SID THE SCIENCE KID(TM) Celebrates Earth Day with Four All New Episodes Premiering the Week of April 18 on PBS KIDS®

SID THE SCIENCE KID(TM) Celebrates Earth Day with Four All New Episodes Premiering the Week of April 18 on PBS KIDS®

Website Launches All New Home Page and includes Weekly Blogs for Parents and Teachers

Critically Acclaimed Emmy® Nominated Science-Based Series Promotes Exploration, Investigation, Discovery and Science Readiness Among Preschoolers

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Feb. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- SID THE SCIENCE KID(TM), the engaging and entertaining animated preschool series that encourages kids to explore and experience science celebrates Earth Day with four new episodes the week of April 18-22, on PBS KIDS (check local listings). Following four Emmy nominations and multiple prestigious awards (most recently the CINE Golden Eagle Award), the curriculum-based series from The Jim Henson Company and KCET/Los Angeles is releasing all-new adventures and investigations with supporting resources and tools for educators, parents and caregivers.

The new episodes each explore a different science theme related to the environment. Sid, the show's energetic and inquisitive preschool star, begins each episode with a new question and spends a fun-filled day finding answers with help from his friends and family. Sid and his pals leave the classroom for a field trip to their local science center to investigate and explore in "Where Did The Water Go?" and "Save The Stump."

"Where Did The Water Go?" ("What happens to water that goes
-- down the drain?")
Premieres Monday, April 18
While brushing his teeth, Sid wonders what happens to all the
dirty water when it goes down the drain. At The Science
Center, Sid and his friends explore how water travels in and
out of our homes through pipes. And here's something Sid and
his friends never realized: there's lots of water in the
world, but you can't drink it all! We can only use fresh
water, and there aren't a lot of fresh water sources in the
world. That's why it's important not to waste water!

-- "Clean Air!" ("Why does Sid's Dad wear a mask when he paints?")
Premieres Tuesday, April 19 and repeats on Earth Day, Friday,
April 22
Sid the roving reporter is investigating something strange in
his backyard--his Dad is wearing a mask while painting. Sid
discovers that his Dad is protecting his face so he doesn't
breathe in the dirty fumes. At school, Sid and his friends
discover that people and animals on Earth need to breathe
clean air, and when we pollute the air around us, it affects
the air that everyone breathes. The kids also discover that
trees have a really important role in keeping our air clean!

-- "Reused Robot" ("Where does trash go when we throw it away?")
Premieres Wednesday, April 20
Sid's toy robot is broken, so he wants to throw it "away."
Sid's Mom tells him there is no such thing as "away," and when
we put something in the trash, we are actually creating waste.
Sid and his friends explore the idea that everything we throw
away goes somewhere. This leads to an investigation of how to
recycle and reuse items so that we make less trash.

"Save The Stump" ("Can an old stump be a home for tiny
-- creatures?")
Premieres Thursday, April 21
Sid is super excited because his Dad is clearing out space in
the yard for a basketball court! While Sid and Dad are
surveying the land, Sid notices a big stump teeming with
little creatures! During a special field trip to The Science
Center, Sid and his friends discover that there are animal
habitats all around us, even in old stumps, and if one habitat
is destroyed, all of the other habitats and animals are
affected.

Each episode of Sid the Science Kid focuses on a single scientific concept that is presented using Preschool Pathways to Science (PrePS©), a practical science readiness curriculum used in preschool classrooms that was created by cognitive researchers and preschool educators, incorporating lessons learned from developmental research as well as classroom experience.

The award-winning SID THE SCIENCE KID Website (at PBSKIDS.org/sid) inspires kids to think like a scientist, with a kid-friendly video player, songs, games, activities, and materials. The site features an all new home page that changes weekly to highlight each week's curricular themes. Accompanying lesson plans and at-home investigations can be found online at PBSTEACHERS.org and PBSPARENTS.org. Parents and teachers can also learn more about teaching science to preschoolers as well as replicate activities from the show by visiting the parent and teacher blogs at http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid/blogs.html

SID THE SCIENCE KID is part of a long line of successful preschool programming from The Jim Henson Company that includes the new smash hit DINOSAUR TRAIN as well as FRAGGLE ROCK and BEAR IN THE BIG BLUE HOUSE. SID THE SCIENCE KID is produced using the revolutionary Emmy® Award-winning Henson Digital Puppetry Studio, a proprietary technology that allows performers to puppeteer and voice digital characters in real-time, creating an unprecedented level of spontaneity, quality and interactivity.

SID THE SCIENCE KID is a co-production of The Jim Henson Company and KCET/Los Angeles for PBS KIDS. Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford of The Jim Henson Company, along with Bradley Zweig, serve as executive producers. Joyce Campbell is executive producer for KCET. Mary Mazur is executive in charge of production for KCET. The Jim Henson Company is handling all ancillary use of the property including licensing, video and merchandising.

About The Jim Henson Company:

For more information:

www.henson.com.

About PBS KIDS

To learn more, visit PBSKIDS.org or PBS.org/pressroom.

SOURCE The Jim Henson Company

The Jim Henson Company

CONTACT: Ann Schwarz, +1-323-802-1667, aschwarz@henson.com, or Nicole Goldman, +1-323-802-1608, ngoldman@henson.com, both of The Jim Henson Company; or Maria Vera of PBS, +1-703-739-3225, mvera@pbs.org

Web Site: http://www.PBSKIDS.org/sid

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