Going on A Road Trip? Entertain Little Ones with These PBS KIDS Educational Apps!

Now that we are stuck in the house more than we expected, many families are turning to road trips to avoid going stir-crazy. On-screen entertainment is a must for long trips ... unless you enjoy hearing, "Are we there yet?" from the backseat. Parents can use these free PBS KIDS educational apps to engage little ones while tapping into their art, math, science, engineering and design skills. You'll find nearly 200 educational games that can be downloaded for offline play anytime, anywhere.

Here are a few examples:

• Scribbles & Ink, a character-driven interactive series that teaches kids, ages 4 to 8, drawing techniques as they move through six different worlds. Kids can let their imaginations run wild as they become part of the friendship between the beloved cat and mouse duo.
• The Daniel Tiger’s Storybooks app offers a library of interactive stories narrated by Daniel Tiger. The stories show Daniel learning life lessons, like sharing with friends and being a helper. Each book, available in English and Spanish, includes a familiar song, charming animations, and a simple game to encourage children to play about the theme of the story.
• NEW: The Cat in the Hat Invents mobile app encourages young children to learn more about STEM subjects through fun activities such as designing their own robots, exploring different worlds and navigating challenges. Developed with the Next Generation Science Standards in mind, this app allows players to use voice command when selecting specific tools to help characters Nick, Sally and the Cat in the Hat improve their robot.
  
• The Play and Learn Engineering app brings little ones the opportunity to design roller coasters and problem solve through the twists and turns of obstacle courses. It empowers Preschoolers to develop a better understanding of the world around them and experiment with new tools and techniques. This free app is fully bilingual in English and Spanish.
• My personal favorite is Wild Kratts Rescue Run where you can run, jump, fly, and swim through 24 action-packed levels, rescue animals to unlock information about each one in the Creaturepedia, and face-off against villains to keep the animals safe from harm. Learn about animals and their habitats while using problem solving skills to choose different creature power suits, each with their own unique creature power.

Don't leave home without these free educational apps from PBS KIDS.

New on PBS Kids: Let's Go Luna Premiers on November 21

PBS KIDS recently announced episode destinations and a holiday special from its new animated social studies series, LET’S GO LUNA! It premieres tomorrow, November 21 nationwide on PBS stations and the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel. Want a sneak peek? Catch eight stories from the series that can now be streamed on pbskids.org and the free PBS KIDS Video app. Featuring countries, cultures and customs from around the globe, LET’S GO LUNA! encourages kids ages 4-7 to learn about world cultures while developing social skills.

LET’S GO LUNA! follows the adventures of three animal friends – Leo, a wombat from Australia; Carmen, a butterfly from Mexico; and Andy, a frog from the U.S. – as they traverse the globe with their parents’ traveling performance troupe. At each stop, the trio learns about the differences and similarities of the countries they visit – from language and music, to food and art – with the help of their friend Luna the moon, voiced by Judy Greer. The series takes kids on an informative and imaginative exploration of global culture to make connections between communities all over the world, integrating concepts of anthropology, history, ecology, geography and sociology.

“LET’S GO LUNA! has an important role to play in helping children explore world cultures and learn about all the ways we’re both different and the same,” said Judy Greer. “LET’S GO LUNA! helps kids develop an appreciation for cultural diversity while exploring the fun facets that make up our global community. I’m thrilled to be part of such an impactful and imaginative show that will delight everyone from age 2 to 100!”

Each LET’S GO LUNA! episode consists of two 11-minute animated stories based in a single country, joined together by an interstitial featuring a traditional folktale associated with each location. Two consecutive episodes – a total of four stories – are dedicated to a single city or country, to help kids better understand and retain the deep and vibrant culture that makes up each destination. While the locations are different, the core lessons and experiences of the characters are relatable – leading children through funny and entertaining storylines with friends all over the world.

LET’S GO LUNA! Season 1 Destinations:

• Mexico City, Mexico
• Moscow, Russia
• Cairo, Egypt
• Beijing, China
• London, England
• Delhi, India
• Sydney, Australia
• Tokyo, Japan
• Paris, France
• Juneau, Alaska
• Istanbul, Turkey
• Barcelona, Spain
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Munich, Germany
• Nairobi, Kenya,
• Qosqo, Peru
• Bangkok, Thailand
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• Rome, Italy
• Antarctica (Christmas Special)

PBS KIDS will premiere a one-hour LET’S GO LUNA! holiday special on Monday, December 10: “Luna’s Christmas Around the World.” When Leo, Andy and Carmen get stuck at the South Pole with the performance troupe on Christmas Eve, the friends are convinced that Santa will never find them. With help from Luna, the kids endeavor to save Christmas, learning about gift-giver traditions and holiday customs from around the world along the way. 

Working closely with a team of cultural anthropologists, each episode of LET’S GO LUNA! is meticulously researched to ensure cities and regions are authentically and respectfully portrayed. One of the few storyboard-driven shows for preschoolers, writers work with storyboard artists to create visually-driven narratives that highlight each city’s distinctive landscape and features.

