Smart Start Kids episodes

Smart Start Kids is a locally produced children's program for 3- to 5-year olds and their families. Local children are the "stars" of the show and go "behind the scenes" of interesting places throughout North Carolina. Besides fun, educational "field trips," host Willa Brigham, encourages children to share their stories, sing songs, ask questions and play along. Smart Start Kids began airing on WRAL in October 2002 and won a Mid-South Regional Emmy Award in the Children's Educational Program category in 2004. Besides WRAL, Capitol Broadcasting Company also broadcasts this program on its stations in Charlotte and Wilmington and shares this award-winning program with statewide television station UNC-TV.

This weekend, we have fun building a doghouse, for our teacher's pet. Then we go behind the scenes at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and meet a live snake!

On a playground, Willa and the Smart Start Kids shed some tears over who gets first turn on a tricycle, but everything comes out fine as we learn to enjoy sharing. Then we go to a Chinese restaurant, see how egg rolls are made and eat with chopsticks!

In this Emmy-award winning program, we visit the wardrobe room of the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston Salem and try on costumes that turn us into princesses and clowns!

We're baking bread this weekend at the Great Harvest Bread Company in Chapel Hill. One of our Smart Start Kids receives a huge birthday cookie, because it's her birthday!

This weekend, we are invited backstage with Cirque du Soleil, featuring huge puppets, acrobatics, music and dancing.

This weekend, we dance with scarves and sing in different languages at the Little River Family Resource Center. Then we take Duncan, the puppy, on his first check- up at the Oberlin Road Animal Hospital in Raleigh.

Drawing helps children express themselves creatively. Join us this weekend when a group of "child artists" at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center in Chapel Hill trace their bodies on paper and decorate them! Then, we head over to Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville to learn about boat safety, fishing and how to "row, row, row your boat!"

Come with us as we visit The Flower Company of North Raleigh. We not only touch and smell the flowers, we use our creativity to make take-home bouquets for someone special!

Clackity Clack! Listen to our feet tap as we "clog" in the N.C. mountains. Willa puts on her dancing shoes and the kids teach her clogging steps on a big front porch. Then we visit the Poe Center for Health Education in Raleigh and Nicole teaches us about eating good foods, exercising and getting enough rest. After our inside time with Nicole, we go out to the PlayWELL Park and learn even more healthy tips as we play and have fun

This weekend, we learn to jump rope with the Bouncing Bulldogs! Then, Willa and her friend read a book to us in Chinese and English. And later, "pink" is the word when Frances describes her "favorite things"...her pink bike and matching safety gear!

Smart Start Kids presents a special program for the holiday season. Join us as we celebrate Chanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. Learn how all three occasions celebrate the joy of giving.

This weekend we go to the Raleigh Street Arts Festival and add our own sunny chalk drawing to the sidewalk. Then it's off to the North Carolina mountains where potter Michael Tomczak shows us how clay turns into bowls and other pieces of pottery. We even make our own "pinch pots."

This weekend we go to the Scrap Exchange in Durham and make puppets with puppeteer Donovan Zimmerman of the Paper Hand Puppet Intervention. Then we go to Janet Resnik's pottery studio and farm in Chapel Hill. There, nature inspires art as we paint trees and animals on pieces of pottery.

This weekend, Willa and friends take a walk on a nature trail with Ranger Matt at Hanging Rock State Park in Stokes County. Then, we peer down on the city of Charlotte from high atop the the tallest building in North Carolina, the Bank of American Corporate Center. It's an awesome view!

Let's go fly a kite! Don Dixon of Kites Unlimited in Carteret County helps us make and fly kites at Atlantic Beach. Then we go to Jean's Berry Patch in Chatham County and learn how to twist off strawberries when they're just right to eat. Yum!

This weekend, Smart Start Kids takes the plunge with a swimming lesson at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA. In Cumberland Co., Willa and kids tell a story about some very tricky spaghetti. And, we visit Spence's Farm in Orange Co., where we "pay" the animals for the work they do and the food they give us.

The award-winning Smart Start Kids show lets area children tell about activities in their lives that are getting them ready for school.

Visit the eye doctor at the Duke Eye Center in Durham. Willa and friends from the Northern Regional Ready to Learn Center in Wake Co., tell a story about some chilly weather. And, at the Equine Health Center in Southern Pines we find out why horses wear shoes.

