CMC 2015 - Storytelling: The Pre-school Parent Trap

Broadcasters offer preschool programming for children aged 0-6 years, a very wide age span.  Because there’s always the chance that the youngest children in the audience might be watching without an adult, broadcasters tend to favour content that does not contain anything too scary or sophisticated for a 2-3 year old, even if it is intended for an older audience. Where can 4-6 year olds find developmentally appropriate content that will arm them with the cognitive, social and emotional tools they will need for school and beyond? Some UK-funded live-action programming does cater to that older audience, but preschool animation tends to play it safe.  Can we take more risks in our storytelling to serve 4-6 year olds?  How?   Parents, broadcasters, writers and academics are brought together to discuss the challenges and possibilities.