Out of the Box (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Out of the Box |
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| Genre | Children's television series |
| Created by | Douglas Love |
| Presented by | Tony James Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin |
| Music by | Bobby Golden |
| Opening theme | "Out of the Box Theme" by Peter Lurye |
| Ending theme | "Until We Meet Again (Goodbye Song)" by Billy Straus "Out of the Box Theme" (instrumental) |
| Composer(s) | Sean Altman |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 82 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Douglas Love |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production company(s) | OOTB Inc. |
| Distributor | Buena Vista Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | Playhouse Disney |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | October 7, 1998 – September 27, 2004 |
Out of the Box is an American children's television series which premiered on Playhouse Disney on October 7, 1998, and ended its run on September 27, 2004, with reruns until June 2005 (December 2006 in the UK). The series takes place in "The Box", a playhouse made entirely of cardboard boxes, where two hosts, Tony James and Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin, make crafts, sing songs, and act out plays.
Two special episodes were released on VHS by Walt Disney Home Video, Out of the Box: Trick or Treat, and Out of the Box: Happy Holidays. Trick or Treat is also available on the DVD entitled Rolie Polie Olie: A Spookie Ookie Halloween.
The series was created and executive produced by Douglas Love and was based on his series of books from HarperCollins. Three seasons were filmed at Lifetime Studios in New York City. The series earned three Parents' Choice Awards for excellence in television and an Emmy nomination.
The show was said to be lost due to the lack of home-video releases, but it turned out not to be true, as it was revealed that the series would be made available to stream on Disney+, and so it came to be on November 12, 2019.
Overview
Every day, a small group of neighborhood children come and play in "The Box", an imaginary clubhouse made entirely out of painted cardboard boxes. Tony James and Vivian Bayubay McLaughlin play games, do crafts, sing songs, and act out stories in the box. The singing is usually in the beginning of the episode, while the crafts are in the middle, and the stories are at the ending. The show ends with either Tony or Vivian walking the kids home, then coming back to sing the Goodbye Song. The song is either sung a cappella by Vivian and with Tony tapping on a pumpkin or some other object, but in three episodes Tony plays it on his guitar In two episodes the kids join in to the Goodbye song after they finished they wave to the viewers and the camera would move out as a piano ending of the goodbye song plays in one episode Vivian told the viewers that she will tell Tony they are thinking of him.
Cast
- Tony James as Himself
- Vivian Bayubay as Herself
- Brandon Zemel as Brandon (season 1)
- Andrea Bianchi as Cool Cat
- Sal Viviano as Vincent VanGogh
- Liam Burke as Tiger
- Aleisha Allen as Aleisha (seasons 1-3)
- Nicholas Eng as Nicholas (seasons 1-3)
- Dane Hammond as Dane (seasons 1–2)
- Cecelia Cortes as Cece (season 1)
- Jill Schackner as Jill (season 1)
- Matthew Storff as Matthew (season 1)
- Celine Margaret Ordioni as Celine (season 2)
- Spiridoula Cardona as Spiri (season 2)
- Michael Mylett as Michael (season 2)
- Tyler Lee as Tyler (season 2)
- Christopher Jordan as Christopher (season 2)
- Lindsey Pickering as Lindsey (season 2)
- Elijah Rivera as Elijah (season 3)
- Andrea Rosario as Andrea (season 3)
- Madeleine Martin as Madeleine (season 3)
- Brad Duck as Brad (season 3)
- Zachary Ross as Zachary (season 3)
- Andrew Feinberg as Andrew (season 3)
Episodes
The series comprises 86 episodes in total.
Unless otherwise stated, the source of production codes and airdates is the United States Copyright Office.
Season 1 (1998–1999)
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Original air date | Prod. code |
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| 1 | 1 | "Feet First" | October 7, 1998 | 101 |
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Tony plays his talking drum and everyone moves their feet to the beat. The children also make paintings with their feet and act out their own version of Cinderella.
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| 2 | 2 | "Playhouse Mouse" | October 14, 1998 | 102 |
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Vivian brings in her new pet mouse, Nugget, to meet everyone. When Nugget gets lost in the clubhouse, the children make a "mouse house" and sing a song to find her.
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| 3 | 3 | "Doctor Octor" | October 23, 1998 | 103 |
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Brandon just had a check-up, so he pretends to be a Doctor. The kids pretend to have "sticker-itis" and make a pretend ambulance. They also act out a story about Swampy the Alligator going to the hospital.
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| 4 | 4 | "The Fuzzy Worm" | October 30, 1998 | 104 |
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Jill finds a real live caterpillar and brings it in to show Tony. The children make pretend butterflies and learn about cocoons.
