The concept of the Magic Mirror Romper Room revolves around a popular children's television program that aired in the United States from the late 1950s to the early 1990s. The show was hosted by Miss Nancy Claster, who used a magic mirror to communicate with children. The Magic Mirror Romper Room aimed to educate and entertain young viewers through various activities and games. Each episode began with Miss Nancy addressing the children through the mirror, using phrases like "Romper, stomper, bomper boo. Tell me, tell me, tell me do. Magic Mirror, tell me today, did all my friends at Romper Room have fun at play?" This allowed children to feel connected and included in the program.
Romper, bomper, stomper, boo….and I see Kanchan
As a five-year-old, every day I would weave my body, stretch my head as high as I could so I could be seen. These daily actions all happen in our living room, in front of the television in the early ’70s. At the end of my favorite show Romper Room, the teacher would hold up a magic mirror to call out people's names she was ‘seeing’ in Television land. As a 5-year-old, I weaved and bobbed so I could be seen by what I believed was a true magic mirror.
For some of you who may not know, Romper Room was a staple television show in North America for preschoolers. At the end of the television show, Miss Nancy would hold up the Magic Mirror (an empty open frame without the mirror), to recite her ending phase “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 recited random first names of children while looking through the open mirror, into Television Land and everyone’s living rooms.
As an optimistic child, I felt it was on me to move a little more to be noticed so my name could be called. Day after day, my name was not called.
Speed ahead 50 years, and in a ZOOM call this week Jessica Potts closed the meeting by reached down to pull up her ‘magic mirror’ and called out names just like in Romper Room.
She called out my name. An immediate wave of being 5 years old came over me. I was seen. With the correct pronunciation said ‘I see Kanchan’. I intuitively exhaled. In a fraction of a minute, without any effort of my own, with no preparation, Jessica gave me the gift of being witnessed.
As a woman of color, there is a deep-seated need for belonging in the spaces I work in when outwardly (name and skin color) there aren’t as many like me. Because of my experience with shows like Romper Room, as a child, I learned that I may not belong. This adds to the shape of my adult life in that I seek out heart-centered places of belonging.
I am not alone. I coach BIPOC leaders and this is a common thread. Belonging comes from a place of being seen and being heard. For me when I hold leadership roles, my aim is to create places for people to feel safe. Safe to speak, safe to say silent, safe to stay, or safe to walk out. I do this because in my experience being safely seen and heard is connected to a deep-felt reality of belonging.
With my value of creating greater unity in my world, I know it starts with one truth I hold which is all every person on the planet wants is to be heard and seen. Thank you, Jessica, for calling out my name through your Magic Mirror and making my childhood wish come true. I feel seen. I feel I belong.
I REMEMBER WHEN Romper Room’s Magic Mirror didn’t see me
Here’s a little trip down memory lane … right back to the early childhood years when life was so carefree and simple. Did you used to watch Romper Room when you were a kid? I believe it was Miss Patricia who hosted the show during the years when I used to watch it. She hosted the show from August 1965 through to 1978 when Miss Helena took over. I was born in 1964 so was probably watching the show from about 1967 until I started school in 1970. The first ever host of Romper Room here in Australia was Miss Susan from 1963 to 1965.
I had my own Romper Room ‘refreshment’ mug and placemat and always sat with those (and milk in my mug of course) to watch the show.
There were the posture baskets of which Mum gave me something similar so I could play along. Here’s a clip of Miss Patricia, some children and those posture baskets!
Some of the other songs I remember from Romper Room are:
- The Do Bee Song
- Punch a Ball
- Galloping to Romper Room
- This Old Man
- London Bridge
- Follow the Leader
- Mulberry Bush
- Bouncing Ball Song
- Round & Round the Village
- Eency Weency Spider
- Looby Doo
- Thumbkin
- Bend and Stretch
… and there are most likely many more!
One thing most kids always remember from Romper Room was MAGIC MIRROR time. It was towards the end of the show. I was always hopeful to hear my name called out but it never was which was so very disappointing. I heard friends names numerous times – Debbie’s, Susan’s, Kathy’s, and so on … but never Marguerite or Min. Funnily enough, this continues today with all the Meme’s you see go around on social media listing names and still – never a Marguerite or Min. Here’s a few different hosts doing the Magic Mirror spiel followed by a clip of Miss Helena listing all the ‘names’ of children she sees (sans Marguerite of course).
After more than 25 years Romper Room came to an end, all due to Christopher Skase and Fat Cat. This 2015 clip, where Studio 10 remembers Romper Room, explains further.
How does it make you feel to hear those songs from your childhood again? I find them such a comfort. A reminder of a time when life was simple and carefree and I was safe at home with Mum, Dad and my siblings.
