A jack-o'-lantern basket full of new and returning PBS Kids shows, games and activities will help children celebrate Halloween.
The centerpiece is an all-new, one-hour movie, Wild Kratts: Creepy Creatures, premiering at 5:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 22 on Panhandle PBS. It'll also stream beginning Oct. 22 at pbskids.org and the PBS Kids Video App.
In this special movie event, the Kratt Brothers decide to celebrate Halloween by searching for "creepy cool" creatures, but will Zach and the other villains get in their way and ruin Halloween?
Additionally, Panhandle PBS (Channel 2.1 or Suddenlink Channel 3) will premiere new Halloween-themed episodes from Ready Jet Go! at 6 a.m. Oct. 15, in which the kids' attempt to grow a prize-winning pumpkin goes awry; and Pinkalicious & Peterrificat 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Oct. 22, in which Pinkalicious and Peterrific have to save the holiday from a couple of potential disasters.
Returning favorites will include The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Halloween at 6:30 a.m. Oct. 19 and 6 a.m. Oct. 29; Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest at 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Oct. 19, 8 a.m. Oct. 21, and 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Oct. 30; and Arthur and The Haunted Tree House at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 25 and 30.
All of these episodes also will be seen throughout October on the PBS Kids 24/7 channel, as well (Channel 2.2 or Suddenlink Channel 126).
Families also will be treated to special Halloween-filled Family Night programming and specials the last two weekends of the month on the PBS Kids 24/7 channel and live stream.
The Super Spooky Halloween Marathon on Oct. 19 to 21 will include themed episodes of Dinosaur Train at 5 p.m., Splash and Bubbles at 5:30 p.m., Nature Cat at 6 p.m., Odd Squad at 6:30 p.m., Ready Jet Go! at 7 p.m., Wild Kratts at 7:30 p.m., Wordgirl at 8 p.m. and Cyberchase at 8:30 p.m.
The Halloween Double Feature on Oct. 26 to 28 will feature Arthur and The Haunted Tree House at 6 p.m. and Wild Kratts: Creepy Creatures at 7 p.m.
The spooky fun continues on digital platforms, where PBS Kids will offer a variety of Halloween-themed games on the free PBS Kids Games App and pbskids.org, including a new game from Wild Kratts. This will debut in addition to favorites such as Arthur’s Tricks and Treats, Curious George Pumpkin Boo, Daniel Tiger Dress Up, The Cat in the Hat Corn Maze Craze and Peg + Cat Parade.
A new Spooky Street and Halloween design contest will launch on PBS Kids’ popular virtual world, Kart Kingdom, and the Nature Cat Art Box and Cyberchase Watts of Trouble games will have Halloween themed updates. Hands-on activities, including pumpkin-carving templates with favorite PBS KIDS characters and spooktacular treat recipes, are available on PBS KIDS for Parents.
“Halloween is a great time for families and teachers to encourage children’s imagination and creativity,” said Linda Simensky, vice president of children’s programming for PBS. “With new specials and episodes from Wild Kratts, Ready Jet Go! and Pinkalicious & Peterrific, as well at returning favorites, PBS Kids will offer themed content and educational resources to help do just that.”
PBS LearningMedia will offer PreK-12 teachers an easy way to integrate Halloween themes into their instruction with a range of curriculum-aligned videos, lesson plans, and games. Teachers can use these resources to kick-start classroom discussions and enhance homework assignments. These free resources cover a range of subjects and are available to teachers nationwide on pbslearningmedia.org. Featured resources include Shadows Can Be Scary: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood; All About the Holidays: Halloween; Frankenstein, M.D.; and The Zombie Autopsies.
Find these resources and more in the Halloween collection.