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| 5 | 5 | "Hats Off" | November 4, 1998 | 105 |
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It's a Rainy day and the kids explore all the hats that protect our heads.
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| 6 | 6 | "Let's Eat Out" | November 11, 1998 | 106 |
| 7 | 7 | "Sticky Icky" | November 18, 1998 | 107 |
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Tony, Vivian and the kids have fun making a sticky picture, singing a sticky song and going on a sticky safari.
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| 8 | 8 | "Really Wheely" | November 25, 1998 | 108 |
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Dane finds an old wagon that's missing a wheel. When Tony and Vivian help Dane fix his wagon, the kids decide to pretend it's a fire truck.
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| 9 | 9 | "Yes and Nose" | December 1, 1998 | 109 |
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After Tony brings fresh-baked muffins to the playhouse, the kids learn about their noses. They also make animal noses and use them to act out a version of “Pinocchio.”
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| 10 | 10 | "Pick-a-Pet" | December 8, 1998 | 110 |
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Nick has to pick a pet for his birthday. The kids learn about the different pets you can have and turn Vivian into a "Kitty Parrot Bunny Dog." They also act out their own version of The Billy Goats Gruff.
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| 11 | 11 | "Ships Ahoy" | December 15, 1998 | 111 |
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The kids pretend to be pirates and act out their own version of Captain Hook.
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| 12 | 12 | "Animal Antics" | December 22, 1998 | 112 |
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The kids learn about different animals.
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| 13 | 13 | "Tube Town" | December 29, 1998 | 113 |
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Tony, Vivian and the kids pretend to live in a tube town.
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| 14 | 14 | "High Fliers" | January 7, 1999 | 114 |
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The kids pretend they can fly and act out a story about Peter Pan.
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| 15 | 15 | "Campout Kids" | January 14, 1999 | 115 |
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Tony takes the kids on a pretend campout. Note: This is the first episode to have the Goodbye Song played on the guitar. The second being "Sing a Song" and the third being "It's Mothers Day" The D Key version is also used in "Sing a Song" in the next season. |
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| 16 | 16 | "Tall and Small" | January 21, 1999 | 116 |
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The kids learn about different sizes and how each size is perfect. They also makes tiny town and act out a story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
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| 17 | 17 | "Day at the Beach" | January 28, 1999 | 117 |
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Tony, Vivian and the kids pretend to spend a day at the beach.
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| 18 | 18 | "A Place Called Space" | February 1, 1999 | 118 |
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The kids learn about space.
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| 19 | 19 | "Box Full of Boxes" | February 8, 1999 | 119 |
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Tony, Vivian and the kids make different things out of boxes. Aleisha and Nick act out the story of Hansel and Gretel.
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| 20 | 20 | "Hands On" | February 15, 1999 | 120 |
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Aleisha shows Tony, Vivian and the kids sign language. They also make hand paintings and act out the story of The Three Little Kittens.
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| 21 | 21 | "The Gift" | February 22, 1999 | 121 |
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Note: For unknown reasons, this episode was never rerun after season two premiered.
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| 22 | 22 | "Treasures" | March 1, 1999 | 122 |
| 23 | 23 | "Circle Circus" | March 8, 1999 | 123 |
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Tony shows the kids how to hula hoop and they put on their own "Circle Circus".
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| 24 | 24 | "Seeds of Imagination" | March 15, 1999 | 124 |
Season 2 (1999–2000)
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Original air date | Prod. code |
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| 25 | 1 | "Rules Rule!" | July 20, 1999 / September 5, 1999 | 201 |
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The children learn the importance of rules as they play different games with balls in the clubhouse. They also act out a version of Cinderella.
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| 26 | 2 | "We're Cooking!" | July 21, 1999 | 202 |
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The children pretend to cook their favorite foods. They also act out a version of the story Stone Soup.
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| 27 | 3 | "Zip, Button, Snap" | July 18, 1999 | 203 |
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Tony and Vivian help teach the children how to button, snap, buckle and zipper using songs and play-acting. Nick also visits the Little Red Hen.
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| 28 | 4 | "Scrub-a-Dub" | July 22, 1999 | 204 |
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Tony and Vivian teach the importance of bathing as the children make pretend bathtubs and bath toys, and act out a version of Rub a Dub, Dub, Three Men in a Tub.
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| 29 | 5 | "Disguise Surprise" | July 23, 1999 | 205 |
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The children dress up in disguises and act out a version of The Little Red Riding Hood.
