Romper Room facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Romper Room |
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Postcard sent to a child viewer by Miss Louise of the New York version, 1966
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| Genre | Children's television series |
| Created by | Bert Claster and Nancy Claster |
| Starring | National – Nancy Terrell Locally and internationally – various presenters |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English, Spanish |
| Production company(s) | Claster Television |
| Distributor | Entertainment One |
| Release | |
| Original release | 1953 – 1994 |
Romper Room was a popular American children's television show. It ran for a very long time, from 1953 to 1994! The show was made for preschoolers, which are children aged five and younger.
Bert Claster and his wife, Nancy, created and produced Romper Room. Nancy was also one of the show's presenters. The main national version was hosted by Nancy Terrell. Romper Room was also shown in other countries. These included Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Finland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, and Australia.
Contents
How Romper Room Started
Local Shows Across America
Romper Room was special because it was both franchised and syndicated. This meant that local TV stations could make their own versions of the show. They didn't always have to air the national broadcast. For example, stations in Los Angeles and New York made their own local shows.
Many local shows around the world used the same script. But they featured children from their own areas. Some stations, like KWEX-TV in San Antonio, even translated the scripts into Spanish. Kids often waited for years to be on the show. Sometimes, parents would put their child's name on a waiting list even before they were born! People called it "an actual kindergarten" because it felt like a real school class.
The show first started filming in Baltimore in 1953. Later, it moved its filming to Chicago. Then, in 1981, it moved back to Baltimore.
What Happened in Each Episode
Each Romper Room episode started with a friendly greeting from the hostess. In American shows, they also said the Pledge of Allegiance. The hostess and a group of children would then spend 30 or 60 minutes together. They played games, did exercises, sang songs, and listened to stories. They also learned important lessons about being good. Background music often played during these activities. The hostess would ask, "Mr. Music, please!" to start the music.
The children on the show were usually 4 or 5 years old. The group of kids changed every two months. Many of the hostesses had experience working with young children. A lot of them were even former kindergarten teachers.
Good manners were a big part of Romper Room. The hostesses were always called "Miss." The show also had a special mascot named Mr. Do-Bee. Mr. Do-Bee was a large bumblebee costume character. He taught the children how to behave well. He always started his sentences with "Do Bee," like "Do Bee good boys and girls for your parents!" There was also a "Mr. Don't Bee." He showed kids what they should not do.
The hostess would also serve milk and cookies to the children. Before eating, they would say the Romper Room prayer: "God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen."
At the end of every show, the hostess would look into a "magic mirror." This was actually just an open frame shaped like a hand mirror. She would say a rhyme: "Romper, bomper, stomper boo. Tell me, tell me, tell me, do. Magic Mirror, tell me today, did all my friends have fun at play?" Then, she would name children she imagined watching at home. For example, she might say, "I can see Kathleen and Owen and Julie..." Children could mail in their first names to be read on the air.
The show used a Mattel Jack-in-the-box toy for its opening and closing. The song "Pop Goes the Weasel" was the theme song. In 1981, a new original theme song was introduced.
Romper Room and Friends
In 1981, Romper Room got a big makeover. It was renamed Romper Room and Friends. About one hundred versions were filmed in Baltimore with Miss Molly as the host. At this point, they no longer used real teachers as hosts.
The biggest change was the addition of new puppet characters. These included a full-costume character named Kimble. There were also puppets named Granny Cat and Up-Up. These new characters starred in short skits. These skits were a bit like the "Neighborhood of Make-Believe" parts on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. They helped teach simple lessons about right and wrong. About 100 of these skits were made. Each one lasted three to five minutes. The host would introduce each part and talk about it afterward.
Also, a new opening and closing song was created. It was called "Romper Room and Friends." The song mentioned the characters Up-Up, Do Bee, Granny Cat, and Kimble. This new song replaced the old "Pop Goes the Weasel" theme.
Where Romper Room Was Broadcast
Nancy Cledenin Terrell, known as "Miss Nancy," was the national hostess. She hosted in the 1960s and early 1970s. During this time, Romper Room was shown on ABC stations across the United States. This happened in places that didn't have their own local hostesses.
The show aired until 1994. However, it's not clear exactly when new episodes stopped being made. Some people think production ended in 1981. Others say the national version stopped in 1991. But local versions might have continued until 1994.
Local Versions in the USA
Baltimore: The Original Romper Room
Many people believe Nancy Claster (1915–1997) was the first Romper Room hostess. She helped produce the show with her husband, Bert. While "Miss Nancy" was the host for a long time, she wasn't the very first. Jean Moseley hosted the first few episodes in 1953. Nancy Claster then took over until 1963. Her daughter, Sally Bell, then became "Miss Sally." She hosted the show in Baltimore until 1980.
Biloxi, Mississippi: The Only Male Host
Biloxi, Mississippi had a special distinction. It had the only male Romper Room teacher ever! Domenick Gitano, known as "Mr. Dom," was the host. His show ran from March 1966 to May 1967.
Honolulu: Adding Hawaiian Culture
The Hawaiian version of Romper Room started in 1964. It was hosted by "Miss Robin" (Robin Mann). After the show was canceled in 1966, it moved to another station. It ran there until 1972. Robin Mann later said that even though the show was popular, it didn't include much Hawaiian culture. In 1974, she returned for a new show called Robin's Room. This show did include Hawaiian culture while keeping the fun parts of Romper Room.
New York City: A Long Run
In New York City, "Miss Gloria" Flood was the first hostess from 1955 to 1957. Then, "Miss Joan" Thayer took over. She even made appearances around New York City. Later, "Miss Louise" Redfield became the host. "Miss Mary Ann" Pedersen then took over until 1981.
In 1981, the New York show became Romper Room and Friends. It was still made locally but was also shared with other cities. "Miss Molly" McCloskey became the host. She became very popular with viewers. Children often had to wait three to four years to be on the show.
Oakland/San Francisco: The Last US Hostess
"Miss Nancy" Besst hosted the San Francisco version from 1958 to 1969. Later, "Miss Sharon" Jeffery became the last Romper Room teacher in Northern California. She was a fourth-grade teacher before joining the show. Miss Sharon was the only African-American hostess. She was on Romper Room from 1987 to 1992. Her show was the final Romper Room in the US.
Romper Room Around the World
The Romper Room idea spread to many other countries. These included Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
Australia: Big Dog and Friends
Several stations in Australia made their own Romper Room shows. The national version ended in 1988. However, one regional station, NBN, continued its version. In 1997, it changed its name to Big Dog and Friends. This was because their rights to the "Romper Room" name ended. The show featured the station's mascot, Big Dog, with the hostess Miss Kim. This was the last Romper Room-style show in Australia. It ended in 1999.
Canada: The Final Version
In Canada, the first local Romper Room started in 1960. Many Canadian cities had their own versions. In 1972, the version from Kitchener, Ontario, became a nationwide show. It ran until 1992. This Canadian version used many of the same things as the US show. This included the "Pop Goes the Weasel" theme and the Magic Mirror. When the US show changed to Romper Room and Friends, the Canadian show did too. When the Canadian version ended in 1992, it was the very last Romper Room show still being made anywhere in the world.
Japan: Miss Midori
In Japan, there was a local version called Ronpārūmu. It aired from 1963 to 1979. The first Japanese hostess, Midori Namiki, even visited New York for training. All the hostesses of the Japanese version were named Miss Midori. "Midori" is a common Japanese name that means "green."
Puerto Rico: Jardilín
In Puerto Rico, the show was called Jardilín. This means "Little Kindergarten" in Spanish. It was hosted by Bertita Novoa and later by Sandra Zaiter.
