A First Look at 'CoComelon Lane' Debuting on Netflix

The new show leans into social-emotional development, including a moment during a cake-baking scene starring Cody and his dad.

CoComelon Lane is making its highly anticipated debut on Netflix and it's the first time you and your kids will see JJ and the crew speaking directly to the audience. There are nine episodes in this first season, and Parents has an exclusive clip worth celebrating.

In this particular scene, Cody and his dad make a birthday cake for Cody’s mommy. There’s laughter at first as they crack open eggs and wait for the cake to finish baking in the oven. But then, things get messy, literally and figuratively. Cody sees a cake decorated with colorful icing and decides he and his Dad need to add some flare to theirs to make it "extra special" for Mommy. Dad gives Cody the colored icing and he squeezes some purple coloring onto the cake.

But he squeezes just a bit too hard for his liking and is sad and disappointed when too much comes out on top of the cake. Dad encourages him to try again. But Cody is too scared to make a mistake and try. He wants this special cake to be perfect. That's when his father is there to offer a comforting perspective: “Mommy will love our cake because you made it," he tells Cody.

Cue the music (it's still CoComelon, after all). A version of Pat-a-Cake plays as the two sing, decorate, and learn to laugh at mistakes.

 The sweet moment is a favorite of CoComelon Lane’s creative executive Sarah Perry, who calls it “close to her heart” because it reminds her of the times she spent baking with her own father.

“This scene, in particular, is such a great example of taking an everyday activity that you can do as a family and making the absolute most of it,” Perry says. “Every step is an opportunity for laughter and fun, and as both a parent and a child, those small moments can be the ones we end up treasuring most. To me, this scene is a great blend of playfulness and heart.”

That’s the crux of the latest installment for CoComelon. Favorite characters like JJ, Cody, Nina, Bella, and Nico will navigate life’s biggest moments and the feelings that often accompany them.

Think of JJ being excited to see bears at a wildlife animal rescue park, only to experience frustration and disappointment when he learns they’re not visible when he first arrives because they’re eating. CeCe will have to work through nerves before getting her first haircut, and Nico has trouble picking out what to wear for family photos.

“We were able to lean into a very intentional social-emotional learning curriculum and explore relatable milestones and emotions for our preschool audience,” Perry says.

A longer format leaves room to explore these concepts with youngsters. The nine, 21-minute CoComelon Lane episodes are narrative-driven, rather than the singalong nursery rhyme music videos that tiny tots and their parents fell in love with. In CoComelon Lane, the characters talk to each other as they go through life’s happiest and stickiest moments together. JJ will even address young viewers directly, offering a personalized touch.

“Overall, fans will get to dive even deeper into the lives of these iconic characters and will be able to relate to them on an entirely new level,” Perry says. “These characters mean so much to our audience, so we’re excited to have them experience these big and special life moments together.”

Netflix teamed up with Moonbug Entertainment to stream CoComelon Lane exclusively when it ordered three seasons of the new series in 2021. You can check out the two teasers and a trailer.

Perry hopes the Netflix platform helps CoComelon reach new audiences, especially with its important message about coping with life’s big feelings.

“When we started development of the show in 2020, our goal was to take the core elements at the heart of the CoComelon brand—the characters, the stories, the music, the world—and expand on them to grow audience connection,” Perry says. “Netflix saw the potential in CoComelon and how it resonated and connected with preschoolers, so it was clear that Netflix was the perfect, innovative partner to help us reach our audience.”

Though the series and format are new, there will still be plenty of singing and dancing—how else would we expect JJ and his best buds to work through the scaries and first playdates? Overall, fans can expect a simple, relatable, and straightforward message for preschoolers—and even adults.

“Mistakes will happen, and life can be unpredictable, but there’s always joy to be found along the way,” Perry says.

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Read the original article on Parents.