PBS KIDS Offers Play-Along Video for Preschoolers

PBS KIDS launched Play-Along Videos, a series of online videos for preschoolers that combine video shorts with interactive game play.  Now available on the PBS KIDS Video Player, the Play-Along Videos feature Dinosaur Train and Super WHY!. In each Play-Along Video, kids interact with characters to help them complete tasks, such as matching items of the correct size or finding the right words to complete a sentence. Additional Play-Along Video will be available from The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That! in early 2012.

“We are always looking for ways to make media more engaging by exploring new technology that fosters fun and learning,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children’s Media, PBS. “Initial research of our Play-Along Videos has been promising, and we are excited about the learning potential for this technology that effectively integrates the power of video and interactive gaming.”

Play-Along Videos are designed to offer educational content supporting childhood development, including social emotional development, artistic expression, language development, and reading skills. The Super WHY! Play-Along Video helps children build key literacy skills, including vocabulary and spelling.  In the Dinosaur Train Play-Along Video, children build their science skills, exploring concepts such as investigation and dinosaur anatomy, while on a fossil excavation.