We’re big fans of products that fan the flames of our girls’ love for science, and really make it cool for a girl to use her brain. PBS has always been a great channel for shows that make education cool, and I predict they’re gonna have another huge success with a new science show specifically for girls.
SciGirls features tween girls ages 8-12 using science in real world situations. They’re getting out of the lab and showing how science can be used to do things like solve a crime, turn a bicycle into an ice cream maker, or help restore their local environment. In each episode, a few girls are paired with an expert who teaches them about that particular area of science, but the girls are often allowed to figure out the problems and do the work themselves—girl power!
These girls are cool—they’re the kind of kids my six-year-old daughter would want to be when she grows up, which makes it all the more appealing to young girls.
The show integrates animation, the Internet, and the footage of the girls exploring the world through science. It’s like a tween version of PBS’s Fetch with Ruff Ruffman + MythBusters. It’s engaging and cool, and I can guarantee all my kids—boys and girls—will want to be watching it. of course it will take a certain kind of boy to feel comfortable watching something with “Girls” in the title, but since girls have watched plenty of “boy” shows for years, I hope more boys will come around. Or they’re missing something awesome.
If watching the show piques your kids’ interest, then head to the SciGirls website where they can learn tons more in an interactive way: play games, meet other science-minded girls, and watch episodes of the shows. All without the help of princesses.
I personally love their huge section of science project ideas, which will help us with all those science fairs coming down the line at school. And maybe keep the learning going, even during the holiday break.
Enter your zip code at PBS Parents to find out when SciGirls airs in your local area, or watch online at PBS’s SciGirls website.
