show us what to do!", encouraging children to join in.

Another Cuppa - This is a cute song sung by Greg about Captain Feathersword. It seems he tried Dorothy the Dinosaur's Rosy Tea and now he it is all he drinks! They are in the garden while singing about how he wants "Another Cuppa" rosy tea.

Starry Night - This song didn't impress me very much, or Zack, but including the talking part that Murray does, it is maybe 1-2 minutes long, at the most. He is the only Wiggle in this segment and sings a short song about the beautiful stars.

Six Months In A Leaky Boat - This song features Tim Finn and is what they call the Wiggly Version. It is about Captain Feathersword and how he sailed around the world in a leaky boat. He is actually riding around the stage in a small ship, similar to a small float. There are 6 children dancing around the ship while Greg and Tim sing. The other Wiggles are singing vocals and playing instruments.

One Little Coyote - This reminds me of "On the First Day of Christmas" in that it starts with one little coyote and they go up from there, always repeating the first animals of the song. Greg is riding his "pony", a stick horse, and singing lead. The other Wiggles are dressed as various animals, with some children, and singing as well.

Blow Me Down - This is a fun song that is made to be like a game. The pirate children are back dancing as Captain Feathersword and The Wiggles, later joined by Wags, alternate singing "Blow Me Down" and everyone blows at them and they fall down. It's a very peppy tune with lots of movement.

Let's Go (We're Riding In The Big Red Car) - This song is similar to the first one, only it is about driving thru town and the country waving at their friends as they drive by.

Morningtown Ride - This song features Jimmy Little and is more of a lullaby. They Wiggles, Jimmy and all of their friends are riding a train thru the night "...All bound for Morningtown, many miles away."

Haru Ga Kita - This song features. Atsuko Arai and is sang in both Japanese and English. It translates to "Spring Has Come" and it also has some simple hand movements that children can follow along with.

We now own six of The Wiggles videos and so far Wiggly, Wiggly World is our son's favorite. It has a lot of faster paced songs and lots of dancing. There is also a lot of color in the props and costumes, which keep his attention.

Wiggly, Wiggly World is about 46 minutes long as it says it is recommended for children ages 1-8. I could see children younger getting involved, but I think 8 years old may be stretching it. I figured maybe 5-6 years old. I could be wrong, but that is what I would figure.

Our son has been captivated with The Wiggles for a little while now. I have learned to enjoy them as well, although my husband can't stand them. He shakes his head and leaves the room. Since Zack enjoys the music so much, and they don't do or say anything that may be harmful to Zack, he doesn't mind them. These are fun videos that I think most children would enjoy.

www.thewiggles.com.au