Indie Children’s Educational Programs: A Homegrown Answer to Children’s Environmental Knowledge

May 19

Like many parents, when the pandemic hit, my wife and I were thrust into the role of educator. It was, hell…it still is, an overwhelming experience. A job that most parents hadn’t dealt with for many generations. For the first time in a long while, we were teaching our kids—something that wasn’t as simple as it seemed. And, for most of us, it wasn’t easy. We didn’t have the tools, the training, or the support, and we were handling it alone.

As schools closed en masse the uncertainty lingered. It wasn’t clear when they would reopen. By the end of 2020 we weren’t in any better a situation then when the pandemic began. And despite bias, political affiliation, what have you, there was a great amount of loss of life, relationships, and community by the time the ball fell in Time Square.

My wife and I were alone in the house with an infant. No rescue from grandparents, or other family. It was us, alone with a Pink Terrorist. We bounced a lot of ideas off each other during those sleepless nights, days, weeks, months…sorry! Flashback. Anyway, we tossed around ideas of how we wanted to educate our daughter. What else were we going to talk about?

We knew we couldn’t dismiss television as an influence on our daughter’s development. Let’s face it, we needed to distract the Pink Terrorist just to get some rest! But we also agreed that what she watched had to be educational, not just mind-numbing entertainment. So, use the boob tube to supplement her education, not rot her brain.

We didn’t always make the best choices, but we did try. Cocomelon, Steve and Maggie, Super Simple, and Catie’s Classroom—these were some of our go-to choices. And as she grew older, we introduced shows like Word Girl, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and—thankfully—Sesame Street, even if a certain red puppet had started to bring the show’s quality down. But hey, those reruns were still gold!

What really impressed me, though, was the quality of content coming from the indie educational space. Shows like Steve and Maggie were led by educators, and the programming from Catie’s Classroom and Super Simple was top-notch. Between these YouTube programs and a healthy dose of daily in-home learning, my daughter, at just three years old, began learning to read. Now, at five, she’s reading at a first-grade level, and thanks to shows like NumberBlocks and Mathnasium, her math skills are at a solid mid-first-grade level. She hasn’t even started kindergarten yet.

And that’s when it hit me. This had as much of an impact on me as it did my daughter. I saw what these programs were doing to help my child, and I had some unique talents to offer in this space. I wanted to contribute to this incredible world of indie education. But with so many programs out there, each with their own unique gimmick, I asked myself, “What’s my hook?” My claim to fame? Well, I was the “most bleeped personality” on a reality show once... and that’s something I’m kinda proud of. But I wasn’t about to be the John McEnroe of children’s programming!

That’s when the idea hit: I’ve spent the past 30 years building creatures for film, television, and commercials. One creature that got the most attention was Bigfoot. Those enormous creature suits spawned a baby version that came in the form of a resin plush. Bitty Bigfoot was born. This critter line has become a bit of a modest success over the space of eight years. So why not use Bitty Bigfoot as a spokesperson for environmental education? That’s when the concept started to come to life.

So, what’s the plan?

I like to think of Bitty Bigfoot and his friends as the modern-day equivalent of the 80s cartoon characters I grew up with, like the Smurfs. They’re a family of woodland creatures, hidden away from the human world, but always protecting the Earth in their own unique way.

The show would teach things like the effects of littering, how ecosystems work, and how we can respect and care for nature. It would blend environmental lessons with basic botany and earth science, all aimed at toddlers and early grade-school children.

Here’s how the show would work: It would start with a five-minute 2D animation segment, where Bitty, Loxee, Goldee, and Moss share an experience that teaches a lesson. This would be followed by a 3–5-minute puppet segment featuring Grumples Yowie—a grandfather-like Bigfoot who would reinforce the lesson. The episode would wrap up with a simple craft or science project that relates to the theme of the show.

The characters in Bitty Bigfoot and Friends would all resemble the creatures I create in my own work. They would represent various breeds of Bigfoot from around the world—Yeti, Sasquatch, Skunk-Ape, Yellow-Cap, and more—each with its own unique design. For example, Moss Skunk-Ape is a grey Bigfoot with a light streak down his back and head, while Goldee Yellow-Cap has brown body hair and a blonde mop of hair atop her head.

How do you make this all happen? Glad you asked.

Pulling this production off is not going to be easy. I’m no animator, so I’ll need to bring animators on board. I have plans to voice one of the characters myself, but I’ll need actors for the other voices. I’ve made quite a few puppets over the years, including creatures for the Jim Henson Company, but this will definitely require help from other puppet builders. And there’s a whole lot more—sets, lighting, editing, music, and so on. The reality is, I’m going to need to raise money to make this happen.

The great idea killer, funding. I really hate fundraising.

Crowdfunding seems to be the best option for this project, even though it can be a bit of a shot in the dark. Too many bad apples have muddied the crowdfunding waters with scams and cons. It makes it harder for creators like me to raise the funds we need to bring our ideas to life. But despite this, I’m optimistic that my approach will help me get closer to reaching my fundraising goal.

Right now, I’m working on the project with no outside funding—using my own skills and materials to build a proof of concept. I’m collaborating with an amazing musician to create the theme music, and I hope to have a pilot animation ready to showcase when the campaign launches. I’m also nearly finished building the Grumples Yowie puppet and working on stop-motion rigs as a backup plan, should the 2D animation fall through.

You might be thinking that stop motion seems just as complex as 2D so how is it the backup plan? You’re right. It is just as complex, but it’s something I can do on my own if needed, because I have those skills.

Unlike many crowdfunding campaigns, I plan to have my rewards ready to go the moment we hit our funding goal. I’m building stock of Bitty Bigfoot plushes (all handmade), and I’m working on turning the first three episodes into children’s board books. These will be available to backers once the campaign funds.

Additionally, I’m documenting the entire process—every trial, triumph, and lesson learned—so others can follow along. Segments of this blog, podcasts, social media posts and more will serve as mini-documentaries. So, my journey will be on full display as I march towards making Bitty Bigfoot and Friends a reality.

Even if I fail (and there’s a real chance that I will), I hope that this series will serve as a roadmap for others trying to create their own children’s programming.

In today’s world, with so many factors pushing parents toward homeschooling, programs like Bitty Bigfoot and Friends could play a big role in shaping the future of kids' education.

You can be a huge help simply by following the blog, join our email list, sharing the blog with friends, and if possible, contributing to our Venmo fund (@BittyBigfoot) which helps the project raise money before the crowdfunding.

Every dollar helps give GenAlpha the gift of environmental awareness, responsibility, and education. Help me spread the word about Bitty Bigfoot and Friends!

Thank you for your support as we embark on this exciting journey!