Elinor Wonders Why aims to encourage children to follow their curiosity, ask questions when they don’t understand and find answers using science inquiry skills. Meet Elinor! She’s a curious and observant bunny rabbit who is always asking questions. Elinor will introduce kids ages 3-5 to science, nature and community through adventures with her friends, Olive and Ari. Whether they discover a cute insect or find a fascinating plant, Elinor always gets excited because when you look close enough, everything in Nature is SO interesting!

Kids will recognize themselves in Elinor’s boundless curiosity as she pursues the questions she wonders about – making observations and reveling in nature’s amazing answers. The stories in Elinor Wonders Why center around Elinor and her friends Ari, a funny and imaginative bat, and Olive, a perceptive and warm elephant. As kids explore Animal Town, they will meet all kinds of interesting, funny, and quirky characters, each with something to teach us about respecting others, the importance of diversity, caring for the environment, and working together to solve problems.

In each episode, Elinor models the foundational practices of science inquiry and engineering design -- including her amazing powers of observation and willingness to ask questions and investigate. When she encounters something she doesn’t understand, like why birds have feathers or how tiny ants build massive anthills, she just can’t let it go until she figures it out. And in discovering the answers, Elinor often learns something about nature’s ingenious inventions and how they can connect to ideas in our designed world, and what it takes to live in a community.

Along with the television series, Elinor Wonders Why will offer digital content for kids, parents and teachers, also debuting in September 2020. Elinor Wonders Why games will be available on pbskids.org and on the free PBS KIDS Games App. An Elinor Wonders Why app will also launch after the series’ debut. Parent resources will include tips and hands-on activities to extend the learning at home.

Watch a full preview episode of Elinor Wonders Why - the show premieres September 7 on WNED PBS KIDS so mark your calendars!

Hero Elementary is a school for budding superheroes, where kids learn to master their innate powers, like flying and teleportation, while exploring science along the way. he launching series will give children ages 4 to 7 important tools to help them solve problems by encouraging them to think and act like scientists, igniting their natural curiosity. Hero Elementary also showcases character and social-emotional concepts such as kindness, empathy, and commitment to working together to solve problems.

The stories in Hero Elementary center around a diverse group of super students, led by their quirky and enthusiastic teacher, Mr. Sparks. The team works together to help people, solve problems, and try to make the world a better place. When their imperfect powers aren’t up to the task, they look to their other powers – the superpowers of science – to help them investigate, observe, make predictions, and figure out a solution. Don't miss Hero Elementary weekdays at 8am on WNED PBS beginning June 1st.

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum

Based on the children’s book series Ordinary People Change the World by New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer and illustrator Christopher Eliopoulos, the series will introduce kids to inspiring historical figures and the character virtues that helped them succeed.

The series follows the adventures of Xavier Riddle, his sister Yadina and their friend Brad. In each episode, the three face a problem and must turn to the Secret Museum to help them solve it. The Secret Museum allows the three friends to travel back in time to meet real-life historical figures when they were kids.

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum takes a fresh and accessible approach to teaching kids ages 4-7 about important historical figures and the experiences that shaped their lives, while exploring social emotional concepts and character traits such as courage, resilience, and setting and accomplishing goals.

Weekdays at 11:30am on WNED PBS

Weekdays at 7pm and Weekends at 5:30pm on WNED PBS Kids