Dora Reunites With Boots, Backpack & Her Rainforest Friends in a Special Episode on Nickelodeon

It was a little disheartening last year to see Dora the Explorer grow up after all of the hours our family had spent watching her adventures on television as our kids grew through their preschool years.  Just as our kids grew up and moved on through life, Nickelodeon decided it was time to expand upon Dora's adventures through a spin-off television series called Dora & Friends: Into the City.  In this new series Dora gave her best friend Boots the boot and left the rain forest to embark on new adventures in the big city with a brand new group of friends.  Instead of her dependable Backpack and paper Map, Dora now uses a magical charm bracelet and a smartphone to solve puzzles and get out of jams during her adventures.  Instead of cartoonish animal sidekicks like Benny, Isa and Tico, Dora has some human counterparts from her Playa Verde school that include Kate who is fond of drama, music loving Emma, bookworm Naiya, and soccer playing Pablo.  Kids grow up and I can see how it was time for Dora to move on.

As Dora and Friends: Into the City begins its second season, Nickelodeon is incorporating into the show that Dora hasn't forgotten about her old amigos.  Our family had a chance to pre-screen the first of three special episodes that will air throughout the season which reunite Dora with Boots, Backpack and her rainforest friends from Dora the Explorer within the new show before the episode was broadcast on Nickelodeon.  In the episode "Return to the Rainforest", Boots arrives at Dora's new home for a visit.  Unfortunately, he lost Backpack and Map on the way -- so Dora and her new gang of friends head to the rainforest with Boots to search for them.  Turns out Swiper swiped them and it takes Dora's new friends working with Benny, Isa and Tico to get them back.

It was a bit nostalgic watching this episode with my twins that are now first graders who like Dora have grown up and moved past Dora the Explorer but still have cherished memories of enjoying that show during their preschool years.  Our family really enjoyed taking a half hour to go back in time and enjoy an adventure with these beloved characters and see how they've fared as Dora has moved on with her life in the big city.  If your kids grew up watching Dora the Explorer this is a fun episode that provides a nice connection bridging the two series together and to be honest provides some closure to move on from the original show.  You could almost treat this episode as a nice series finale to Dora the Explorer if you wanted to look at it that way.

The problem with Dora & Friends: Into the City is that it doesn't realize who its audience is so in trying to appeal to children from preschool through elementary school it really isn't that appealing to any of these kids. My kids will watch part of a Dora & Friends episode but lose interest because they say it is too babyish while some of the content is obviously too advanced and has too mature of of a pre-teen twist to it to be a good fit for younger preschool viewers.  I've found the last few years from monitoring my children's television viewing that there really is a real gap in quality programming for the kindergarten to third grade age group that Dora & Friends could really fill and be successful with. The brand already has a base of preschoolers and their parents who would readily transition to the show.  Yet the show seems to want to replace Dora the Explorer catering to a preschool audience  trying to hold onto that demographic for as long as they can rather than expand to cater to a new age group.  To be honest, as a parent I just haven't been that impressed with this new series and Dora & Friends isn't a show that my 6 year old twins normally request to see.  It will be interesting to see if this new series follows the lead of its main character and begins to develop into a mature product for a slightly older children's audience or it continues to flounder hanging onto the brand's former glory with the preschool crowd.

Despite my overall criticism of the new Dora series, "Return to the Rainforest" was well done in meshing the two cast of characters together.  My kids enjoyed seeing Boots, Benny, Isa and Tico again and watching them interact with a grown up version of Dora.  They also really enjoyed singing along with Kate, Emma, Naiya, and Pablo.  My daughter also thought it was awesome that one of Dora's new schoolmates was able to sew and used that skill to repair a damaged Backpack with no help from a parent.  So my kids laughed, they sang, they thanked me for sharing this episode of Dora & Friends with them.

This first special, “Return to the Rainforest,” premieres Friday, Sept. 18, at 12:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon with the remaining episodes rolling out later this year. In the later specials, Dora treks to Rainbow Rock with Boots; saves the show at an enchanted night circus; and even comes to Swiper’s rescue.  It will be interesting to see if the Dora the Explorer characters continue to be charming in the future episodes as they interact with Dora's more mature new friends or if this meshing of the two shows just becomes a bit tired making viewers weary of them. 

It does appear as if the producers at Nickelodeon are tilting the new series towards being geared now towards preschool audiences as Dora and Friends: Into the City! specials will each feature exclusive multiplatform content which includes a big focus on using the NickJr website and the launch of a brand-new Dora app specifically for preschoolers. The Dora Back to the Rainforest app will allow kids to play and learn as they travel to the rainforest to help Dora and Boots find Backpack and return him safely home. Along the way, kids will encounter story elements and characters from all three of the special episodes, earn and collect charms for Dora’s bracelet and play min-games that help Dora and her friends complete their journey. The app will be available soon on iOS and Android.

For more information, visit nickjr.com/dora-and-friends

Are Your Preschoolers Ready For Kindergarten? Don't Wait Til They Get There To Find Out!

Wow! Kindergarten sure isn't the same thing as it was when I was a kid!  The half day sessions that oriented children to going to school filled with snack time, nap time and play time mixed in with some time spent on learning letters and numbers are a thing of the past.  My 6 year old twins are in Kindergarten this year at a local public elementary school which is now a full day filled with learning about reading, doing math, and completing science projects combined with art, music, gym and Spanish classes.  If your child doesn't know their ABCs and 123s they are starting out behind the curve.  It is a good thing the day care and preschool programs our kids were enrolled in alerted us about how Kindergarten has changed and assisted our children in becoming prepared or we probably would have been caught off guard; but fortunately when the time came our family was all set to go.  Are your preschoolers ready for Kindergarten? Don't wait til they get there to find out!

