Spring has sprung, and the balmy season brings colorful new cartoons across the airwaves on PBS KIDS. New specials and thematic episodes of favorite series celebrate the natural world with an “Explore the Outdoors” lineup from April 18 to May 13, marking Earth Day, Arbor Day and the turning of the season.
The outdoor adventures begin April 18 with Elinor Wonders Why: A Wonderful Journey, a one-hour movie that kicks off a week of new episodes from the series. The fun continues on April 29 with Cyberchase: Buzz and the Tree, a half-hour Arbor Day special, followed by a trio of all-new episodes premiering April 29 in a special Cyberchase Family Night Weekend block on the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel.
Viewers can also join Nature Cat, Hal, Squeeks and Daisy on a week of brand-new Nature Cat escapades, which will take the team from the woods to the river, starting May 9. Outdoor explorations are in store for kids and families in the big city, too! Viewers can tag along with Alma as she explores her city, heading everywhere from the playground to checkers camp, with a week of new episodes of Alma’s Way, debuting May 2.
PBS KIDS “Explore the Outdoors” line-up
Elinor Wonders Why: A Wonderful Journey
One-hour special. Premieres April 18; re-airs on Earth Day, April 22.
Elinor, Ari and Olive are back with a new, one-hour movie! The journey begins when Elinor and her friends have a curious and fun adventure when they go camping with Ranger Rabbit to Hidden Lake. While on a hike to help their new friend Bianca observe the lake’s frog population, the kids discover all the frogs are missing! Why? It’s up to Elinor, Bianca and the rest of the gang to solve the mystery of the missing frogs.
In addition to the special, three new half-hour episodes of Elinor Wonders Why will explore how different animals rest to regain energy, dance with cranes to communicate and express their feelings, build bird feeders to make food easier to find for their feathery friends — and more!
- “The Little Drummer/Rest Is Best” – Premieres April 19
- “Elinor’s Fishy Friend/Do the Crane Dance” – Premieres April 20
- “Feed the Birds/Señor Tapir Says Adios” – Premieres April 21
Cyberchase: Buzz and the Tree
Arbor Day special. Premieres April 29.
It’s Arbor Day in Cyberspace! It’s a special day to plant a tree for a best friend, but Buzz has other plans. Concerned that Buzz is absorbed by his video game, The Terrific Tree, Delete calls on the CyberSquad to help get his best buddy back. Families will join the crew as they head out to the forest and use Buzz’s knowledge of trees learned from his video game to help Delete pick the perfect tree to plant in Buzz’s honor!
In even more science-themed fun, families will learn about environmental topics like migration, water pollution, and invasive species in three additional episodes, premiering back-to-back in a special Cyberchase Family Night Weekend block on the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel, April 29 starting at 7 p.m. ET:
- “Hacker’s Bright Idea”
- “The Lilting Loons”
- “Living In Disharmony”
Alma’s Way
New episodes will follow Alma and her friends on their outdoor adventures in the city:
- “Granny on the Go/Chacho’s Day Out” – Premieres May 2
- “Checkers Champ/World’s Greatest” – Premieres May 3
- “Steggie Rescue/Alma Hits the Right Note” – Premieres May 4
- “Do the Waltzango/Big Brother Bootcamp” – Premieres May 5
Nature Cat
New episodes premiere the week of May 9
Tally ho! Nature Cat, Hal, Squeeks and Daisy will embark on a week of exciting outdoor adventures, helping all sorts of friends along the way! The gang will discover the sounds of the woods to find the soundtrack for a Nature Dance Party, track a scent on the wind to find a spot that holds a special memory, look for answers as to why leaves fall, and embark on a wild river ride filled with rapids, floods and dams.
