This is the final post for this series. Programs 13-16 from Under the Yellow Balloon, covered a treasure hunt, errands for mama, a new home and the United States capital, Washington, D.C.
Produced in the 1980s by Dr. Sandra Thomas, Under the Yellow Balloon was televised in schools and focused on a single subject in each episode. The program was nationally syndicated to PBS stations.
Visit the Summer of Nostalgia for more children and teen programs from the South Carolina ETV tape vault.
A Treasure Hunt
The episode "A Treasure Hunt" focuses on the importance of understanding instructions and directions. It centers on a group of children participating in a treasure hunt at the Sesqui-Centennial Park near Columbia, SC. In the treasure hunt, each child is given their own set of instructions/directions that they have to follow, in order to find their respective treasure chest. Along the way, each one runs into their own set of problems understanding directions.
Errands for Mama
The episode "Errands for Mama" focuses on two young boys who run errands for their respective families. The young boys go fishing together and once they get back to their respective homes, one of the boys helps his other cook dinner. The next day, the two boys meet up again and head over to the silversmith and blacksmith to run errands for the other boy’s parents. As a reward, they each get a piece of sugar cane.
My New Home
This episode focuses on two siblings named Thomas and Anita, respectively, in Greenfield Village. Greenfield Village is a preserved village that is dedicated to show what life was like, as well as what a typical American town would look like, from the 1700s to the early 1900s. The two siblings go on their own separate tours around the village while they wait for their father to finish work at the village’s print shop.
Working in Washington
This episode focuses on a mother and daughter who go on a trip to Washington, D.C. to visit the father. While there, they visited a number of the nation’s most famous sites such as the White House, the Capitol, the Washington Monument, and Arlington National Cemetery. Throughout the trip, the daughter takes pictures for her scrapbook, and to show her teacher back home what her trip was like.