Created by Emmy Award-winning animator, writer and artist Joe Murray (“Rocko’s Modern Life,” “Camp Lazlo”), the series pulls artistic inspiration from vintage travel posters, the UPA, retro style found in timeless animated shows from the 20^th century and Murray’s popular animation style. The show is produced by 9 Story Media Group’s award-winning animation studio Brown Bag Films.

For TV schedules on their local PBS station, viewers can check local listings. LET’S GO LUNA! will offer a variety of games at pbskids.org and on the PBS KIDS Games App, including Chef Leo’s Crazy Kitchen, launching the week of November 21, as well as clips and full episodes across PBS KIDS’ streaming video platforms, including the PBS KIDS Video App.

Wild Kratts: Creepy Creatures Premiers and Live Streams Today!

Was so excited to hear about this new WILD KRATTS special. All my kids love the Kratt brothers.

On October 22, PBS KIDS will premiere the all-new, one-hour movie, WILD KRATTS: CREEPY CREATURES on PBS stations and the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and live stream. It will also be available for free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video App. In this special movie event, the Kratt Brothers decide to celebrate Halloween by searching for "creepy cool" creatures, but will Zach and the other villains get in their way and ruin Halloween? Additionally, PBS KIDS will premiere new Halloween-themed episodes from READY JET GO! and PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC®. Families will be treated to special Halloween-filled Family Night programming and specials the last two weekends of the month on the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and live stream.

The spooky fun continues on digital platforms, where PBS KIDS will offer a variety of Halloween-themed games on the free PBS KIDS Games App and pbskids.org, including a new game from WILD KRATTS. This will debut in addition to favorites such as Arthur’s Tricks and Treats, Curious George Pumpkin Boo, Daniel Tiger Dress Up, The Cat in the Hat Corn Maze Craze and Peg + Cat Parade. A new Spooky Street and Halloween design contest will launch on PBS KIDS’ popular virtual world, Kart Kingdom, and the Nature Cat Art Box and Cyberchase Watts of Trouble games will have Halloween themed updates. Hands-on activities, including pumpkin-carving templates with favorite PBS KIDS characters and spooktacular treat recipes, are available on PBS KIDS for Parents.

“Halloween is a great time for families and teachers to encourage children’s imagination and creativity,” said Linda Simensky, Vice President, Children’s Programming, PBS. “With new specials and episodes from WILD KRATTS, READY JET GO! and PINKALICIOUS & PETERRIFIC®, as well at returning favorites, PBS KIDS will offer themed content and educational resources to help do just that.”

PBS LearningMedia will offer PreK-12 teachers an easy way to integrate Halloween themes into their instruction with a range of curriculum-aligned videos, lesson plans, and games. Teachers can use these resources to kick-start classroom discussions and enhance homework assignments. These free resources cover a range of subjects and are available to teachers nationwide on pbslearningmedia.org. Featured resources include Shadows Can Be Scary Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, All About the Holidays: Halloween, Frankenstein, M.D. and The Zombie Autopsies. Find these resources and more in the Halloween collection.

Product Review: Mrs. Wordsmith The Social Journey

Mrs. Wordsmith--a UK-based education company--has launched The Social Journey in the United States. This monthly subscription program for children ages 3 thru 6 is said to focus on "developing social and emotional intelligence...Young children develop deeper social, emotional and academic skills with the right vocabulary."

So many kids I know love getting packages in the mail. Isn't it great to know that this package will help them learn important skills to better prepare them for school, foster creativity and a love of reading, and teach them how to manage their feelings.

My package arrived in a colorful blue box with an animated character on the front that would encourage a youngster to tear it right open and get started. Inside, I discovered a storybook, an activity book, word cards, a sturdy stand and instructions.

As you can see, the storybook, activity book and word card include matching artwork that allows your child to recognize all the month's words and concepts through repetition. The artwork and storylines are so funny, parents and kids can enjoy a chuckle or two to make learning easier for everyone. These pictures can't do the artwork justice. Vibrant colors and zany character antics and facial expressions ensure your child will be picking up the books numerous days out of the month.

The storybook gets you started, but then you have days and days worth of activities to increase word use and comprehension. Coloring, drawing, writing practice and more can be found within these sheets that are easy to tear out. It is suggested you place the activity book on the included stand so your child can try out the activities whenever they feel like it.

The word cards help when you are on the go or if you're looking to spend some extra time playing word games. The first card gives you some ideas, but you can probably think up some of your own too.

The Social Journey is available online for $22.49 a month (cancel anytime) or you can save $30 by making one payment of $239.40. Shipping within the United States is free.

I wish The Social Journey was available when my girls were this age. A program that makes learning fun, fosters creativity and a love of reading, and helps children manage their feelings is destined to have a great impact on generations of children.


I received a free Mrs. Wordsmith The Social Journey package thanks to Allison+Partners. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.