Drizzle And The Rainy Day

Ross and Jennifer, a pair of bored, whiny siblings, who are stuck in the house on a rainy day, are visited by Drizzle (a rain elf) who shows them some nifty projects they can do with basic items found around the house. Over a dozen boredom beaters are demonstrated step-by-step, including: flick football (which I recall as being an excellent alternative to lectures in algebra, when I could get away with it), a roller coaster built out of cardboard tubes that transports marbles, a navy bean garden, a tree made from newspaper, construction paper bird mobiles, a boat made from a milk carton, play jewelry, a hat and bonnet, a clever "snow jar" (using glitter), and a fortune-telling device (remember the intricately folded flapdoodle that you fit on your fingers and opened back and forth like a bird's beak? The other person would say "pick a color...now pick a number," and you'd open the selected compartment and read the written words of wisdom:" You're a booger.") While the projects--as you can see--include some of the time-honored pastimes for children, the program's one drawback is its stars: Ross and Jennifer. It only takes about half the show for them to stop whining and arguing. I kept waiting for Drizzle to say: "O.k. kids let's make something new...we call this a muzzle." Good production values, and a wide-ranging assortment of creative projects, on the other hand, ultimately win out over this minor complaint. And the children do eventually get into the swing of things, and begin coming up with their own suggestions for activities. Recommended. (Available from: Rainy Day Pictures, 30941 W. Agoura Rd., #302, Westlake Village, CA 91361.)