Sid the Science Kid, a science show for preschoolers on PBS Kids, will return with 12 fresh new episodes starting Monday, October 4. We’re really excited about this at our house because we watch Sid the Science Kid while getting ready for school each morning. It’s fun to see which science concept Sid, his classmates, and his teacher will be exploring that day. The songs are also quite catchy, too!

The fall season features episodes where Sid and his pals leave the classroom for field trips to visit their local science center.

New segments explore science concepts including Force and Motion, Systems and Interactions and Lights and Shadows.

Sid begins each episode with a new question and spends a fun-filled day finding answers.

Season 2 Episode Guide:

During the week of October 4, Sid and his friends learn about Force and Motion, with episodes that get kids up and moving, actively experimenting with the preschool physics concepts of friction, elasticity and inertia:

•“Slide To The Side” (“Why Can’t I do the ‘Sid Slide to the Side’ dance in my sneakers?”)
Sid tries out his new dance called “The Sid Slide to the Side!” on his hardwood floor. He soon finds out his sneakers can’t slide, which leads Sid and his friends to observe and investigate friction; what makes something slow down.

•“That’s The Way the Ball Bounces” (“Why didn’t my ball bounce?”)
Sid creates a new sport called Playdough Ball! When it’s time to play, Sid discovers that his ball doesn’t bounce, it just splats on the ground. At school Sid and his friends discover that if a ball doesn’t have enough elasticity, it won’t bounce.

•“Ignatz’s Inertia (“Why didn’t Ignatz stop moving?”)
Sid pushes his toy panda Ignatz across his room on a skateboard, but when the skateboard bumps a wooden block and halts, Ignatz continues to fly forward. Teacher Susie tells Sid and pals that things keep moving until they are stopped, and that’s called inertia.

•“Sid’s Super Kick” (“Is my Super Sid Kick too super?”)
Sid becomes his alter ego Super Sid, the world’s greatest super hero. While demonstrating his Super Sid Kick!, Sid learns that by kicking a ball with more force, the ball will fly farther. Things become very clear when Teacher Susie demonstrates force with a 6-foot tall air cannon and tennis balls.

Just as Daylight Saving Time begins to make the days shorter and the nights longer during the week of November 8, Sid and his pals investigate Lights and Shadows, with episodes on light, darkness, shadows and rainbows:

•“Let There Be Light” (“Why can’t I grab the light that comes out of my flashlight?”)
Sid and his baby brother Zeke are playing a game where they try to “grab” the light coming out of the flashlight. But Sid and his friends discover that they can’t grab light, and they can’t make it bend around a corner – unless you reflect it. They also discover that not all light is the same color—it can be bright, soft, yellow, white, etc.

• “Discovering Darkness” (“Why am I getting up in the dark?”)
Sid has to wake up a bit early on a winter morning, so that means it’s darker in the morning and darker earlier in the evening. This leads Sid and his friends to investigate and observe what happens when a light source is completely blocked—creating darkness.

•“Shadow Smile” (“Why doesn’t my shadow smile when I do?”)
After looking at his own shadow on his bedroom wall, Sid starts wondering why his shadow doesn’t smile when he does. This leads Sid and his friends to investigate creating shadows at school.

•“A Rainbow Every Day” (“Oh no! What happened to the rainbow?”)
From his tree house, Sid spots a rainbow in the sky. He races down the tree, runs into the kitchen, and excitedly tells his parents and Zeke to come outside to see the rainbow. But when they arrive, it’s gone. A field trip to the Science Center shows Sid and his friends experiment with large prisms and learn how rainbows are made from light, not paint.

Each week, the programs focus on a single scientific concept based on Preschool Pathways to Science (PrePS©), a practical 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.

Accompanying lesson plans and at home investigations can be found online at PBSTEACHERS.org and PBSPARENTS.org.

We were given the opportunity to preview three full episodes from this upcoming season of Sid the Science Kid and E.B. can’t stop sliding all over the kitchen floor in his socks. “Slide to the Side” was definitely his favorite episode from the preview DVD. We were also given a Sid the Science Kid Learning Kit, a Preview Party Pack, and a Sid the Science Kid microphone.

GIVEAWAY:

One lucky Mommy Cracked winner will receive a Sid the Science Kid Learning Kit (pictured in the middle in above picture)!

TO ENTER:

 Leave a comment on this post telling me what is your or your child’s favorite topic in science  by Saturday, October 9, 2010 at 11 PM Central. U.S. only and void where prohibited. Please make sure you leave a way to contact you by email in your comment. Want extra entries? Keep reading….

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