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| 30 | 6 | "Good Clean-Up Fun" | July 26, 1999 | 206 |
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The children learn about sorting and organizing items while cleaning up the clubhouse. They also act out a story called "Neat Nick".
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| 31 | 7 | "Mirror, Mirror" | July 27, 1999 | 207 |
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The children play with different kinds of mirrors, including a hand mirror, a hubcap and a metal tray. They also act out a version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
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| 32 | 8 | "Blowin' in the Wind" | July 28, 1999 | 208 |
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The children celebrate the wind by playing wind instruments, listening to wind chimes, making pinwheels and playing out a version of The Three Little Pigs.
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| 33 | 9 | "Rock-a-Bye Baby" | July 29, 1999 | 209 |
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The children take care of pretend babies by diapering them, making their cribs and singing to them. They also act out a version of There was an Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe.
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| 34 | 10 | "Feathered Friends" | July 30, 1999 | 210 |
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The children craft paper birds and make bird sounds after Vivian brings in a bird feeder to hang outside the playhouse. They also act out a version of the Emperor and the Nightingale.
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| 35 | 11 | "Eye Spy" | August 16, 1999 | 211 |
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The children explore how their eyes work by playing an "Eye Detective" game, looking at a picture with hidden objects and helping Vivian complete a jigsaw puzzle.
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| 36 | 12 | "We Got the Beat" | August 23, 1999 | 212 |
| 37 | 13 | "Shadow Play" | August 30, 1999 | 213 |
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The children make a shadow puppet theater and put on a play featuring a bird, a worm, and a spider.
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| 38 | 14 | "Goin' Buggy" | September 6, 1999 | 214 |
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The children learn about bugs by making a grasshopper, a spider, and an ant out of pipe cleaners and egg cartons.
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| 39 | 15 | "Make 'Em Laugh!" | September 13, 1999 | 215 |
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The children have a "Make 'em Laugh" day by telling jokes, walking funny and doing other silly things. They also talk with a court jester and turn Vivian into a backwards person.
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| 40 | 16 | "Mon-stir It Up!" | September 20, 1999 | 216 |
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The children sing a song about not being afraid and make a "Super Monster" puppet.
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| 41 | 17 | "Whose Home?" | September 27, 1999 | 217 |
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Vivian brings a hermit crab to the clubhouse and teaches the children about different animal homes.
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| 42 | 18 | "Unicornucopia" | October 6, 1999 | 218 |
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The children create their own magical kingdom, complete with a unicorn. They also act out a version of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
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| 43 | 19 | "Tooth or Consequences" | October 11, 1999 | 219 |
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The children learn about the dentist and caring for teeth. They also act out a version of Little Red Riding Hood.
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| 44 | 20 | "Trick or Treat" | October 21, 1999 | 220 |
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The children dress up and learn the importance of how to trick-or-treat safely and how to customize their own pumpkins.
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| 45 | 21 | "Down on the Farm" | November 12, 1999 | 221 |
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The children pretend to live on a farm.
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| 46 | 22 | "Pajama Party" | November 15, 1999 | 222 |
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The children throw a pretend pajama party.
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| 47 | 23 | "Treasure Hunt" | October 26, 1999 | 223 |
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The children make treasure chests and go on a treasure hunt. They also act out a version of King Midas to learn about nonmaterial kinds of treasure.
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| 48 | 24 | "Out to Lunch" | November 1, 1999 | 224 |
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The children pretend to go out to lunch and practice their restaurant behavior. Note: This episode and "Let's Eat Out" may be the same episode accidentally listed twice with different titles. |
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| 49 | 25 | "Whodunit?" | September 27, 1999 | 225 |
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The children use their problem-solving skills to solve a mystery.
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| 50 | 26 | "Goin' to the Grocery" | December 8, 1999 | 226 |
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The children pretend about going to the grocery store.
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| 51 | 27 | "Sing a Song" | December 13, 1999 | 227 |
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Vivian has trouble singing "When the Saints Go Marching In" so the kids need to figure out lyrics. Note:This episode is the second episode for the show to feature the guitar variant of the goodbye song since the first season episode Campout Kids. A lower version with the exact same variant will later appear in the Mother's Day episode of the third season.
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| 52 | 28 | "Happy Holidays!" | December 6, 1999 | 228 |
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Tony and Vivian host a winter holiday party and learn about the children's different holiday traditions. They also make a holiday gift book containing photographs and drawings, and perform a skit about the gift of love. Note: This is the first time that the show features the kids joining in to sing the goodbye song with Tony and Vivian. The same way would be also heard in Revealing Feelings only, Tony was not on the show because he had a cold and there were only a smaller amount of the show's cast with Vivian as the solo leader of the ending song. This is also the only episode to feature five kids instead of three.
