Mary Lou's Flip Flop Shop

Mary Lou Retton Kids and their parents will "flip" for this colorful new show
Edited by Tara DellaFranzia and Mary Eileen O'Connor

Kids will want to do a cartwheel and dance around when they watch Mary Lou's Flip Flop Shop, airing Sundays at 9:30 a.m. on WHYY TV12.

Hosted by Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton, this energetic new show actively engages children in each episode through original music, dance and Retton's own brand of "creative movement," teaching important life lessons throughout.

"While the show will stimulate children's imaginations through fun and entertainment," says this mother of four children, who created the show with her husband, "we go a step further and help children develop a positive attitude towards the formation of healthy living, including positive thinking, self-confidence and nutrition."

The Flip Flop Shop is always full of surprises, with squiggly couches, leaning doors, spinning pictures and circular slides. Retton stars along with a colorful cast of human and puppet characters, including Retton's enthusiastic sidekick Jumpy, musical Miss Warble, the Flip Flop Shop custodian with a tool belt full of imaginative props, and Professor Blinky, a wise owl who helps children exercise their own brainpower.

The show also features a rotating cast of children who learn to deal with real-world issues such as acceptance, safety and insecurity as they join in the Flip Flop Shop's events.

To demonstrate the importance of leading an active, healthy lifestyle, the characters often meet the "Fruit Lady," who helps children learn that fruit is not only good to eat but is also good for them. They also visit the Gallery, an art wall that showcases paintings created by children around the world to introduce kids to the world of art.

Mary Lou's Flip Flop Shop airs Sundays at 9:30 a.m. on WHYY TV12.