If you have a child under the age of 6 who watches TV, chances are you’ve heard of the PBS KIDS show, Dinosaur Train.
The show, which combines two things many preschoolers love – dinosaurs and trains – encourages basic scientific thinking skills. Kids learn about life science, natural history and paleontology through the adventures of a set of preschool-age dinosaurs.
Each of the half-hour episodes features two 11-minute animated stories, along with brief live action segments hosted by renowned paleontologist Dr. Scott Sampson (yes, a real-live dinosaur discoverer!).
Dr. Scott first caught my attention shortly after I started this blog two years ago. While watching an episode of Dinosaur Train with The Big Explorer, I heard him say his catchy tagline, “Remember, get outside, get into nature, and make your own discoveries!”
So imagine my excitement when Dr. Scott started following me on Twitter last December. Thinking it was a long shot, I asked him if he’d be willing to talk to me about his involvement not only with Dinosaur Train, but with the children and nature movement as well.
To my amazement, he agreed.
Before I share the details of our wonderful chat on kids and nature (more on that tomorrow), I thought I’d let him tell you a little bit about his involvement with the show.
How did you come to be involved with Dinosaur Train?
I got a call from a woman at The Jim Henson Company (which produces the show) who wanted to know if I’d be interested in a show about a dinosaur train. I was worried initially because paleontologists have long being trying to convince people that dinosaurs and people didn’t co-exist. Then she told me the train would only have dinosaurs on board and I thought it was a great idea – like mixing chocolate and peanut butter, two things kids love.
I came on initially as a science advisor, then eventually to serve as a host. I consult on every script and I’ve had a great time ever since.
How do you think watching a television show – which is clearly an indoor activity – can help get kids outside?
There is always a risk when you create a program that has the potential to addict kids to screens. As part of the initial planning process, I told the producers that I wanted to have some kind of line to remind kids to turn off the TV and get outside.
Thanks to my wife, we ultimately came up with the tagline, “Remember, get outside, get into nature, and make your own discoveries!”
But I didn’t know if it would work. Can you encourage kids to get up and get outside on TV?
I’ve heard back from so many parents telling me that kids are doing it – digging in the backyard for fossils and identifying birds in their backyard. Which means there is the potential for TV to inspire kids to get out and into nature.
Making the Backyard Nature Connection
Dr. Scott says that by the time the second season of Dinosaur Train rolled around, the idea of connecting kids to nature took on a central theme. The main characters started their own nature club and spend much of their time building nature collections and making their own observations about their surroundings.
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| Logo courtesy of PBS KIDS |
Fans of the show can even join the Dinosaur Train Nature Trackers Club. It’s a virtual nature club that encourages kids to get outside exploring in their own backyard. There are monthly challenges, ideas for daily nature activities, even free printables. Go check it out!
Stay tuned for Part II of my interview with Dr. Scott tomorrow!
Scott D. Sampson is a professional dinosaur paleontologist and science communicator. He was the science advisor and on-air host of the Discovery Channel series “Dinosaur Planet,” and is presently serving the same pair of roles for the hit PBS KIDS series “Dinosaur Train,” produced by the Jim Henson Company. He recently completed a general audience book—”Dinosaur Odyssey: Fossil Threads in the Web of Life,” and he is presently working on another book about connecting kids with nature. He writes a blog, “The Whirlpool of Life,” and regularly speaks to audiences of all ages on topics ranging from evolution to education.
Note: I was not asked by PBS, The Jim Henson Company or Dr. Scott Sampson to write this post and I am not receiving any compensation for doing so. You can read my full disclosure policy for more information.
