This fall, PBS KIDS premieres NATURE CAT, a new animated series that encourages children to explore nature. Through NATURE CAT, co-creators and brothers David Rudman (SESAME STREET, The Muppets) and Adam Rudman (Tom & Jerry, SESAME STREET, CYBERCHASE) have teamed up to inspire viewers to get outdoors and develop connections with the natural world. Designed for kids ages 3-8, the show premieres this fall on SDPB.
Inspired by research on the health and educational benefits of spending time outside, NATURE CAT will encourage families to get active and go on their own outdoor adventures. The series will air daily following its premiere.
NATURE CAT follows Fred, a house cat who dreams of exploring the great outdoors. In each episode, once his family leaves for the day, Fred transforms into Nature Cat, “backyard explorer extraordinaire.” Nature Cat can't wait to get outside for a day of backyard nature excursions and bravery, but there’s one problem: He’s still a house cat with no instincts for nature. Like many of today’s kids, Nature Cat is eager and enthusiastic about outside activities, but is at times intimidated by them. With the help of his animal friends, Nature Cat embarks on action-packed adventures that include exciting missions full of nature investigation, “aha” discovery moments and humor, all while inspiring children to go outside and “play the show.”
“Research shows that children benefit greatly from playing outside, yet the amount of time kids spend outdoors has been steadily declining over the past several years,” said Lesli Rotenberg, General Manager, Children’s Media, PBS. “PBS KIDS is committed to using the power of media to foster children’s curiosity and inspire them to explore their interests long after the screen is turned off. Through NATURE CAT, our goal is to get kids excited about the wonders of nature and encourage healthy outdoor activities by modeling hands-on exploration with engaging, humorous stories and characters.”
Grounded in a multifaceted science curriculum, NATURE CAT aims to expose children to a variety of nature concepts and systems, encourage shared discoveries and experiences as viewers explore the natural world and give parents and teachers ideas for nature-based activities.
NATURE CAT will demonstrate that discovery can happen anywhere – a backyard, a local park, the beach and even amidst the cracks of a city sidewalk. Nature Cat’s adventures take him through his family’s big backyard, into the woods and then into the “four corners” of his natural world: parks, ponds, caves, gardens, marshes, ravines, swamps, canyons, nature preserves and mountains. As they join Nature Cat and his friends on their adventures, young viewers will learn that to experience nature all they need to do is open the door, step outside and prime their senses.