About the Wild Kratts Website for Kids
Visit the PBS KIDS Wild Kratts site: pbskids.org/wildkratts
The Wild Kratts website is an interactive experience where children can learn more about animals, science, and the natural world. Designed and implemented with input from educational advisors, the activities emphasize both age appropriate science concepts and information about animals and nature.
The site invites kids to become part of the Wild Kratts team, by building their very own character, who can then navigate the site right alongside Chris, Martin, Aviva, and the rest of the team! They can fly the Tortuga HQ around the world on creature adventures, learning about animals and playing games. By mastering science ideas and accumulating knowledge about the creature world, the user can collect Creature Powers for their very own Creature Power Suit, which will help them on their continued explorations of the site. Note: In order to save progress and a customized character over multiple visits, kids will need to make sure they are logged in through the PBS KIDS GO! login system.
A good place for kids to start in the site is the "Your Room" section. In "Your Room" kids can build their character with a creature power suit, and get started collecting Creature Powers. All Creature Powers are kept here, as well as an Adventure Journal of the photo rewards collected while exploring the habitats. Go to the Wild Kratts kids site and click on Your Room.
CREATURE POWER GAMES
Kids can earn "creature powers" for creature suits by playing the educational and informative "Creature Power Games." In each game, the player is placed in the role of a different animal, learning about animal abilities, behaviors and science from the animal's perspective.
Go Nuts!: Squirrels and blue jays both collect, eat, and store acorns for the winter. In this game, players become a squirrel collecting and burying as many acorns as possible before the blue jays get them. The game teaches about a critical natural interrelationship between plants and animals – by burying the acorns, the squirrels and bluejays actually plant new oak tree letting the forest thrive.
Ride On, Remora: In this game, children learn that animals have special relationships that can benefit one animal or both – a symbiotic relationship. The player is a remora, a creature with a sticky suckerhead that attaches to sharks, rays, and other marine animals. The remora's ability to attach to a host allows the fish to travel safely through the ocean and even get leftovers of the large animals meals.
Cheetah Racer: This game is an exercise in engineering, creature-style! Build a Cheetah Racer vehicle by manipulating some of the very same kinds of features that make the cheetah the fastest running animal alive. Then, let the races begin!
Firefly Flash: Fireflies use species-specific flash codes to communicate with each other. In this memory game, players use flash codes to attract other fireflies to them, just like these amazing insects do!
Caracal Leap: Caracals are an African wildcat that are known for their incredible leaping ability, which allows them to catch guinea fowl right out of the sky. This is an example of specialization, as this cats long legs and leaping ability allow it to catch prey in a way that sets it apart from other predators.
Glide Draco Glide: Draco lizards move through the rainforest by gliding from tree to tree. They actually have gliding "wings" (or flaps of skin) that they can open and close to control their amazing parachute-like glide. In this game, players learn the physics of gliding, draco-style!
Kickboxing Kangaroo: Kickboxing is an important natural behavior for kangaroos. Male kangaroos kickbox to prove that they are healthy enough to be the top roo of the group. Even as young joeys, kangaroos practice their kickboxing skills. In this game, learn about social systems in animals and how a ritualized behavior can help keep a group animal like the kangaroo together.
The site offers five different habitats around the world where users can explore, find various animals that live there, and learn more about them. Players can also use the Creature Powers that they've earned to access hard-to-reach areas of the habitats, like the treetops, high cliffs, or the deep ocean. Players must use analytical skills, logic, and their knowledge of animal abilities in order to navigate some of these areas. Go to the Wild Kratts kids site and click on Habitats.