Die Sendung mit der Maus

"Die Sendung mit der Maus" is so much a part of being a child in Germany! I spent almost 20 years living there - not as a child though - and absolutely adored this programme. It's one of those shows you can never see too often. The presenter, Amin Maiwald, has one of the most recognisable voices on German television - kids and adults alike love the way he makes even complex subjects palatable without ever being patronising. It's almost as if he has not forgotten what it's like to be the child with a million and one questions to ask. I'll never forget the ping-pong ball and mousetrap demonstration of how a chain reaction works, or how the stripes get into toothpaste, or how to measure the height of a tree. The programme always starts with a run-through of its themes, first in German, then in another language or dialect. Watch it with a group of children and get them to guess what the language is! The "serious" bits of the programme are always linked by little sketches involving the mouse, the elephant and sometimes the duck. Little gems of humour. The mouse clicking its eyes has to be heard to be believed! Enjoy!