HOT and SNOT by Age Group and Developmental Stage

In our post What’s HOT and What’s SNOT we revealed a few visual story telling guidelines that push us at Timbuktoons when we develop media for children. [HOT and SNOT are two acronyms that remind us what to be aiming for (HOT) and what to avoid (SNOT)].

Below we break that down a further by age groups and basic human development. These are some general rules that guide us that include physical, emotional, social, cognitive, metacognitive, problem solving, creative and moral/spiritual development characteristics.

Babies
•    Early fears are falling, separation and strangers
•    Learn thru senses
•    Learn they can cause things to happen
•    A baby will follow a moving person or look at a light as early as six weeks
•    Soft colors, quiet/soothing sounds, soft/round characters, kind expressions

Toddlers (ages 1-3)
•    Discover the immediate world (home and family)
•    Vulnerable/dependent
•    Development of emotional security
•    Will have to face certain fears
•    Needs sensory stimulation
•    Tremendous period of learning
•    Learns to solve problems thru trial and error
•    Needs to explore/touch/taste
•    Needs safety and affection
•    Girls and boys respond to non-threatening characters (ex: Elmo, Barney)
•    “Terrible two’s”/testing limits
•    Right and wrong judgments not at all firm or in place
•    Beginning to learn social skills, sharing, loving, self-control
•    Not much cooperative play, rather side-by-side
•    Respond to interactive shows
(Show examples: Barney, Sesame Street, Jay Jay the Jet Plane, Yo Gabba Gabba, Max and Ruby, Dora, Diego)

Preschool (ages 3-4)
•    Can play out scenarios
•    Much more developed communication skills
•    Potty training complete or almost complete
•    “Terrible-Twos” over and most want to do things correctly
•    conformity to routines (bed time, getting ready, etc.)
•    Still mostly side-by-side play
•    Much wiggling, shoving, hitting, running, jumping
•    Sharing is hard
•    Whining
•    Acting out to get attention (negative attn is still attn)
•    Can be pokey/no real sense of time or urgency (less true the older they are)
•    Male play is more aggressive
•    Female play is more relationship centered
•    Male play/larger muscles
•    Female play/smaller muscles
•    Play is imaginative
•    From 3-7 fantasy and pretend are at their peak
•    They begin to identify/empathize with characters
•    Senses still very involved
•    The brighter and flashier the better
•    Interest in immediate neighborhood and familiar surroundings
•    Right brain development (emotional, imagination, artistic, musical)
(Show examples: Martha Speaks, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Super Why!, WordWorld, Sid the Science Kid, Handy Manny, Special Agent Oso, Team Umizoomi, Between the Lions)

Age 5-7
5:
•    Learning alphabet, numbers
•    Develop interests/tastes
•    Usually still need a nap
•    Boys 3-7 like firefighters, police, train engineers, funny animals, heroes etc.
•    Girls 3-7 like doll personalities, skaters, dancers, princesses, horses, teachers, babies, etc.

6:
•    Gender becomes more important
•    Boys play with boys, girls with girls for most part
•    Competition becomes more obvious
•    Fantasy and imagination still huge part of thinking/playing
•    May judge characters by a single feature/simple clear-cut virtues
•    More impulsive/reactive than logical
•    Left brain/logic is beginning to develop in some
•    Today a 6 year old may be expected to develop reading/math beyond what we had to at this age

7:
•    Beginning of a more withdrawn/introverted/settled stage
•    Complaining/worries/tensions/fears
•    Beginning to understand abstract concepts like good and evil
•    Begin to take other’s points of view into consideration
•    Peak of dramatic play
•    Unlimited fantasy begins to be replaced with more logical fantasy
•    Gaming and internet use become more interesting
•    Serious collecting becomes more common place
(Show examples: Fetch, WordGirl, SpongeBob, Yugi-OH, Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Pokemon)

Tweens
8:
•    Beginning of the Tween Stage (8-12 or 13)
•    Transition from kid to teen
•    Savvy at increasingly younger ages
•    Huge impact on film, music, TV, toys etc.
•    Edgier
•    Boys tend to like the gross
•    Once again more social
•    Play occurs in pairs or groups
•    Peer pressure occurs
•    Want to learn the rules
•    They question authority but are not likely to go against it
•    Moral sense developed
•    Beginning to have a historic perspective
•    Future, science fiction, far away lands
•    Sensitive
•    Competitive/play hard

9:
•    Another more introverted/quieter age
•    Overly sensitive
•    Less self-confidence
•    Want to belong to a group/club
•    Hate unfairness
•    Need standardized rules
(Show examples: Chowder, Ben 10, Avatar, Fanboy and Chum Chum, American Dragon Jake Long, Phineas and Ferb, Kick Buttowski, Kid vs. Kat)

Upper Tweens (Ages 10-12)
10:
•    Respects authority generally
•    Straightforward/predictable
•    Friendly/happy
•    Fewer fears
•    Begin to identify with sports stars/media icons

11:
•    Beginning of adolescence for many
•    Eager, alert, active, imaginative
•    Can also be very self-centered, quarrelsome, anxious
•    Emotional swings
•    Rebellious
•    Critical
•    Need guidance
•    Peers are important
•    Need opportunities for increased leadership/responsibilities
•    Imaginative play decreases
•    Boys – media time now split between TV and gaming
•    Girls – media time now split between TV and Internet/Magazines

12:
•    Officially end of tween age
•    Earning money
•    Making more decisions
•    Girls worry about weight/appearance/fashion
•    Boys are always hungry
•    Less critical of parents
•    Peer pressure and use of drugs/alcohol become topics of discussion
•    Greater sense of humor and understanding of sarcasm
(Show examples: Adventure Time, iCarly, Big Time Rush, Sym Biotic Titan, I’m In the Band, Victorious, Destroy Build Destroy, Total Drama, Generator Rex)

Age 13:
•    Beginning of teen years
•    Another age of withdrawal and worry
•    Hormonal and moody age
•    Many girls have already reached puberty
•    Less difference between boys/girls as far as developmental details
•    Want to think for themselves
•    They question what others believe
•    Still need love, acceptance
•    Searching for identity
•    Many think they are fully mature
•    Influences or issues surrounding alcohol, drugs, sex will likely arise
•    Easily embarrassed by parents
•    Arguments more likely to occur with mom
•    Process info quickly and act like info sponges
•    Respond to irony and sarcasm, but still appreciate slapstick
•    Like entertainment featuring other adolescents and young adults but still watch classic cartoons that have some edge
•    Media preferences based on the entertainment itself
•    Comic books start to lose their appeal
(Similar viewing habits to upper tweens plus teen and adult dramas, and reality shows)

For more info on basic human development and understanding your audience, read Chapter Four of Animation Writing and Development by Jean Ann Wright. The rest of the book is a great resource as well!