Nickelodeon has an online quiz you can take to see where your child ranks in being ready for Kindergarten and provides a customized learning plan, educational games, interactive video and printable activities to help get preschoolers ready for school.  The learning plan provided to parents will help ensure their preschoolers have the appropriate development skills necessary to be successful in school and its interactive and skill building activities will help kids meet necessary milestones.

CLICK HERE to TAKE THE QUIZ

The preparedness quiz is part of the 2015 Nick Jr. Beyond the Backpack campaign which is geared to help parents and caregivers prepare preschoolers for academic success.  The campaign's spokesperson is Tia Mowry-Hardrict, from the television show Instant Mom, who alongside popular Nickelodeon characters Dora, Wally and Blaze will be appearing in a PSA series airing across Nickelodeon's TV and digital platforms.  Beyond the preparedness quiz and PSAs, Beyond the Backpack features an advisory committee comprised of leaders in children's education who are lending their expertise to the program, a dedicated website, bilingual (English/Spanish) educational materials, and a parent-targeted mobile program providing weekly tips and information.  Nick Jr's Beyond the Backpack focuses on five key areas deemed critical to educational achievement: family engagement, health and wellness, early literacy, social and emotional development and fundamental STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills.  If you would like to opt-in to receive a weekly text message with tips to make learning more fun for your preschooler, text BACKPACK to 91757.

Originally founded in 2010 as part of the 10th anniversary of the curriculum-driven Dora the Explorer, the 2015 Beyond the Backpack campaign has expanded to include a broad range of educational and socio-emotional topics using a variety of the Nickelodeon's programs and characters, including Wallykazam! (literacy), Team Umizommi (math), Bubble Guppies (socio-emotional development), Peter Rabbit (problem-solving), PAW Patrol (social skills), and Blaze and the Monster Machines (STEM).

Are your preschoolers ready for Kindergarten?!  That time in life arrives much sooner than many of us parents realize it so don't get caught unprepared.  For more information, visit www.beyondthebackpack.com

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. 

A Fun & Free Birthday Surprise for Families with Preschoolers in their Home

Here's a birthday treat that is sure to thrill any preschool/kindergarten aged child...a surprise phone call from their favorite character from the NickJr line-up of animated television shows.  The Nickelodeon cable network is making phone calls from their most popular characters like Dora the Explorer, the Paw Patrol puppies, Wallykazam, and Peter Rabbit, among others, available for children 1 - 13 years old to help them celebrate their birthdays.  You can select your child's favorite character to provide a personalized birthday greeting that I am sure would make their day...and best of all it is FREE!

Just agree to receive the NickJr birthday club emails and you can schedule up to 5 personalized birthday phone calls per year.  By signing up for the NickJr birthday club you'll receive an email with party planning tips and free birthday printables prior to your children's special days plus occasional promotional emails about programming, events, and special offers involving the Nickelodeon cable network.

You can sign up to receive the calls via the NickJr. Birthday Club website and have them directed to a mobile phone or a landline.  If you select a mobile phone, a text message will be sent the morning of the scheduled call.  Just click the link in the text message when you are ready to receive the call and it will be initiated.  If you sign up to receive the birthday greeting by landline, than you must select a specific time when you register online to receive your call.  Either way you go be prepared to put your child on the phone because you only have 10 seconds to put your child on the phone before the message starts.

For more information, visit www.NickJrBirthdayClub.com

Look - Baby Jaguars!

My son and daughter love to race around the house pretending they are Dora & Diego, from the popular Nick Jr. television cartoons, playing along with a stuffed animal in their adventures they imagine to be one of the show’s sidekicks called Baby Jaguar.  In fact, I believe they talk more about Baby Jaguar when they are playing than Diego, Dora, or any other aspect of the show…well maybe accept Swiper the swiping fox as I often hear them saying “Swiper no Swiping” as they go about exploring the wild jungle of our living room.  So they were really excited to have the chance to see two real life baby jaguars!

They don’t have any jaguars on display at our local zoo, but in November two cubs were born at the Milwaukee County Zoo and we've been able to catch glimpses of them by a live webcam feed that has been posted.  My kids were so excited to see the jaguar cubs that have unofficially been named Gaps & Dots  due to the markings on their heads by the zoo staff caring for them, that my monitor is covered with finger print smudges from them pointing the cubs out to me.  Here’s a link if you’d like to check out Dots and Gaps for yourself:  

http://www.milwaukeezoo.org/explore/webcams/jaguarcubs.php

These two jaguar cubs are also very important to the species because their father was captured in the wild and brought to the zoo because he was deemed a nuisance for attacking cattle and so these births introduce a new gene pool to the captive population that will help promote healthy breeding in future generations.  Jaguars are the third largest “big cat” behind  the lion and tiger and is the largest feline native to North & South America.  Wild jaguars can be found in the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and South America.  Unfortunately, they are a threatened species with declining numbers.  For more information on wild jaguars and how you can help in the effort to protect them, visit the conservation group PANTHERA:  http://www.panthera.org/species/jaguar

The Milwaukee County Zoo has also posted a  nice video with more information about Gaps and Dots that  is interesting to watch: