PBS Kids
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The parents' guide to what's in this website.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that PBS KIDS is an educational, jam-packed-with-fun site full of games, videos, and quests featuring kids' favorite PBS television show characters. Kids who are learning basic skills and already know many of the characters featured here from popular PBS shows such as Sesame Street and Curious George will enjoy playing games with their television friends. However, familiarity with the characters is not necessary to fully enjoy the site's games and activities. Though PBS KIDS is a simple, safe first online experience for preschoolers, we don't recommend they surf around on the Internet, so make sure they stay on this site by sitting right next to them and helping them learn safe and fun online skills. Some sponsorship ads appear here (such as logos of foundations or corporations that provide funding) , but they're relatively unobtrusive. You also can monitor your kids' activities and receive updates with the site's corresponding mobile app for parents, PBS Kids Super Vision. Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
Good shows but...
Beware
One star is too nice.
Now, it's just like any other kids network, a... Continue reading
What's it about?
PBS KIDS, designed for kids 4 and up, is the home base for all of PBS Kids’ offerings. The site features games, videos, and other activities that center on popular PBS live-action and animated show characters such as Noah and Thomas. Rotate the show wheel to choose your favorite character, and you'll be taken directly to their page; you also can browse the site by video or game.
Is it any good?
This educational site for preschoolers shows what PBS does best: provide basic lessons involving favorite PBS TV characters in an easy-to-use format with voice-over instructions. Organized by show, including Caillou and Arthur, there's much to do here, including watching videos, playing games, and printing out activities to do offline. With your help, your kids can play games based on a favorite character, or you can choose certain skills for them to work on, such as letters, numbers, shapes, Spanish, and more. That said, there's so much here that it can be easy for kids to get lost or feel overwhelmed. Kids may need some help and guidance to navigate through what PBS KIDS offers.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about all the skills preschoolers learn every day - and which ones are available on PBS KIDS. Even figuring out how to operate the computer mouse is a milestone. Whether it's by watching Sesame Street on television, playing a game online, coloring at preschool, or playing their own make-believe games at home, there are so many ways for young children to grow.
Even the youngest computer users can get used to the idea of computer time limits. Explain to your child why you're setting limits for them and why you want to sit with them while they're first learning how to navigate even a very safe website such as this one.
Take the learning offline and talk to your kids about their favorite shows and games.
Website details
- Subjects: Language & Reading: following directions, letter or word recognition, reading, vocabulary
Math: counting, grouping, numbers, patterns, sequences, shapes
Science: animals, measurement, plants
Arts: music - Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: logic, solving puzzles
Self-Direction: academic development, personal growth
Emotional Development: empathy, identifying emotions, labeling feelings
Responsibility & Ethics: respect for others - Genre: Educational
- Topics: STEM, Dinosaurs, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models, Numbers and Letters, Science and Nature
- Award: Common Sense Media Award
- Price: Free
- Pricing structure: Free
- Last updated: May 31, 2020
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.