The old saying "big things come in small packages" is true for TV, too. Some of the very best educational and entertaining television can be found in the short public service announcements or interstitials which air between children's programs.

The Saturday morning kids block on ABC targeted primarily for elementary children called "One Saturday Morning" includes a clever series of 90-second spots titled "Great Minds." Narrated by comedian Robin Williams in his Genie role from Disney's "Aladdin," young viewers learn a short history of a famous person who has demonstrated the theme of the series, which is "great minds think for themselves." The Genie, who is transformed into appropriate storytellers to complement each story, takes kids into the lives of such heroes as Ben Franklin, Sojourner Truth, George Washington Carver, Clara Barton, John Muir, Susan B. Anthony, Jackie Robinson, and Thomas Jefferson, to name a few. The information is factual and rich in history, but the delivery is pure Robin Williams.

Animate Your World
The Cartoon Network offers a series of short animated spots targeted for elementary kids called "Animate Your World." Airing throughout the cable network's regular programming schedule, these 30- and 60-second spots focus on celebrating creativity and are designed to inspire the development of the imagination. "Be A Vacuum Head" reminds children that in order to be creative and come up with great ideas you have to "suck up" the world through learning and observation. As more is inhaled the "head" becomes increasingly more anxious to absorb its surroundings. "Bob" is a play on the "everyman" character found in comics, greeting cards, and calendars. A series of "Bobs" transform themselves into different people, places and things, to demonstrate that life is more interesting when approached from different points of view. The spot called "Can't" uses the analogy of an outlaw where "Can't" kills a great idea, backs a crime, and is a danger to you and your creativity. These spots are great fun. They use colorful and exciting animation along with music to inspire and motivate creativity. Check out their website to learn about more activities.

Family Life
Disney does things their own way. They call their short messages Family Service Announcements (FSAs) which are designed to reflect the importance of family. Each 30- and 60-second spot features a celebrity such as Michael J. Fox, Trisha Yearwood, Celine Dion, for example, who discuss on camera their memories, reflections, and insights of family life. In one spot, Kirk Cameron talks about a family vacation with his three siblings and two parents all traveling in one cramped car. Julie Andrews recounts the time her daughter saw a picture of Mary Poppins and told an unbelieving bystander that it was her Mommy. These spots are great to watch together and can be a catalyst for conversation about your own family. Take the follow-up time to generate an activity, like working on your photo album or planning a trip, or even communicating with distant relatives.

The More You Know
NBC has been producing this award-winning interstitial for ten years under the theme, "The More You Know." This year the campaign, which targets parents and adults, will focus on partnering viewers with agencies and organizations offering assistance on everything from parental involvement in education to domestic abuse. NBC stars featured in the spots include Gloria Reubens ("ER") for breast cancer, "Friends" star David Schwimmer for education, Laura San Giacomo from "Just Shoot Me" who talks about fetal alcohol syndrome, and "ER's" Eriq La Salle for drug abuse. Leeza Gibbons discusses after-school programs and helps parents learn how to develop them if they don't exist in their communities. For all of these messages, a toll-free 800 number is included at the end. The Leeza Gibbons spot includes the U.S. Department of Education hotline number, 1-800-USA-LEARN, which viewers can call to receive educational materials.

Check Yourself
The Fox Kids Network has launched a series of unique public service messages for middle school-age kids, which has received the endorsement of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Check Yourself" is a series of 10-second messages, which gives kids tools for coping with anxiety, anger, stress and peer pressure. The spots, featuring an ensemble of six kids, depict real life problems relevant to preteens and combine a fantasy music video message that teaches a specific coping tool depicted through four themes. The first, "Stop, Breathe, Count to Three" models a way to manage feelings such as anger and anxiety. The second method, "What's Really Going On," helps kids identify what emotion they are really feeling, such as anger or disappointment, in order to take responsible action. "Draw It, Write It, Let it Out," offers creative solutions to overwhelming emotions. And "Find Out What Works for You" models coping with peer pressure. The curriculum for these spots was developed in conjunction with a group of nationally recognized advisors including Dr. William Damon, Director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence. The spots were tested with at-risk children in South Central Los Angeles and were found to be very successful. Check into "Check Yourself" with your own children and try some of the strategies. Talk about them and see if your kids have some of their own ideas. Adults can find them helpful too. For more information, visit the "Check Yourself" area on the Fox Kids Web site.