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| 53 | 29 | "Rainbow Colors" | December 16, 1999 | 229 |
| 54 | 30 | "Family Fair" | December 29, 1999 | 230 |
| 55 | 31 | "Happy Birthday to Us!" | January 7, 2000 / February 12, 2000 | 231 |
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The children pretend that it is everyone's birthday by putting on dress-up clothes, playing musical chairs and making party decorations.
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| 56 | 32 | "Revealing Feelings" | January 11, 2000 | 232 |
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The children talk about feelings after they express to Vivian that they feel "bad, sad, and a little mad" because Tony isn't at the clubhouse because he's sick. Note:This is the only time there is one person leading the closing song. The same kids but with a bigger group previously joined Vivian with the goodbye song when Tony was healthy in the Happy Holidays episode of the show.
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Season 3 (2001–2004)
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | 1 | "Pattern Pattern" | December 2, 2003 | 301 |
| 58 | 2 | "Leap Frog Leap!" | November 25, 2002 | 302 |
| 59 | 3 | "Join the Parade" | December 2, 2002 / September 22, 2001 | 303 |
| 60 | 4 | "Winning the Gold" | December 9, 2002 / September 20, 2001 | 304 |
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The children hold their own Olympics.
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| 61 | 5 | "Brick by Brick" | December 4, 2003 / December 16, 2002 / September 20, 2001 | 305 |
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The children build a town as pretend construction workers.
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| 62 | 6 | "Dinosaur Romp" | May 3, 2004 / December 23, 2002 | 306 |
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Tony, Vivian, and the children explore dinosaurs.
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| 63 | 7 | "Topsy Tempo" | December 30, 2002 | 307 |
| 64 | 8 | "Weather or Not!" | May 6, 2004 | 308 |
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The children learn about the different kinds of weather.
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| 65 | 9 | "It's Mother's Day!" | May 5, 2003 | 309 |
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The children rehearse their performance and make personalized invitations to their mothers. Note: This episode is the third time Tony plays the goodbye song on his guitar. The first was Campout Kids and Sing a Song only this time, the key is different. |
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| 66 | 10 | "Listen Up!" | March 3, 2003 / September 25, 2001 | 310 |
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The children learn the differences between loud and soft sounds.
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| 67 | 11 | "Thinkin' Lincoln" | December 16, 2002 | 311 |
| 68 | 12 | "Horsing Around" | March 10, 2003 | 312 |
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The children learn how to pretend to be horses.
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| 69 | 13 | "Making Mistakes" | March 17, 2003 | 313 |
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The group makes up mistakes.
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| 70 | 14 | "Tickets, Please!" | March 24, 2003 | 314 |
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The children are playing carnival games. They also act out a story about the Three Billy Goats Gruff getting stopped by a competitive troll on the way to a carnival.
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| 71 | 15 | "Pop to It!" | May 10, 2004 / May 15, 2004 |
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The children go on a make-believe trip to the movies.
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| 72 | 16 | "Read the Signs" | May 14, 2004 | 316 |
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The children learn how to read signs and follow directions.
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| 73 | 17 | "First Things First" | May 17, 2004 | 317 |
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The children learn about the importance of order.
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| 74 | 18 | "A One and a Two" | May 21, 2004 | 318 |
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The children learn how to have fun playing alone - an important life skill.
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| 75 | 19 | "Bendy Stretchy" | August 2, 2004 | 319 |
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The children learn the importance of bending and stretching.
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| 76 | 20 | "Alike and Different" | December 23, 2002 | 320 |
| 77 | 21 | "Happy New Year!" | January 1, 2003 | 321 |
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Note: This episode is not listed in copyright registry and did not air on Disney Junior Canada
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| 78 | 22 | "It's Father's Day" | June 9, 2003 | 322 |
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The children play games with their dads and pretend to be fathers themselves.
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| 79 | 23 | "Wonderful Words!" | August 4, 2004 | 323 |
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The children act out a rhyming story.
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| 80 | 24 | "Nutcracker Sweet" | August 10, 2004 | 324 |
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The children act out the story The Nutcracker.
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| 81 | 25 | "Surprise, Surprise" | September 20, 2004 | 325 |
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The children learn the importance of friends and sharing.
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| 82 | 26 | "Kids Are Kids" | September 27, 2004 | 326 |
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The children learn about accepting differences.
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Out of the Box (TV series) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.