NASCAR DRIVERS MAKE GUEST APPEARANCES ON NICKELODEON'S "BLAZE & THE MONSTER MACHINES"

NASCAR fans will want to tune into Nickelodeon to watch with their kids six new race car themed episodes of the cable network's animated preschool series BLAZE AND THE MONSTER MACHINES which will be featuring guest voice appearances from superstar drivers Danica Patrick, Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott and Kasey Kahne. The first special, “Race Car Superstar,” premieres Monday, May 30, at 1:30 p.m. (ET/PT), followed by “Race to Eagle Rock” on Thursday, June 2, at 1:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.  The remaining four race car episodes will roll out this fall.   

In Blaze and the Monster Machines, the amazing monster truck Blaze and his eight-year-old driver AJ have adventures that explore the physics of how things move; tackle problems through scientific inquiry and mathematics; and discover the parts needed to make everyday technologies work. Each action-packed episode is filled with monster trucks, physical humor and upbeat original songs that contain lyrics which highlight a STEM concept such as adhesion, friction, force, trajectory and magnetism. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, all educational concepts important for developing high-tech skill sets.

In these race car themed specials, Blaze visits the town of VelocityVille, where all the cars love to go fast, and meets four new race cars: Rally (Patrick), a race car who is always first to the track and never misses a chance to hit the raceway; Dash (Johnson), a car that is fun, friendly, fast and the ultimate racing buddy for Blaze; Mark Set-Go (Elliott), VelocityVille’s sensational starter who kicks off each racing adventure with rock-star style and a signature rhyme; and Fender (Kahne), a car that rules the raceway, but is excited to share the track with Blaze.

In “Race Car Superstar,” a car named Speedrick puts locks on the tires of other cars so they are stopped in their tracks, forcing Blaze to transform into a sleek and aerodynamic race car to free his new friends.  Then, in “Race to Eagle Rock,” Blaze brings all of his monster truck pals to VelocityVille for a wild race to the top of Eagle Rock. After they all transform into race cars with supercharged engines, they have to find a way to avoid Crusher’s attempts to slow them down.

Tying into these race car themed adventures, the Blaze and the Monster Machines App is being updated to feature a brand-new VelocityVille location. This update will provide 15 new levels that focus on the STEM concept of velocity.  The app allows players to help Blaze and AJ compete against other monster trucks – Starla, Darington, Crusher, Stripes and Zeg – in one of six locations (The Badlands, Top of the World, Dragon Island, The Snowy Slopes, The Monster Dome or VelocityVille) and use blazing speed and problem-solving to overcome obstacles along the way. The update is available now on iOS and Google Play. Additionally, leading up to the Blaze and the Monster Machines race car specials, NickJr.com and the Nick Jr. App will feature an exclusive first-look at the race-inspired episodes starting Monday, May 23.

Nickelodeon and Fisher-Price will also be launching a new toy line based on the Blaze and the Monster Machines race car episodes.  Available nationwide in August, the collection includes: a Flip & Race vehicles assortment, Monster Copter Swoops, Flip and & Race Speedway and Transforming Race Car R/C Blaze.  The complete Blaze and the Monster Machines™ product line includes die-cast, mid-scale and feature vehicles, playsets, games and puzzles plus outdoor sports and party goods.

For more information about the show, visit www.nickjr.com/blaze-and-the-monster-machines

Shimmer and Shine Whirl onto Nickelodeon's TV Lineup

Thanks to our friends at Nickelodeon, my twins were two of the first kids to be able to watch a brand new animated TV show featuring the whimsical adventures of twin genies-in-training named Shimmer and Shine.  My son and daughter were amused by the first few episodes of Nickelodeon's Shimmer and Shine and found the show to be full of magic, music and misadventures.  Like many of Nickelodeon's shows aimed at young audiences, the show incorporates a social-emotional curriculum within its stories that highlights the importance of teamwork, resilience, and overcoming obstacles.  It is a cute show that is primarily aimed at preschoolers but probably would keep the attention and entertain children as old as Kindergarten or First Grade age as well. The show takes a lot of cues from Nickelodeon's Dora shows and movies which makes a lot of sense knowing that Shimmer and Shine's creator Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz has spent the last ten years working as a post-production supervisor for Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go.

