Dora the Explorer

As a mom to a two year old, unless a television show plays on Nickelodeon or the Disney Channel, there is a pretty good chance I have not seen it. Cartoons have definitely evolved a great deal since I was a child. Toddler geared cartoons have even evolved in the eleven years since my son was a toddler. From what I can remember, cartoons during my time seemed to be for entertainment purposes only; there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of educational value in them. During my son’s toddlerhood, most of the cartoons had a real musical concentration. Today, most of the cartoons streaming across my television are educational, offering excellent curriculum on a wide variety of subjects.

My daughter’s all-time favorite show is Dora the Explorer which plays several times a day on the various Nickelodeon channels. Dora is a bilingual, Mexican girl who goes on many adventures with her various talking animal friends. She is never without her talking, purple backpack, which is always filled with anything she could possibly need during her explorations. Ironically, her backpack’s name is Backpack. When Dora travels from Summer to Winter, Backpack instantaneously supplies snow gear to Dora and all of her friends. Backpack’s bosom buddy is known as Map. Map always knows which way to go; if an item is missing, map even knows the location of the missing item.

Educationally, Dora the Explorer is a great resource for a toddler to learn some basic Spanish words. Even as an adult, I have learned a few words! The process used to teach Spanish words is a repetitive process, asking the child to repeat the word several times to get the intended result. For instance, if there is a treasure in a talking chest that needs opening, Dora will say something to the effect of, “We need to ask the treasure chest to open, but the treasure chest only speaks Spanish. Say ‘abierto’ with me. Let’s say it louder, ‘abierto!’” My daughter has put some of her newfound Spanish words to use in her everyday life. Recently, she was trying to open a snack, and she was asking me to help her open it by alternating between Spanish and English. Also, when her brother is aggravating her, she has taken to screaming, “Parir,” in order to make him stop.

Swiper the Fox is the resident villain on the show. He is always swiping things from the other characters. During one particular Christmas episode, Swiper ended up on Santa’s “naughty” list for his long list of capers. Swiper was doomed to receive no presents for Christmas. The show sought to teach children to show mercy on people who have done wrong; Dora rallies her friends to help her teach Swiper the true meaning of Christmas. They take Swiper on a journey through time, of course using Map for directions, and Backpack for supplies, in hopes of helping him reverse the wrongs of his past. In the end, Swiper learns that it is better to give than to receive, or “swipe” in his case.

As a parent, there are a few aspects of the show that cause me some alarm. Dora and her best friend, Boots the Talking Monkey, are almost always unsupervised by adults. All of their adventures from the mountains to the beach, and the desert to the jungle are always done alone. I hope that no young child would take it upon themselves, to help save a lost puppy or go “exploring” without letting an adult know first. Along those same lines, in almost every episode, Dora takes a ride from her friend, Tico the Squirrel, to get to her destination faster. She will hop into Tico’s car, plane, or submarine without ever taking the time to ask her mom first. However, as soon as she is in the vehicle she always buckles her seatbelt and says, “Seatbelts, so we can be safe!” I have peace of mind knowing that if my daughter ever takes a ride from a stranger, she will definitely be insistent upon wearing her safety belt.

For my daughter, Dora the Explorer has been a great resource for reinforcing many of the things I try to teach her. Sharing, being kind and merciful, and problem solving are some of the key elements the show offers that I like the best. The color recognition, counting, and teaching of the Spanish language are definite bonuses as well. Like most cartoons, as a parent I just take it for what it is. I make sure to talk with my daughter about each episode and remind her that no matter what she does, checking with mom first is always the best choice!