Friday, May 30, 2014

EXPLORE THE GREAT OUTDOORS WITH YOUR FAVORITE DINOSAUR TRAIN FRIENDS IN PBS KIDS’ “ADVENTURE CAMP” DVD (Review)

Disclosure:  I was sent a screener copy from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.



Courtesy: PBS/PBS Kids

Features the New Interactive Game “River Run!”

"PBS Distribution announced the other day that it will be releasing four stories from PBS KIDS’ popular DINOSAUR TRAIN series produced by The Jim Henson Company, on the new DVD “ADVENTURE CAMP.” Kids will follow Buddy, Shiny, Tiny and Don in four exciting stories as they travel to different ecosystems and learn about erosion, tree lines, rain forests, and canyons.  These are the same stories that premiered in January in the hit one-hour “DINOSAUR TRAIN: Nature Trackers Adventure Camp” special on PBS KIDS, which reached three million total viewers during the week it aired.*

Mr. Conductor and his nephew Gilbert lead Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, Don and friends on an action-packed journey. Throughout their adventures at camp, the group finds courage as they race down rivers, have a snowball fight, climb a tall mountain, ride a zipline over the rainforest and hike down a canyon to dig for fossils! Viewers won’t be able to resist tapping their feet and singing along as the whole gang makes discoveries about the world around them.

DINOSAUR TRAIN embraces and celebrates the fascination that preschoolers have with both dinosaurs and trains, while encouraging basic scientific thinking skills. Buddy and his adoptive family of Pteranodons go on whimsical adventures through prehistoric jungles, swamps, volcanoes, and oceans as they unearth basic concepts in natural science, natural history, and paleontology. The Dinosaur Train is a colorful locomotive, customized to accommodate all kinds of dinosaurs and has the ability to visit the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous worlds. The Train’s Conductor, a knowledgeable Troodon, provides passengers with fascinating facts along the way. DINOSAUR TRAIN airs weekdays on PBS KIDS (check local listings).

Episodes that make up this upcoming Dinosaur Train DVD include...

“Adventure Camp: Rafting” -- Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don go river rafting for the first time. Their old pal Jess Hesperornis meets up with them, and they all learn about erosion and the importance of rivers before finishing up their adventure by cruising through some rapids!

Educational Objective: Rivers and streams are ribbons of water that start at a high point and flow downhill – often with streams gathering into rivers. Animals and plants living on land depend on rivers and streams to provide fresh water and nutrients.

“Adventure Camp: Mountain Climbing” -- For their second outing, Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, Don and other friends learn about the tree line as they set out to hike up a mountain. Shiny is determined to get to the top of mountain forest. Buddy wonders if they’ll be able to see anything from the mountaintop, through the tall trees. The kids are amazed that the higher they hike, the shorter the trees and bushes become! Then they reach the tree line – a certain point on the mountain where trees are really small because they don’t have enough air to breathe and the temperature is too cold. In the end, Shiny and all the kids use teamwork to all reach the mountaintop together!

Educational Objective: The timberline, or tree line, is a certain elevation on a mountain where the temperatures are colder, the air is thin and the soil is less moist, making it hard for most plants and trees to grow. Trees may grow as small shrubs. There is less oxygen, so it’s harder for animals to breathe at the tree line and above.

“Adventure Camp: Ziplining” -- The campers are back for another adventure – and this time they’ll be travelling to a rain forest! Once they arrive in the dense rainforest, the campers explore different levels of the ecosystem, including the forest floor and the canopy of leaves at the top of the forest. After a hike through the rainforest, the campers’ adventure culminates as each kid takes a ride on a zipline, where they all get a bird’s eye view of the entire rainforest!

Educational Objective: Rain forests are very dense, warm, wet, forests that are home to a vast array of different life forms. Rain forests get a lot of rain, at least 70 inches per year. Rain forests, often called the “lungs of the Earth,” generate much of the oxygen we breathe.

“Adventure Camp: Canyon Hiking” -- The campers are led by Mr. Conductor and Gilbert on a hike down a canyon, where they can see the different layers of the Mesozoic Era! At first, Lily Lambeosaurus is reluctant to go, thinking that a new adventure sounds hard, but Don convinces her that a new adventure can be worth the effort. At the bottom of the canyon, the kids dig for fossils. Each camper goes home with a “new” Ammonite fossil, and Lily is so glad she tried something new!

