Explore the Outdoors with Nature Cat

PBS KIDS’ ALL-NEW ONE-HOUR NATURE CAT SPECIAL TO PREMIERE ON WVPB

Grounded in a Natural Science Curriculum, NATURE CAT, PBS KIDS’ Newest Series Debuts Monday, January 18,  at 8 am and again at 3:30 pm.

Join us for a sneak peek of the new show at a WVPB Family Fun Morning on Saturday, January 9 from 10 am to 12:30 pm at the West Virginia Wesleyan Performing Arts Center in Buckhannon, WV.  The event is free and there will be lots of family nature themed activities.

The special will will be available free on both pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video App. New related games, clips and full episodes will also be available on PBS KIDS’ digital platforms throughout the month.

Grounded in a natural science curriculum, NATURE CAT is designed to encourage children ages 3-8 to go outside and explore the outdoors, while learning about a variety of scientific topics along the way. The NATURE CAT special will include four 11-minute stories with Nature Cat (voiced by Saturday Night Live’s Taran Killam), along with his pals Squeeks the mouse (Kate McKinnon), Hal the dog (Bobby Moynihan) and Daisy, a pet rabbit (Kate Micucci, The Big Bang Theory), as they embark on action-packed adventures, perilous missions, nature investigations and “a-ha” discovery moments. In each story, the characters model age-appropriate reasoning skills and explore natural science concepts, such as the role seeds play in plants’ life cycles and the types of wildlife found in various environments.

New digital content from NATURE CAT will include “Racing Rapids,” an online game in which kids will use systems thinking skills to build a boat racer, then go on a water-based adventure with Nature Cat and his friends. The one- to two-player game lets kids race their favorite NATURE CAT character and earn boat parts to unlock new races. From a stream to a river, players will learn how to create the best boat for each level’s environment. As they play the game, watch water-related clips and complete a “Build a Sailboat” DIY activity, kids will also have the opportunity to earn a new badge called “Ahoy Matey!” on pbskids.org/naturecat.

NATURE CAT is co-created by brothers David Rudman (SESAME STREET, The Muppets) and Adam Rudman (Tom & Jerry, SESAME STREET, CYBERCHASE). The series is a co-production of Spiffy Pictures and WTTW Chicago. Major funding for the series is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Van Eekeren Family, founders of Land O’Frost.