Shimmer and Shine premieres on Monday August 17, 2015 at 7:30 pm (ET/PT) across the United States on Nick and the Nick Jr. channel.  Following its U.S. launch, the series will debut on Nickelodeon's international channels beginning in the fall.  The first season of Shimmer and Shine will consist of 20 episodes featuring the twin genies making wishes for their friend Leah that lead to surprising mishaps but the trio is always able to figure out a way to make the mistakes turn out great.

In Shimmer and Shine, the twin sisters are Leah's secret genies.  Leah always has a dilemma that she needs her magical friends' assistance with, and the genies-in-training are happy to grant her a maximum of three wishes a day to help her out.  Sometimes they misinterpret what Leah wishes for and accidentally grant her wishes she didn't even mean to make.  Each wrong wish quickly compounds into a crazy adventure.  Ultimately through teamwork, the genies and Leah find a way to fix the problem and save the day!

Eleven year old Eva Bella is the voice of Shimmer.  She booked her first professional gig at 6 years old in a Disney Jr. commercial and shortly afterward landed a recurring role on NBC's Parenthood.  Since then, this charismatic young actress has appeared in a variety of regional and national television commercials.  Eva has also provided the voices in a number of prominent animated feature films including Frozen, Despicable Me 2 and Mr. Peabody & Sherman. Despite her focus on acting and performing, Eva has also kept her focus on school and is a straight A student, making her a remarkable role model for children showing you can reach for your dream while staying grounded in the ordinary routines of life.

Shine is voiced by 10 year old Isabella Crovetti-Cramp.  For a young age, she has an impressive list of TV show credits for her acting credentials having appeared on The Neighbors, Jessie, Happy Endings, In Plain Sight, Mike & Molly, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and  CSI: Miami.  Isabella will also be appearing in Colony, a brand-new series on USA Network. She has twin brothers at hime who help inspire her for this role.  It looks like Isabella is a name to remember as she continues developing a career in the entertainment industry.

"The beautiful fantasy world of Shimmer and Shine offers endless possibilities for magical adventures," said Russel Hicks, Nickelodeon's President of Content Development and Production in a press release sent to A Geek Daddy.  "First-time creator Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz is a homegrown success story who started as an intern at Nick.  She epitomizes the diverse talent and empowering spirit that comes from Nickelodeon Animation Studio."

The new series will debut with "The Sweetest Thing" on August 17th.  In the episode, Leah wishes for the genies help in making cupcakes for her school bake sale.  Through silly misunderstandings, Leah, Shimmer, and Shine find themselves stuck with a giant birthday cake, some farm animals and no wishes left.  They must work together to fix their magical mistakes without drawing the attention of Leah's curious (and hungry) neighbor Zac.

CLICK HERE to watch a full episode of Shimmer and Shine for yourself before the series debuts on TV.  Enjoy the GENIE TREEHOUSE!

New Mobile App from Nickelodeon provides Streaming Media to help Preschoolers develop their Noggin

Starting March 5, 2015 Nickelodeon will begin streaming unique content meant to help preschoolers develop their noggins through a new app called "Noggin." Available through the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, Noggin's content for preschoolers will be available by parents buying a monthly subscription to access the content via the app.  The paid service will be ad free and cost $5.99 per month.

When Noggin launches on March 5th it content will include episodes of Blue's Clues, Allegra's Window, Franklin & Friends, Gullah Gullah Island, Little Bear, Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends, Ni Hao Kai-lan, Oswald, Pocoyo, Robot and Monster, and The Upside Down Show; music videos featuring Nickelodeon characters; and the return of the retired characters Moose and Zee to host educational videos that will help children learn letters, shapes, matching and other important skills to get ready for kindergarten.  Over time new content, games, and activities will be added to the app.  The Noogin library of videos, games, and activities will be separate and distinct from the televised and online preschool content available through Nick Jr. and Nickelodeon's other distribution platforms.

Nickelodeon's Noggin will provide content specifically targeted for preschooler's educational and entertainment needs and appears aimed to appeal to the growing number of households that have cut cable television services and to active on the go parents who would like a mobile option accessible for their children when the family is out and about.  Of course, not wanting to compete with their own successful cable network brands, subscribers won't find Nick's most popular preschool focused characters like Dora, PAW Patrol and Wallykazam! on Noggin.

