When our youngest daughter was born this past November, we began a new tradition with our oldest one: watching The Price is Right. Those of us born in the 80s remember Bob Barker and the famous line, “Come on down! You’re the next contestant on the Price Is Right.” You may also remember only being able to watch it if you were home sick from school or, as my husband recalls, faking being sick so you could stay home and watch shows like this one.
I hadn’t watched The Price is Right in years, but when my husband suggested we needed a show that we all could enjoy (i.e., not Pinkalicious or Curious George–two of our six-year-old’s current favorites), I was all in.
Times have changed. Drew Carey now hosts the show, and you can stream it anytime. In our sleep-deprived state with a newborn, we watched our first couple of episodes. At first, our daughter wasn’t sure about it and asked many questions. “Why are they spinning the wheel?”; “What’s the prize?”’; and “Why didn’t the girl win?” Episode by episode, though, she began to understand the process. She even began to make her own opening bids–even if they were way off, like “two hundred thousand” for a bicycle.
I love how clean the Price is Right is. There are no dirty jokes or inappropriate words, meaning it’s completely enjoyable with young kids. I also love that Drew Carey brought male models onto the show, so it’s not just women showing off the prizes. Drew also makes sure he says “hello” and acknowledges each model by his/her first and last name and thanks them for being there. Basically, he humanizes them so that they are a genuine part of the show and not just a “pretty face.” I love this being modeled (no pun intended!) for my daughter.
Watching this show has also expanded my daughter’s geography and math skills. With all the trips they give away, she’s learning the names of different countries we may have never mentioned. The other day, she said, “Mommy, let’s go to Michigan, Thailand, and Fishers.” Okay, we’re clearly working on where cities, states, and countries are, but I love that she threw in Thailand since it was a trip destination prize the night before. We talk about where the country or city is located and what mode of transportation you would need to get there.
And, boy, is she learning how to add to 100 without going over. When contestants are spinning the wheel the second time, she asks, “What do they need to get?” I sometimes simplify it by asking her, “If you have six, what do you need to make ten?” Her fingers go flying as she counts it up. She can then make the connection that the contestant needs to land on forty to get exactly 100. My daughter is becoming very familiar with all the different ways to make a dollar!
While we don’t watch The Price is Right nearly as much as we did in November and December, we still enjoy an occasional episode. It’s fun to talk about the prizes, the dollars, and the games. I love seeing my daughter cover her eyes as the Plinko chip drops because she feels the suspense. As we have experienced, you can’t go wrong watching The Price is Right with your family.
