Dora The Explorer: Why Our Kids Like It So Much

Dora the Explorer is a cartoon series, created in the United States in 2000. It is aimed at preschool children and has been translated into 25 languages. It is currently broadcast in 125 countries.

Currently it is considered a classic of children’s television. Its great success stems from a successful way of combining entertainment with education and transmission of values.

One of the most interesting aspects is that this television series stimulates the participation of the spectators. This is a great value in educational terms, since it captures attention and allows advancement in knowledge.

This is Dora the Explorer

Dora Márquez is a 7-year-old girl. Her great friend is “Boots”, a 5-year-old monkey who accompanies her on all her adventures. In each episode, Dora has to find something that she has missed. Sometimes he also helps “Boots” to fulfill some mission that he has been entrusted to carry out.

Dora always asks the child viewers to help her achieve her goal or solve the problems she encounters along the way. It also has the collaboration of “Map” and “Backpack”. They are two other characters who always have an active participation.

The series has an outline similar to that of an interactive video game. Everything revolves around specific missions and viewers contribute to achieving them. There is danger, excitement, mystery and all the ingredients for children to be fully involved in the program.

Each episode of Dora the Explorer is approximately 23 minutes long. The series has already completed eight seasons, with a number of chapters that exceeds 150. Its success has been so great that there is already talk of a generational brand from this program.

The great virtues of the series

Dora the Explorer is among the favorite series of the youngest children and this is not by chance. In addition to the entertaining presentation scheme of the stories, it is also a space through which knowledge is imparted and values ​​are transmitted. These are some of its great virtues:

• Teach how to participate. Dora promotes an active attitude in children. In the series he asks them to scream, or to help him find something. This makes the boys understand that their position in the world should be dynamic and not passive.
• Contributes to familiarization with another language. The original series was made in English and it helped children to learn a few words in Spanish. In the other languages, the same is done to bring them closer to English. The method they use makes the little ones incorporate basic words

• Raises awareness of the environment. Nature and animals are elements that are very present in Dora the Explorer. This is a great contribution to sensitize children living in urban environments
• Music helps too. Songs and musical themes are present all the time. This strengthens hearing and memory skills, as well as providing a magnificent atmosphere.

Dora the Explorer and values

The way of interacting between the characters in the series also has a formative intention. The antagonist is the fox Swiper, who always tries to use deception to steal Dora’s items. This character acts as a model of a bad relationship with others and the children understand it.

When the fox tries to steal something from Dora, she asks her little viewers to yell at him: “Swiper, don’t steal.” In this way, children also become agents of values.

In Dora the Explorer, friendship has enormous value. Dora and her friend Boots are a true example of solidarity, mutual support and affection. The series emphasizes the importance of cooperation and teamwork. The characters that appear have a helpful attitude towards others.

An important element is that Dora, in her many journeys, knows other cultures. In front of each one, adopt a position of curiosity and respect. In this way, children are communicated with a multicultural perspective, where differences are not a source of conflict, but of complementation. It is one of the many successes of the series.

This program also teaches basic and necessary elements for healthy social relationships. For example, say hello and say goodbye. It’s something that little ones are just getting to know at preschool age. It also teaches them to give thanks, both in their own language and in English.

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