Do you have preschoolers at home and if so does Noggin peek your interest?  If you decide to subscribe to Noggin send us a message to share your experience with the app.  Share your thoughts with A Geek Daddy Blog via email thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com , Facebook, Twitter, or the comment section below.

WALLYKAZAM! Nickelodeon has a "Big Goblin Problem"

An actor from one of my favorite televisions shows, Parks & Recreation, is guest starring on one of my children's favorite Nickelodeon shows this week, Wallykazam!  It's going to be a goblin of an episode when Ben Schwartz, voices Wally's Uncle Steve, a master dragon rider who goes on adventures and stops trouble, in a special hour-long special airing on Friday, February 6 at Noon titled "The Big Goblin Problem" The Wallykazam! television series is great for preschoolers and kindergarteners because of the fun and interesting way it incorporates literacy curriculum into its stories.  Phonics, letter and sound identification, rhyming, and vocabulary development and comprehension are all important educational topics highlighted in these shows.  Nickelodeon very kindly gave my twins the opportunity to have a sneak peek and watch "The Big Goblin Problem" before its public debut and the kids' review on the show is that it is "GREAT!!!"

In "The Big Goblin Problem," Wally's Uncle Steve and his dragon, Victoria, visit and bring magic bubbles that double what they pop on.  Bobgoblin finds the bubbles and doubles his favorite thing...himself!  Wally and Norville must save the day before the Bobgoblins cover the town in their favorite snack - strawberries and pickle pudding.

Wallykazam! follows the adventures of a troll named Wally and his pet dragon, Norville, who live in a forest with giants, goblins, orgres, sprites, and other mythical creatures.  Wally uses his magic stick to make words come to life on screen that playfully transform the world around him.  The half hour shows regularly air weekdays at 10:00 am (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.

Our family appreciates Wallykazam! because its format ties into our children's sight word lessons at school.  Sight words are commonly used words that young children are encouraged to memorize as a whole by sight, so they can automatically recognize these words in print when first learning to read.  Sight words account for a large percentage of the words used in beginning children's reading materials which allow early readers to identify the majority of words in a text and concentrate on the meaning and comprehension versus spelling out every single word.  Because of its entertaining stories and educational benefits, Wallykazam! gets A GEEK DADDY nod of approval.

For more information about Wallykazam! visit nickjr.com/wallykazam

Make Art with the Pups from PAW Patrol

Coloring and doodling are one of my kids favorite activities so they were thrilled when Nickelodeon rolled out a new creative drawing and artwork app featuring characters from a show they adore called PAW Patrol.  Available for $3.99 on ios devices (iPad, iPhone, iTouch) the PAW Patrol Draw & Play app allows kids to use their imaginations in making some PAWsome creations that can feature their favorite rescue pups - Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, Zuma, Skye, and the newest pup to join the show Everest, plus the boy who serves as their leader, the tech-savvy Ryder.

PAW Patrol Draw & Play lets children select a background with themes from the show and they can place stickers of the characters and their rescue vehicles on the create their own creative scenes.  What is nice about these stickers is that they are animated and include sound effects to enhance your child's play with the app.  Additional special effects that can be used for creating Paw Patrol themed illustrations or just monkeying around creating your own drawings include magic wands where the lines you create have special properties (green turns into blowing leaves/ black transforms into flying bats / grey has sparkling stars / red has leaping hearts / orange has twirling fruit), bouncing balls that rebound around the frame of your picture and can be controlled by tilting your device in the direction you want the objects to fly, and surprise blocks that if you tap on them they show a special animation of one of the pups in action.

This app expands beyond just the PAW Patrol theme too...if your child wants to be creative and design their own unique master piece it provides plenty of tools for them too.  Chalk, crayon, highlighter, charcoal, pencil, spray paint, and paint brush are all options to allow children to express their imagination.  A nice touch is that you can utilize your device's camera to add your own photos into creations for extra personal touches.  Saving artwork is no problem either with the ability to either save to "My Gallery" section within the app or send the image to your device's Camera Roll where it can than be text, messaged, or e-mailed to where ever or who ever you'd like it to go.

