I know I’m not the only one teaching Russian here. I just thought I’d share one of Nikki’s favourite programs, as it really is very good!
The program is actually Russian made (there seems to be very few quality modern Russian programs for young children, though we do like the old Soviet cartoons) and has a great Science/Technology theme.
Basically, tiny ‘people’ called Fixiki live in our homes and fix and technological problems they find. Each episode is short (around 5 minutes) and covers a different topic - for example a music box, a microwave, a stapler… they take a couple of minutes to talk about the history of the object or how it is made or how to fix/prevent a problem etc. There are also songs (sometimes in an episode, others as separate videos) which are very catchy, and short ‘factoid’ clips explaining how things work.
I’m learning loads of little facts and Nikki LOVES it. Best of all, they are all free on youtube, and you can browse all the episodes on their website: fixiki.ru
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK78Py-uzo0&feature=player_embedded