D.W. Goes Mobile to Help Children Make Good Food Choices

The first app from the PBS KIDS GO! series Arthur – D.W.’s Unicorn Adventure for iPhone and iPod touch, is available now on the App Store. D.W.’s Unicorn Adventure encourages nutritious snacking for kids ages 4-6, and Arthur fans of all ages. In the app, players have the opportunity to help Arthur’s little sister D.W. save a lost unicorn using the power of healthy foods.

“PBS is committed to helping kids learn and grow through healthy food choices,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children’s Media, PBS. “D.W.’s Unicorn Adventure App is the latest addition to our resources across platforms – from online games, to on-air programming, to offline activities – that help families lead healthy and active lives.”

In D.W.’s Unicorn Adventure App, D.W. must help a lost unicorn make his way from Elwood City to Unicornia. To do this, players gallop, jump, and super-jump through three fantastical worlds – Forest, Castle, and Clouds – with 12 levels of increasing difficulty.

To fuel the adventure, players need to eat a rainbow of energy-packed snacks. Players are encouraged to eat all the colors of the rainbow by collecting 12 kinds of fruits and veggies: strawberries and apples; oranges and carrots; bananas and pineapples; bell peppers and broccoli; blueberries and plums; and grapes and eggplant.

The game also teaches kids foods to avoid.  For example, players need to stay away from junk food, so that they will not lose energy and can continue to advance in the game. The six kinds of junk food that will hinder performance include: sodas, chips, cookies, donuts, french fries, and candy bars.

“At PBS we continue to extend the reach of our content in the mobile space, giving families the educational content they expect from us on a platform that is available to them wherever they are,” said Jason Seiken, Senior Vice President, Interactive, Product Development, and Innovation, PBS.

Funded by CPB, D.W.’s Unicorn Adventure App is available for $1.99 from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore. 

PBS KIDS has 16 apps available in the App Store, covering curricular areas ranging from literacy, to science, to math, and more.  Through mobile applications as well as online games, classroom resources, on-air programming, and curriculum-based toys, PBS KIDS offers educational content to all of America’s children wherever they live, learn and play.

ARTHUR can be seen weekdays at 3 p.m. and Sundays at 7:30 a.m. on WCVE PBS/WHTJ PBS and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on WCVW PBS