Things My Kids Learned By Watching The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Educational television shows are everywhere today. Seems there are more channels and more places to learn every day.

Even the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is educational.  My family discovered that this year when my kids learned a few things as we watched together.

Pop culture icons come and go...then come back again.  The Smurfs for example.  As far as my kids knew the Smurfs were created for the movie released in 2011.  My wife explained that when she was their age The Smurfs was one of her favorite cartoons.  My 6-year-old couldn't believe The Smurfs were so old!  (I didn't say anything...and still, no comment.)

By watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade we were also able to teach our kids:

• Mitt Romney's face is NOT on the Mount Rushmore themed float.
• The faces on the actual Mount Rushmore are not frozen people who have been turned into stone by a wizard.  Mount Rushmore is a giant rock with faces carved into it.
• That red smiley thing is NOT a potato.  His name is Kool-Aid Man.  He is likely wanted for vandalism in all 50 states.
• What's that clown's name?  His name is Ronald McDonald.  It's OK to be afraid of clowns.

The biggest surprise for me?  That they actually allowed Mr. Peanut on a float.  It was like a Thanksgiving/Super-scary Halloween float combo for allergy sufferers.