Graduation gift idea for guys

Wiggles induce jiggles, giggles

Most people who have not shared a home with a toddler since 1999 have no idea who or what the Wiggles are.

On the other hand, parents of toddlers in the past five years know all too well about the Australian musical group whose simple lyrics, rhythmic tunes and easy-to-mimic gyrations have given rise to "Wigglemania."

The Wiggles released their first album in Australia in 1991. Wigglemania got a foothold here in 1999 when the group's TV show joined the Disney Channel.

Still not convinced? The Wiggles sold 14 million videos and DVDs in the United States, Canada and Australia; video sales have topped the children's category for eight straight years; and a million fans attended live concerts last year, according to the group's publicity materials.

What's more, Wiggles concerts routinely sell out in days, forcing additional shows to meet the demand.

That just happened in Denver. The group originally planned two shows next Monday. Tickets disappeared so fast that the Wiggles added two shows on Tuesday.

David McGinnis, who turns 2 in June, plans to take in a concert with his parents Kyle and Jamie McGinnis of Denver. Wigglemania grabbed David at his first birthday party. He received one of their videos as a gift.

"He loved them," his dad said. "I wasn't (a fan) at first, but I like them now. I do. He likes it so much it is hard not to."

Littleton, Colo., resident Kristine Roland is another parent who enjoys the Wiggles. Her son Ralph "Ralphie" Roland IV became a fan when he was just a couple of months old, his mother said.

She credited catchy tunes as being the main early lure.

Ralphie, now 2, remains a big Wiggles booster.

"We watch Playhouse Disney, and he just loves the singing and the dancing," Roland said. "The songs, he knows them all, because he watches it all the time."

Roland and the McGinnises said the Wiggles offer their sons more than just entertainment.

Lauren Kerstein agreed. Kerstein is a licensed clinical social worker with a family practice in Denver. She also consults with the Temple Sinai Pre-School.

"Dancing and music and learning words to songs address so many areas of child development, from the ability to imitate motor movements and body awareness and learning how to move their bodies and how to follow the lyrics," Kerstein said.

"Body awareness leads to being able to integrate information in our environment, because it is a way to learn sensory integration and management," she said. So from that perspective, "I think what . . . (the Wiggles) do is wonderful."

Kyle McGinnis joked that one thing David has learned from the Wiggles is how to change DVDs in the player. That allows him to help himself to his Wiggles collection.

Ralphie has even picked up some foreign words because the Wiggles sing in different languages, Roland said.

Kerstein said she has not watched the Wiggles enough to judge the educational content from a pre-academic standpoint.

"(But) certainly motor imitation, body awareness, memorization of lyrics, singing lyrics, being exposed to different colors and shapes and forms is all part of being able to learn skills for academics later on," she said.

Her assessment of the Wiggles' educational value makes sense given the group's history.

It grew out of a class project of three friends who were studying early childhood education at Macquaire University in Sydney, Australia.

By graduation, Anthony Field, Murray Cook and Greg Page had made a tape of songs they had written as kind of a class project. They then signed on the fourth Wiggle, Jeff Fatt, and start their climb to the top of toddler entertainment.

Early childhood education continues to play an important role in what they success.

"Kids this age think the world revolves around them, so we make sure we include them in everything," Field said in press materials. "Everyone can participate, so we ask them to help us in the shows. That makes the children feel good about themselves."

The McGinnises are really looking forward to taking David to the concert.

"He is going to love the show," his dad said. "There will be kids up dancing everywhere."

David and the other kids will get to gyrate to and sing songs such as "Point Your Finger and Do the Twist," "Hot Potato" and "Monkey Dance."

"It is very good for little guys," McGinnis said. "It is very visual: lots of colors, easy songs, lots of excitement."

If you go

What: The Wiggles USA Tour

Where: E Center

When: Thursday, 3 and 7 p.m.

How much: $20-$31

Phone: 467-8499

Web: www.thewiggles.com.au/concert.html