Educational Objective: Canyons are deep cuts in the earth’s surface. They are formed by erosion. Erosion is mainly caused by the flow of rivers. It takes millions of years for canyons to become the grandiose natural landmarks they are today. The bottom rocks in canyons can date back billions of years, beyond the Mesozoic. Canyons can also be formed by a shift of the earth’s tectonic plates.

“ADVENTURE CAMP” will be available on June 10, 2014. The DVD has a run time of approximately 50 minutes and an SRP of $7.99. In addition to featuring the above four fun-filled learning adventures, this DVD also includes special features – coloring pages, activities, information for parents, and the new interactive game “River Run!” In this racing game, Buddy and Don paddle through the river collecting insects for Don’s ever-growing collection. Players will learn about river currents and insects as they race to the finish line."

*Source: Nielsen NPower. 12/30/2013 - 1/26/2014. Live+7 AA ratings for PBS and select competitive cable networks. To qualify for the ranker, on-going series must have a minimum 4 telecasts/ month, and a 15 min duration.
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My Thoughts:

This DVD sure did come in handy today as the girls have been sick with a head cold they picked up over the weekend at the science center.  They had spent the day on the couch, and were growing restless after having me read a selection of books to them or playing with the iPads.  Shortly after lunch, the mail came and they saw this and the two other DVDs which will be releasing from PBS Distribution.  Savannah was first to ask to watch the DVD, which Bella seconding the request.

Like other releases to DVD, the episodes included on these DVDs have already aired on television some time ago.  But, that doesn't stop my girls, and fans of the show from enjoying them all over again.  If you didn't know the kids had already seen the episodes, you would think it was the first time based upon their excitement as they watched each one.

We have been watching this show for a couple of years now, and the girls have developed a love for life science and natural history thanks to the Pteranodon family and Dr. Scott.  I love hearing them try to pronounce the different dinosaurs being featured in a given episode, or share their dinosaur knowledge when we visit a local museum where dinosaurs are on exhibit.

With summer fast approaching and long car rides planned, this and other recent PBS Kids shows released to DVD from PBS Distribution will surely come in handy to keep kids entertained, while also teaching them new things.  So, why not make a point to check out this upcoming Dinosaur Train DVD release as well as other hit shows airing on PBS Kids, which are available to own on DVD, to share this summer with your kids? :-)

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About PBS KIDS

PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online, mobile and community-based programs.  Kidscreen- and Webby-award winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including the PBS KIDS video player, now offering free streaming video accessible on computer-and mobile-device-based browsers.  For more information on specific PBS KIDS content supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit pbs.org/, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.

About the Jim Henson Company

The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over 50 years and is recognized worldwide as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation. Best known as creators of the world famous Muppets, Henson has received over 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy Awards. Recent credits include the Emmy® nominated Sid the Science Kid, Dinosaur Train, and Pajanimals as well as the new series Doozers, a CG animated preschool series. Features include The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, MirrorMask, and the upcoming Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day and television productions include Fraggle Rock the sci-fi cult series Farscape, and the new reality competition Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge.

With additional locations in New York and London, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered in Los Angeles on the historic Charlie Chaplin lot, complete with soundstage and postproduction facilities, the Company is also home to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent character-building and visual effects group with international film, television, theme park and advertising clients, as well as Henson Recording Studios, one of the music industry’s top recording facilities known for its world-class blend of state-of-the-art and vintage equipment. The Company’s Henson Alternative brand is currently touring “Puppet-Up! - Uncensored,” a live puppet improvisational show. 

About PBS Distribution

PBS Distribution is the leading media distributor for the public television community, both domestically and internationally, extending the reach of these programs beyond broadcast while generating revenue for the public television system and our production partners.

PBS Distribution offers a diverse range of programming to our customers, including Ken Burns’s films, documentaries from award-winning series such as NOVA, FRONTLINE, AMERICAN MASTERS, NATURE, and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, dramas from MASTERPIECE, as well as films from independent producers and popular children’s programming. As a multi-channel distributor, PBS Distribution pursues wholesale/retail sales, consumer and educational sales through PBS-branded catalogs and online shops, and international broadcast and video sales. PBS Distribution is also a leader in offering programming through digital platforms including Internet and mobile devices.

DINOSAUR TRAIN: ADVENTURE CAMP
Street Date: June 10, 2014
Genre: Children’s
Run Time: Approximately 50 Minutes
SRP: $7.99
Format: DVD

Disclosure:  I was sent a screener copy from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  All views shared are mine and mine alone.

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