TV good for children, say researchers

CARTOONS like Bob The Builder don't just help keep kids quiet, they improve their imaginations and social skills, a new study has found.

An Australian study has found that some television programmes, far from producing couch potatoes, stimulate children's imaginations and teach valuable social skills.

For two months, 314 mothers with children aged three to six observed what their youngsters were watching and reported back to psychologists at Melbourne's La Trobe University.