Dora Dora Dora the Explorer!!!! (Dora the Explorer)

Member Name: emmakate06

Product:	Dora the Explorer
Date:	24/06/09 (24 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Educational and fun!

Disadvantages: 30 minute episodes can be a bit long to maintain attention

Dora the Explorer was one of the first programmes that my daughter became interested in. Im guessing that it was the bright colours, the fun songs and Boots the Monkey that first caught her attention, but two years on it is still a firm favourite.

Although it is a fun cartoon, I also find it to be highly educational. My daughter has learnt about numbers, shapes, colours and songs through this programme which has helped to back up the skills that I have been trying to teach her. In addition it also teaches children how to observe things and interact. My daughter often ends up shouting answers at the tv and really enjoys participating.

The main character of this show is Dora the Explorer, in each episode Dora and her best friend and sidekick Boots the Monkey will have a problem to solve, someone to help or an adventure to go on. There trusty backpack is also always there to help them on their way! There are numerous other characters to help Dora and Boots on their way such as Isa the Iguana, Tiko the Squirrel and Benny Bull. There are also characters which try to hinder Dora and Boots' progress on their adventures such as The Grumpy Old Troll who will give them a riddle to solve if they want to cross his bridge. Another 'baddie' is Swiper the Fox who steals and collect things that doesn't belong to him. The only way to stop Swiper is to say 'Swiper no swiping, Swiper nooooo swiping'.

In addition to all this, Dora will also help children to learn some words in Spanish. My two year old daughter has recently started saying 'Adios' to her friends in nursery, and im so pleased that she has taken an interest and is picking these new words up so easily.

In addition to the programme, Dora the Explorer has also been mass marketed, and you can now pretty much buy anything and everything with a picture of Dora on it. I think the amount of products available is very much over the top, but it is such a popular programme that they have no problem in selling toys, home furnishing or bathing products with Dora on them.

The programme itself was created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, and Eric Weiner whose main aim was to create a learning programme for pre-school children and this is definitely what they have achieved.

Summary: Great show for pre school children