PAW Patrol Draw & Play gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval because it allows children to explore their imagination not just through its connection to these popular rescue pups but also via the creative art tool elements of the app which are good enough that they could be a stand alone product. The list of drawing tools that range from charcoal to magic wand to spray can all work really well and are very impressive.  My kids spent a bunch of time both playing out their own PAW Patrol episode scripts with the show themed backgrounds and stickers as well as making artistic creations that had absolutely no connection to the Nickelodeon series.  What is nice about this app is it really isn't a mindless game where kids are running through a course, shooting at things, or gathering objects but rather an opportunity to stretch an important muscle, their brain, as they think out scenes to display featuring the pups (note scenes they create are two dimensional and while they have animated special effects don't contain video or dialogue story telling sequences) or design drawings, paintings and illustrations for grandma and grandpa to display on their fridge.  PAW Patrol Draw & Play is well-suited for preschool through first graders and can occupy hours of a child's time making it perfect for a rain day or a long road trip in the car.

Some of the key features to be aware of:

• Easy to use interface with 8 different brushes for drawing and painting;

• 22 Animated Stickers;

• Splatter Tops, Magic Wands, and Surprise Blocks to create amazing effects in your pictures;

• eCards to customize and send to friends and family;

• Picture ideas to help jump-start your child's imagination;

• Animated Tutorials;

• Airplay;

• Parental Controls.

PAW Patrol stars a pack of heroic rescue pups.  Together they work hard to show the people of Adventure Bay that "no job is too big, no pup is too small!"  In partnership with Spin Master Entertainment, the series features a curriculum that focuses on citizenship, social skills and problem-solving.  PAW Patrol is the number-one preschool series on Nickelodeon and airs weekdays at 12 p.m. (ET/PT).

DISCLAIMER:  I received this app complimentary from the developer to review but did not receive any financial compensation for this post.  The views and opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Heroic Husky Joins the Puppies of Nickelodeon's "PAW Patrol" in Brand New Episode of the Animated TV Series

If you children enjoy the animated Nickelodeon television series PAW PATROL as much as mine do you'll absolutely want to make sure to watch or DVR a brand new episode being broadcast on Friday, November 14th at Noon. A new member of the team is introduced in this special half hour show called "The New Pup." In this snow adventure, Ryder, the human leader of the team of puppy rescuers surprises the pups with a new vehicle -- the PAW Patroller -- a supercharged snowmobile.  The team needs it to rescue their friend Jake who is lost at the South Pole.  While the PAW Patrol puppies race to rescue him, an arctic storm picks up and Jake is instead found and assisted by a brave mountain ranger Husky named Everest.  After Everest saves the day, she is invited to become the newest member of the PAW Patrol pack.

PAW Patrol starts a pack of heroic rescue pups-Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, Zuma, Skye, and now Everest, who are led by a tech savvy boy named Ryder.  Together they work hard to show the people of Adventure Bay that "no job is too big, no pup too small!"  In partnership with Spin Master Entertainment, the series features a curriculum that focuses on citizenship, social skills, and problem-solving.  PAW Patrol is the number-one preschool series on Nickelodeon and airs weekdays at 12pm (ET/PT)

Nickelodeon's Newest Animated Series Promotes Math, Science, Technology & Engineering Through Monster Truck Adventures

Monsters are coming to Nick TV (the Nickelodeon cable channel) during Halloween Month ( aka October) with the hour long premiere on Monday October 13th of its brand new animated series for preschoolers Blaze and the Monster Machines.  These aren't the spooky kind of monsters that hide under the bed though but rather monster trucks that will help introduce the exciting world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) to its viewers.  Nickelodeon is promoting Blaze and the Monster Machines as the first preschool show on TV to comprehensively cover all areas of STEM in every episode.  Combining Monster Trucks with Math and Science...this Geek Daddy LIKES the idea!

The series follows the adventures of the monster truck Blaze and his eight-year-old driver AJ.  Together they explore the physics of how things move; tackle problems through scientific inquiry and mathematics; and discover the parts needed to make everyday technologies work.  Each episode is filled with MONSTER TRUCKS, physical humor, and upbeat original songs with lyrics that highlight a STEM concept such as adhesion, friction, force, trajectory, and magnetism.  Blaze and the Monster Machines is created by the head writer of Team Umizoomi, Jeff Borkin, and the supervising producer of Bubble Guppies, Ellen Martin.

