ARLINGTON, VA, Dec. 6, 2010 – PBS KIDS and The Jim Henson Company today announced the release of the DINOSAUR TRAIN Eggspress App on the App Store, its newest educational game for the iPhone and iPod touch. Based on the hit TV series DINOSAUR TRAIN, one of the top ten shows for kids ages 2 to 5, DINOSAUR TRAIN Eggspress guides preschool-age children through three prehistoric eras while promoting science and math skills through various exciting games. DINOSAUR TRAIN Eggspress joins PBS KIDS’ suite of high-quality, innovative and educational apps, including SUPER WHY! and MARTHA SPEAKS Dog Party.
“PBS KIDS puts powerful learning opportunities in the palm of children’s hands,” said Lesli Rotenberg, senior vice president, Children’s Media, PBS. “The DINOSAUR TRAIN Eggspress App helps parents bring fun, educational content to their kids wherever they go, by embarking on learning adventures with their favorite characters from DINOSAUR TRAIN.”
According to a recent Joan Ganz Cooney Center study, high quality, developmentally appropriate and engaging apps can have significant educational benefits for children, especially as more and more kids become familiar with mobile devices. “This is our eighth PBS KIDS app for iOS devices, and each one combines entertainment to keep kids engaged with the educational value parents expect from us,” said Jason Seiken, senior vice president, Interactive, Product Development, and Innovation, PBS.
The DINOSAUR TRAIN Eggspress App is available for $2.99 from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.
PBS also recently launched PBS for iPad, a free iPad app for adults that features more than 300 videos, including full-length episodes, segments and previews, with new content updated daily.
About the DINOSAUR TRAIN Eggspress App
Based on the TV series DINOSAUR TRAIN featuring Buddy, an adorable preschool age Tyrannosaurus Rex, and his adoptive Pteranodon family, DINOSAUR TRAIN Eggspress challenges players to find, sort and match dinosaur eggs and then reunite dinosaur families while progressing through three different time periods. Players will discover real flora and fauna from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous eras. Along the way, there will be learning moments as the app reveals mystery dinosaur hatchlings, real dinosaur facts and an adorable Dinosaur Baby Book. The app is available on the App Store (http://to.pbs.org/dinoeggs) for $2.99 for the iPhone and iPod touch. For more information about PBS KIDS apps, visit PBSKIDS.org/mobile.
A DINOSAUR TRAIN Eggspress demo video can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvuSvMyqtLE and images can be found on PBS PressRoom.
About DINOSAUR TRAIN
Created by Craig Bartlett, DINOSAUR TRAIN embraces and celebrates the fascination that preschoolers have with both dinosaurs and trains while encouraging basic scientific thinking skills. A Parents’ Choice Recommended TV series, DINOSAUR TRAIN, produced by The Jim Henson Company, is co-produced with Singapore animation company Sparky Entertainment, with the participation and assistance of the Singapore Media Development Authority. UK production and financial support is being provided by Ingenious Media.
About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and community-based programs. More than 21 million children watch PBS KIDS on TV, and more than 21 million engage with PBS KIDS online each quarter. For more information on specific PBS KIDS programs supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit PBS.org/pressroom.
CONTACTS:
Caitlin Melnick, 360 Public Relations, 617.585.5775 / cmelnick@360publicrelations.com
Maria Vera, PBS, 703.739.3225 / mvera@pbs.org