There’s no shortage of preschool shows that talk about nature and the environment. Toons like Nature Cat, Dora the Explorer, Bubble Guppies, and Ready Jet Go! cover everything from animal habitats, to sand dunes and the weather. But one of the most taboo topics for kids shows these days relates to the C words—climate change. The topic isn’t openly spoken about in any science-focused shows for young kids. But there’s more to the story.
Save for lone references in shows like Doc McStuffins and Dora the Explorer, kids series may not purposely talk about climate change—but they are still familiarizing kids with the concept.
“I think that these are complex issues, so they have to be handled in a simple way,” says Cathy Galeota, Nickelodeon SVP of preschool production.
Hear from Cathy, Frances Nankin, a curriculum adviser for PBS KIDS series Nature Cat and Linda Simensky, VP of children’s programming at PBS on how these issues are being explained to young children through popular television shows.
Image courtesy of Kidscreen.
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