In its hour long premiere, on Monday October 13 at 12:00pm (ET/PT), Blaze and AJ are introduced to a world of racing monster machines in the town of Axle City.  When Crusher, a troublemaker truck, uses his dirty tricks to try to win the championship race, Blaze does everything he can to help his friends and beat him to the finish line.  In the show's "Blaze of Glory" debut the STEM concepts of buoyancy and trajectory will be focused on.

Following the series premiere, Blaze and the Monster Machines will feature three weeks of new original 1/2 hour episodes as the show is broadcast in its scheduled time slot of week day afternoons at 12:30pm (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.  I'm really excited to see a television show that highlights concepts such as buoyancy, friction and magnetism in a way that catches children's attention in an educational and entertaining way!  Oh and what dad wouldn't think the monster truck angle is just plain out cool!  There really is a lot of STEM concepts behind the scenes in the construction and racing of vehicles that many people don't think about so this show is taking a fun approach to hopefully getting some serious topics stuck in kids heads that will spur their imaginations, help with school work and encourage children not to be scared of pursuing careers that involve math, engineering or science.  Unfortunately because of some societal stigmas children have a tendency to want to stay away from STEM classes and careers because they consider them "geeky" but shows like Blaze and the Monster Machines demonstrate to children at an early age that geeky can be fun, interesting and cool and not something to think of in a bad way.  A Geek Daddy blog has to give a nod of approval to that!

A Wave of the Wand in Salute to Wallykazam!

I've been fairly critical recently to Nickelodeon's efforts to revamp its Dora franchise with a tween modeled version of the show aimed at preschoolers, so I did want to give the network a positive nod for a new show that I believe they are doing right called Wallykazam!  This new series that debuted at the beginning of this year is a perfect fit for children ages 3 - 7 years old.  Wallykazam! promotes literacy with its viewers through weaving educational lessons into comedy-driven stories filled with funny characters and adventures.  One of my parenting mottoes is strive to make education entertaining so that children will embrace learning as fun challenges rather than dread it as required tasks.  Wallykazam! does a great job of getting children engaged into learning letters and phonics through participating in the show's adventures.

Wallykazam! follows the adventures of a troll named Wally and his pet dragon, Norville, who live in a mystical forest filled with giants, goblins, ogres, sprites, and other mythical creatures.  Wally has a magic wand, well actually it's a stick that he picked up off the ground but it works as well as a wand from a Harry Potter movie when it comes to hocusing and pocusing, that he uses to make words come to life in each episode's adventure.  Each show begins with Wally selecting a specific letter and than using words that begin with that selected letter to magically create things with the wave of his wand (oops I meant stick) to help him get out of a predicament.

In addition to helping children identify letters, the show takes things a step further working on sounds associated with letters, rhyming, vocabulary development and reading comprehension strategies.  Beyond just  talking about letters and words and showing items that Wally kazams into existence, the show also captions on the screen the letter and words being spotlighted to assist with reading development.  Using this phonics approach helps develop key reading skills by connecting sounds with letters or groups of letters. My 5 year old twins really get into sounding out, and yelling out, the words as they are being conjured up on the screen and it is nice to see them enthused about learning about words and vocabulary through their interactions with this show.

Season 1 of Wallykazam! premiered on Nickelodeon on February 3, 2014 and consists of 26 original episodes.  The show was created by producer/writer Adam Peltzman, who also was involved with creating the Emmy Award-winning The Backyardigans and Bubble Guppies television series.  Check your cable guide for when Wallykazam! is airing on Nickelodeon or Nick Jr or you can also download the episodes for a fee on iTunes or other digital download sites like Amazon.com.  As parents, I know it is important to limit our children's television exposure especially during the preschool years but I can vouch this is one of the good ones that if you are going to let them watch TV to tune into.

I've included a youtube video of the season's first episode below if you want to check out out the show.  In "Naptime for Borgelorp" Wally is persuaded to babysit his friend Ogre Doug's hyper and unpredictable pet Borgelorp.  Wally is given two instructions, kinda reminds me of Gremlins here, for Borgelorp's care.  First, get Borgelorp to take a nap.  Secondly, and most importantly make sure Borgelorp doesn't eat any purple flowers.  Wally tries to follow these rules but his nemesis, and the show's lead comedic element, BobGoblin the hobgoblin does his best to cause havoc.  Conjuring up magic words that start with the letter "S" are the only way to tire out the rambunctious pet and keep it away from those dreaded purple flowers.  Wally is very creative when it comes to creating magical words using somersault, sandwich, and symphony to get the job done.

In addition to the animated television series, Nickelodeon also recently introduced a FREE video game that features the characters from Wallykazam!  In this game BobGoblin drops by Wally's house and casts a spell causing all the fruit that Wally was planning on using for his lunch to hop around uncontrollably.  Game players need to help Wally gather up the runaway fruit in this platform style game by bouncing, hopping, leaping or jumping in order to save the day...and Wally's lunch.  The game uses a special letter to create magic words to help Wally get out of jams.  Each time you play the game the magic letter changes too keeping the game interesting through multiple plays.  When I played it with my son the letter was "H" and all the magic words conjured up started with the letter H, while when I played with my daughter the letter was "J" having Wally kazam things up like jumping jellybeans and jetting juice boxes.

 

There is also a FREE "Word Hunt" game where game players help Wally & Norville look for hidden words that start with the magic letter designated at the beginning of the game.  Not a bad game for preschoolers and parents to spend some time playing together.  It has some fun interactions with the characters from the television show and works on helping with connecting sounds to the letters they are associated with.

 

To play these games CLICK HERE.  You can also watch some episodes of Wallykazam! for FREE on this website and download some coloring pages and activity sheets for your kids off of it.

Nickelodeon misses the mark with new Dora reboot

I have to complement Nickelodeon for reaching out to me to discuss my recent post DORA GIVES BOOTS THE BOOT which was critical of the cable network's upcoming spinoff of Dora the Explorer. This new Dora & Friends television series will debut on Monday, August 18 @ 8pm on Nickelodeon. This new spin on the Dora character takes her away from the jungle and her animal friends to live in the fictional Latin American city of Playa Verde where she is now a tween going on urban adventures with a group of classmates.  In my previous post which was based upon Nickelodeon's marketing of the show,  I was critical of what appeared to be introducing themes to the program like fashion, make-overs, shopping and popularity that didn't seem appropriate to portray to an audience of preschoolers; but admitted that I hadn't seen the show yet to make any final judgments.  Nickelodeon graciously sent me several episodes of Dora & Friends to view in advance of the series' August 18th premiere.  After viewing the shows, I have to say that those issues mentioned in my original post aren't a concern to me now and really were not reflected in any of the episodes I viewed.  That being said, I still believe that Nickelodeon really missed the mark with this television series. In trying to cater to both a preschool audience and older elementary school kids the final product isn't really suitable for either.

When the episodes of Dora & Friends arrived my wife and I screened them first to make sure they were content appropriate for our 5 year old twins to watch and we felt they were fine. Than we let the kids watch them to get their reaction.  Our kids are at a unique age that for the last few years they have been enjoying the Dora the Explorer shows as preschoolers but are now entering kindergarten this fall and while they still enjoy Dora's adventures with Boots, Swiper and the gang I can foresee them getting a little old for those stories and characters soon.  My wife and I felt that the new Dora & Friends episodes were of decent entertainment value for our kids but really didn't provide the structured educational elements that are of value to preschoolers that Dora the Explorer presented.  Our kids aren't at the preschool age that the show is being marketed to but seem to be a better fit for the show than the audience it is target to.

Instead of educational programming, I'd categorize Dora & Friends as entertainment in the same category as the Disney Channel's popular shows Sophia the First and Doc McStuffins.  Parents can trust these shows to have content that isn't violent or crude and feel comfortable with their children spending some time in front of the television watching them.  They may include some life lessons but teaching isn't a principal element of the story telling.  Trying to match Disney's creations with a revamped Dora is a worthy goal; but by trying to maintain the preschool elements of the original Dora the Explorer and combine them with a tween focused story that is more entertainment value than substance misses the marks for both of these ambitious objectives.  In my opinion, Nickelodeon should have aimed the new Dora series for kindergarten and elementary school aged audiences as a step up from Dora the Explorer to maintain fan and parent loyalty with the brand as children aged out of the interest level for the original series.

Dora & Friends just doesn't seem to be a good fit for preschoolers but it has a number of preschool elements to detract from it being of interest to older children where it would probably be a better fit for their viewing.  Nickelodeon in trying to persuade me that Dora & Friends was a good fit for preschoolers noted that the show was "tested with preschoolers", I guess my question is was it tested with preschoolers' parents?  As I mentioned earlier, Dora & Friends is an entertaining show that I am sure preschoolers would be entertained by but it lacks the structured reinforced educational elements of Dora the Explorer that parents of preschoolers appreciate and that help preschoolers learn.

The following is a synopsis and some critiques of one of the episodes of Dora & Friends my family watched together titled "Doggie Day"

While trying to shoot a video to help her friend Alana promote the animal shelter's Doggie Adoption Day, Dora's video camera mysteriously becomes enchanted.  When she points her magic camera at one of the shelter's dogs, Cusco, he breaks out in a song about being separated from his brothers.  Dora and Pablo head out to help Cusco reunite with his family.

Once again I'll point out that this new show doesn't have the structure of the original Dora.  There is no map that the audience follows throughout the show to know exactly what is going on.  The show does incorporate a map app on Dora's smart phone but it isn't as detailed as in the Explorer series and I wonder how appropriate is it to be introducing the necessity of technology as an issue for preschoolers.  My wife and I go out of our way to balance our kids use of tech so they are also playing outdoors and reading books instead of playing on the ipad or watching tv all day.  I really don't want my 5 year olds asking for a smart phone because Dora has one...which has happened since they watched these episodes of Dora & Friends.

I appreciate Spanish language being included in this series, but it really isn't that helpful compared to the original Dora.  In Dora the Explorer she would say what a Spanish word meant in English and encourage the audience to use it in the right context along with her.  In Dora & Friends they just start talking or singing in Spanish with no explanation of what they are saying in English.  This is fine if your family speaks Spanish but if not this really leaves you in a lurch.  Since Dora is an ambassador of latino culture to many non-Spanish speaking families this really seems a detraction from that role.

While the show is lacking in the formal educational elements it also missed out on some informal teachable moments.  For example, the kids run across a city street without looking for cars before crossing.  It could have been a nice teachable moment for them to remind their audience that you always need to stop and look before crossing a street.  The show also featured a maze where the characters try to find their way out of a temple by identifying shapes as they progress and the audience helps them pick which way to go by answering questions.  This part of the show was too short not providing the repetition that is important for preschool students but another problem was that my kindergarten aged children found it too simplistic.

Now I know I've pointed out a few negatives but there were some positives to the "Doggie Day" episode as well.  It had a nice message regarding taking care of your pets and finding homes for strays and abandoned animals.  There was a funny scene where a pack of cats chased a puppy and Dora's friend around town that had my kids giggling.  The show had a very catchy song with a nice theme called "Together All For One." 

By having entertaining stories aimed at a kindergarten and elementary school aged audience with educational elements aimed at preschoolers that show just doesn't work for either age group.  My kids did seem to enjoy watching the show and told me they liked it when I asked them but when I offered to let them watch it again they responded no and asked if they could go play in the other room.  Not the most glowing of endorsements.

Dora the Explorer really was an endearing part of my children's preschool years.  We watched the shows on Nickelodeon together, took the DVDs on long vacation car rides, the kids have spent hours playing with the toy sets, and I've read numerous bed time stories from books featuring Dora, Swiper, Boots and the gang. In my opinion the original series contained numerous aspects that helped with the educational development of my children during their preschool years and entertained them while they learned. In regard to this new series, I would let my children at their current age watch Dora & Friends for its amusement or entertainment on a rainy day, when letting them watch tv as a treat, or if I need to distract them while getting some work or chores done around the house, but it wouldn't be for the educational value we felt the kids got from watching Dora the Explorer.  If my children were a few years younger and just starting their preschool years, I wouldn't have them watch Dora & Friends even though that is the targeted age group for the show.  That may be a little blunt but that is just my honest opinion.