So for all of you with names like Marguerite that were never seen through the Romper Room Magic Mirror … “Romper, bomper, stomper boo. Tell me, tell me, tell me, do. Magic Mirror, tell me today, have all my friends had fun at play?” I can see YOU!
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Miss Jean’s Magic Mirror
Sometimes the craziest things transport us backward like a time machine. While holding a skillet to make an egg omelet this morning, I held it up to my face and said… “Romper bomper stomper boo, tell me, tell me, tell me do, magic mirror tell me today, did all my friends have fun at play?”
My daughter Izzy stared at me and in an effort to gauge my sanity she asked… what did you just say .
I explained about a local TV show I watched as a kid called Romper Room hosted by a woman who called herself Miss Jean. She had a “Magic Mirror” that she used to see and speak with the boys and girls in her television audience at home. She pretended to see through her magic vanity mirror without glass and would say, “I see Suzie and Tommy and Jimmy and Kathy and Ricky all had fun today.” I never got a mention neither did anyone with an uncommon name Scout, Tricksy or Missy Lee.. One feature of the show was the “Do-Bee” and “Don’t-Bee” game…. “Do-Bee a milk drinker,” “Do-Bee a room-straightener,” “Do-Bee a bed-maker”; Don’t-Bee a street-crosser” and “Don’t-Bee a nasty tongue.”
As I explained the show I could see Izzy wasn’t enjoying my trip down memory lane. I asked her what she was frowning at and she replied “that’s creepy” … pretending to look into other peoples homes and talking to their kids.. creepy.
So I said OK, then help me then to understand the purpose behind Snap Chat, Instagram and Tik Tok?
Snapchat is a messaging app that lets users exchange pictures and videos (called snaps) that are meant to disappear after they’re been shared with friends.
Instagram is a photo sharing app which allows users to assign filters to photos and share them with followers…ie lots of people…
Tik Tok is a social media platform for creating, sharing and discovering short music videos… The app is used mostly by young people who use it to as a singing, dancing, comedy, and lip-syncing platform.
After hearing about these popular applications I asked …so would you say that some of the stuff on these has been somewhat creepy? Yes sometimes..she said. Now for the big question..
Which is more creepy a woman who can’t really see into someone’s homes and lives but tries to get kids to be good do bee’s or applications where kids sometimes act who act like don’t bee’s are putting creepy stuff on the internet? Her response… who you make me some scrambled eggs please?
If Izzy is a Good Do Bee next year she’ll be getting a magic mirror (with the mirror glass) as her next birthday present.
Magic Mirror, tell me today, did all my friends at Romper Room have fun at play?" This allowed children to feel connected and included in the program. The show also emphasized moral values and proper behavior. Miss Nancy used the "Do-Bee" and "Don't-Bee" characters to teach children about kindness, sharing, and respect.
She would often end the show by looking into the magic mirror and saying,"I see Tommy, and Susie, and Billy, and Jennifer, and all my Romper Room friends. I see you too!" In addition to the educational segments, the Magic Mirror Romper Room featured a "Romper Stomper" exercise segment where children could participate in physical activities. There were also puppet segments and group activities, fostering a sense of community and socialization among the children watching the show. The Magic Mirror Romper Room became immensely popular and received positive feedback from parents and educators who appreciated its educational content. The use of the magic mirror and Miss Nancy's engaging manner helped capture children's attention and kept them engaged throughout the show. Overall, the Magic Mirror Romper Room was a beloved children's program that successfully combined entertainment and education. Its interactive approach, emphasis on moral values, and engaging host made it a memorable part of many children's early years..
Reviews for "Get Lost in a World of Wonder with Magic Mirror Romper Room"
1. Jane - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with the "Magic mirror romper room". It wasn't what I expected at all. The plot was confusing and all over the place, and the characters were uninteresting. The pacing was also very slow, and I found myself losing interest halfway through. Overall, I don't recommend it if you're looking for an engaging and well-written story.
2. John Doe - 1 star - "Magic mirror romper room" was a complete waste of time. The writing was sloppy and filled with grammatical errors. The dialogue was cheesy and unrealistic, and the characters were extremely one-dimensional. The story itself was predictable and lacked any originality. I struggled to finish it and would not recommend it to anyone.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Magic mirror romper room" based on the promising concept, but it fell short in execution. The writing lacked depth and failed to create any emotional connection with the characters. The plot felt disjointed and rushed, leaving me feeling unsatisfied. Although it had potential, it ultimately failed to deliver a captivating and memorable reading experience.
4. Alex - 3 stars - "Magic mirror romper room" had an interesting premise, but it lacked proper development. The story felt rushed and underdeveloped, leaving several unanswered questions. The dialogue was often awkward and unrealistic, making it difficult to connect with the characters. While there were some enjoyable moments, overall, it didn't live up to my expectations.