To tailor the cartoon block to make it more appropriate for young kids, the “Tickle U” block contains no shows longer than 11 minutes (most are closer to five minutes).

Even without Cartoon Network's help, kids tend to be quite adept at finding humor in the most benign events. Give two preschoolers an empty can and 15 minutes of time to fill and at some point ...

Cartoon Network’s new “Tickle U.” block from 9 to 11 a.m. is aimed at improving the network’s ratings on weekday mornings, when it falls behind rivals like Nickelodeon and Disney Channel.

When Tickle U launched last August, it did so with seven original series for kids ages 3 to 5, along with a Web site, tickleu.com, tied directly to TV programming.

To tailor the cartoon block to make it more appropriate for young kids, the ''Tickle U.'' block contains no shows longer than 11 minutes (most are closer to five minutes long).