PBS Kids

PBS Kids is an attractive, fun website where fans of PBS’s children’s programming can play games and watch videos of their favorite characters. While the games and videos are not explicitly educational, they often build skills in math and reading, among other subjects. Each show has its own section of the site, accessible by selecting the show’s characters on the cleanly-designed and brightly-colored home page. The home page features a wheel with links to all of the shows, as well as images of cars and busses driving by above with links to popular parts of the site. The layout is confusing at first, but labels for each item appear on mouseover. A video, displayed very small and not immediately apparent, begins playing as soon as the home page loads and every time the user returns to it and becomes annoying quickly. The main feature of the site is its games, but there are also videos featuring familiar characters. Navigation between pages is easy. All parts of the site are accessible without login, but personal accounts are available and easy to create. There is a linked page for parents with unique content, as well as links to other PBS websites. This site will appeal most to children who watch the referenced television shows, but the games do not require familiarity with the shows to play. Striking a rare balance between education and entertainment, PBS Kids will be popular with both children and adults. Recommended. Grades Pre-K - 5.… (more)