"Gullah Gullah Island" entertains and educates SPECIAL TO THE PACKET Nickelodeon Jr. premiered the children's show "Gullah Gullah Island" in 1994, and it has been entertaining and educating children ever since. Hosts Ron and Natalie Daise, a warm and loving African-American couple who live on a Sea Island off the coast of South Carolina, open their home to pre-schoolers and their care-givers with a rich mix of song, games, stories, dance and humor. This half-hour sing-a-long series, which airs weekdays at 11 a.m. and Saturday at 6 a.m. on Nickelodeon, stimulates active participation from viewers around such familiar topics as birthdays, jokes, baby animals, rhyming, collecting and preparing food. With the Daises and their three children as the heart of the show, a variety of friends, relatives, neighborhood children and a bright-yellow tree frog named Binyah Binyah Pollywog (a full body puppet) form an extended family that always includes the viewers. Each episode also includes an exploration of the unique culture of the Sea Island region with an up-close look at the community and its people, including artists, fishermen, weavers and farmers. The cast of characters includes: Ron - An understanding father, he loves to pass down stories to children in the Gullah tradition. Natalie - A playful, creative mother. Natalie enjoys inventing games for the children to play. She also teaches them songs and organizes group activities. Binyah Binyah - This bright yellow, 2-year-old tree frog lives in the backyard and likes to dance, play tricks on the kids, and join in all the games. Shaina - James and Simeon's 5-year-old sister, Shaina is quite shy. But she loves inventing rhymes and playing word games with Natalie. Simeon - The youngest sibling is Simeon, and everyone likes to help teach him new things. Simeon is learning to play the Jimbe drum, and his favorite playtime pal is Binyah Binyah. Vanessa - Nine-year-old Vanessa is visiting her Aunt Natalie, Uncle Ron and cousins for awhile while her parents are in Africa teaching through an exchange program. She gets homesick sometimes, but her extended family is always around to cheer her up. James - The 10-year-old oldest son plays the Jimbe drum. He is the leader of the neighborhood gang and likes to teach the younger children new things. Gullah Home Island Packet Homepage