Dora & Friends according to Nickelodeon will air 20 half-hour episodes in its first season featuring the iconic character Dora living in a city, attending school and at the center of a peer group that works together to give back to the community -- having both real life and magical adventures along the way.  Created by Chris Gifford and Valerie Walsh Valdes (Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego Go!) the series will regularly air weekdays during the preschool block on Nickelodeon.  The Dora the Explorer series, which after 14 years remains the most-watched preschool show on television, will continue to air as well. Nickelodeon has also teamed up with Fisher-Price to expand the Dora franchise with interactive dolls, playsets and accessories that will hit the market beginning in August.  Additionally, Nickelodeon has signed more than 130 new licensees across apparel, publishing, home goods, electronics, and specialty categories with products set to launch this fall and into early 2015.


Click here to visit the NickJr website for more information about Dora & Friends.  What are your thoughts on the new Dora television series and characters?  Leave a post, tweet with us at @Geeky_Dad or e-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com with your thoughts.

Dora gives Boots the Boot

Nickelodeon's popular Dora the Explorer franchise is getting a reboot this summer with the debut of a new television series titled DORA & FRIENDS: INTO THE CITY!  Coming in August, Dora & Friends has a more grown up version of the character moving from the jungle to the city.  This new tween Dora is ditching her trusted backpack for a smartphone with a map app and abandoning her monkey pal Boots for a new group of kid friends from school.  Dora and Friends will air during the Nickelodeon preschool block of programming on the cable channel's week day schedule.

Nickelodeon promises new city, new friends, new adventures in its synopsis of this new series:

Together, all for one! Get ready for big adventures with Dora and Friends: Into the City! Dora's moved to a beautiful pan-Latino metropolis by the sea called Playa Verde, entered a diverse new school, and is busies than ever.

She's also found a new group of friends - Alana, Emma, Naiya, Kate, and Pablo - with a shared passion for learning and exploring who join her on new pop/rock-infused adventures in the city.   But this is no ordinary city.  Down side streets, in the park, even under the school there are portals to magical worlds filled with surprises, obstacles and villains waiting to test our friends with curricular challenges and exciting emotional stakes!

Armed with an ancient magical charm bracelet, a trusted Mapp App, and the strength that comes from working with bright, funny and loving friends, Dora invites preschoolers to join her in saving the day, solving problems, speaking Spanish, and giving back to the community.

This show at first glance seems like a nice effort to refresh a popular brand that has become somewhat dated and tired after a 14 year run.  Now I admit not having seen the show yet and it may be that I'm just being a grumpy old troll but this new series does irk me a little bit.  Children grow up fast enough as it is, do we really need to be infusing tween elements into stories aimed at preschoolers.  This series looks like a nice step-up to keep Dora's fans tuned in through kindergarten and elementary school (7 - 11 years old) but should it really be marketed to a 3-7 year old preschool audience.  In that vein maybe the next brand revamp could have Elmo reach out to preschoolers in a Sesame Street spin-off from a Monster High School.  

Preschool now is what kindergarten was when I was a child.  Kindergarten used to be a half day adventure that included a snack, playground time and a nap while learning your numbers and letters.  Now children come out of full day session knowing reading and math skills.  It just seems to me that this new Dora show continues a societal trend that pushes kids to act older and more mature at younger and younger ages.

Dora the Explorer has been a big part of my children's preschool years.  Our house has been littered with DVDs, toys, and books featuring Dora's adventures with her friends Boots the Monkey, Tico the Squirrel, Isa the Iguana, Benny the Bull, and Swiper the Fox.  Learning basic skills with a map and a backpack reinforced the elementary nature of learning.  Now Boots, along with his animal buddies and the map and backpack, are getting the boot.  They are being replaced with fashionable children with smart phones living in the city. Along with the valuable messages this franchise provides to children (value learning, imagination, multi-culturism) it appears it will also be throwing in themes involving fashion, shopping and make-overs that you have to ask are they really appropriate for an audience of 3-7 year old children?

Dora isn't the first cartoon character aimed at young children to get a modern tween make-over.  Recently, Strawberry Shortcake did the same thing with characters who have a focus on being popular, being fashion conscious and always chatting on a cell phone....what some parents have called a "berry disturbing make-over."  While as parents we may not be able to control what media and toy companies produce, we do have the power to control what we allow our children to watch and play with.  To be fair, I will probably screen Dora & Friends for my kids to get a better appraisal of the show and my initial reaction to it, but as of right now I'm leaning toward having the TV turned off to this program for my 5 year old twins until they are a little bit older.  Sorry Dora, but it looks like you are going to join SpongeBob Squarepants on the blocked list.