We peek in on some baby birds in a birdhouse built by Wendell's birdhouse builder, Stuart Shearin. We even build some tiny birdhouses ourselves. In Wake Forest, Willa and kids tell a story about a cousin who comes to visit. And in Moore Co., Smart Start Kids helps with some old-fashioned household chores at Malcolm Blue Farm.

We move dirt, dig holes and lift HEAVY rocks at Caterpillar in Clayton. In Wake Co., Willa and kids tell a story about a grandmother getting some exercise, including riding a bicycle. And, near Zebulon, we meet Vicki Hartrich, an artist who turns garden gourds into beautiful works of art.

Go underwater and behind-the-scenes at the North Carolina Aquarium. Then, hear a story about Outer Space and explore forest of sculptures.

This weekend, Willa and friends visit Lee's Shoes in Dunn to see how taps are put on tap shoes. Then, Willa puts those shoes to work in a tap dancing class with a group of kids at Janice's Fabulous Feet Dance Studio in Dunn. In Chapel Hill, we make colorful balls wrapped in wool with felt artist Annette Ringeisen.

Meet fun and fascinating animals at Noah's Landing in Coats. Listen to a story about a mysterious gift that helps the recipient see things differently. Get a meal and practice good manners with Ms. Donna from Amazing Grace Etiquette.

This weekend, we go to Johnston Co., where "Captain" Bob Carbo shows us his unusual hobby of launching pumpkins with an enormous catapult. In Wake Co., Willa and kids tell a very noisy story. And in Clayton, batter up! We go to Sluggers batting cages and we don't "strike out."

This weekend, we visit musician Tony Williamson and his son, Hardy, at their cabin in Siler City. Tony tells us about his favorite musical instrument, the mandolin. We even get to play one! In Wake County, Willa and friends tell a story about a very big house. Then we meet "Weaver," a fabulous foxhound in Chapel Hill who is top dog in his sport, "dog agility."

Come aboard the Catawba Queen at Lake Norman, the state's largest manmade lake in North Carolina! Visit Charlotte Mayor Patrick McCrory of Charlotte for a tour of his office. McCrory reminds kids to wear their bike helmets and stay safe.

See some friendly insects at the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science in Durham. And Durham dancer Jody Cassell shares her story, "Where's Leon?" with kids at the Durham Arts Council.

Visit puppeteer Hobey Ford and his Golden Rod Puppets at Artsplosure's in Raleigh. In Cary, Willa and friends tell a story about making cookies. Then, 4-year-old Alexabelle and her mother make a favorite Puerto Rican dish, "Pastelillos."

Learn about paper and papermaking with Raleigh artist John Dancy-Jones in Raleigh. At Briarcliff Elementary in Cary, Willa and friends tell a story about building a beautiful birdhouse. In Rocky Mount, visit Clifton May to see how he makes fabulous sculptures from scrap metal.

"Say Cheese!" This weekend, Willa and friends visit Barton College in Wilson and take pictures of students, professors and staff around campus. Next, Willa and friends tell a colorful gardening story at Briarcliff Elementary in Cary. And in Lucama, folk artist Vollis Simpson shows us his yard of fantastic and far-out windmills.

The award-winning Smart Start Kids show lets area children tell about activities in their lives that are getting them ready for school.

The award-winning Smart Start Kids show lets area children tell about activities in their lives that are getting them ready for school.

The award-winning Smart Start Kids lets area children tell about activities in their lives that are getting them ready for school.

See who rings the bells above Duke University's chapel.

The award-winning Smart Start Kids show lets area children tell about activities in their lives that are getting them ready for school.

The kids see old-style furniture made at Duke Homestead and share their favorite things, such as swimming.

Learn how the carillon rings in Duke University's Tower.

Learn how to make furniture with the artisans at Duke Homestead.

Learn how to make music with the father of one of the children, Jack Harret, at his studio.

The children learn how you can have fun with even plain brown, cardboard boxes.

The children learn some stretches in a visit to Chapel Hill Tennis Club, then listen to the sounds of traditional Chinese instruments.

Learn how to make tasty fruit cakes at Southern Supreme's store in Bear Creek.

Willa and the kids play with a women's soccer team, tell stories about exercise, and visit the Sunshine Lavendar garden in Durham.

Exercises help small hands learn how to do big jobs, and Willa and the kids make up a story playing the I-Spy-With-My-Little-Eye game.