Medical Minute: Children, TV Shows & Climate Change

With 54 percent of children expressing fear about climate change’s impact on their future, parents may wonder if TV shows can help nurture environmental awareness or possibly add to these worries.

Educational scientist Dr. Sara Sweetman has been working with children's programming for over 20 years, helping shows incorporate age-appropriate messages about nature and conservation. “In those 11 minutes, what can we do with the characters, story, and content to help children walk away with the best understanding?” Sweetman said.

Behind popular shows like those with a grouchy puppet or a busy bee are teams of educational consultants who ensure scripts are accurate, age-appropriate, and engaging. Some shows even have a "Ready to Learn" symbol, indicating a focus on educational goals. Characters asking questions, making observations, and collecting data spark children’s curiosity about the world around them.

Sweetman encourages parents to play an active role in their children’s viewing experience, asking questions like, “Why don’t you find two things that Eleanor observes and tell me after you’ve watched?”

The goal, Sweetman says, is for children to care about nature first, then feel empowered to make a difference. “We want them to feel like collectively they can do things to help our Earth,” she said.