Sid The Science Kid

**Sid The Science Kid** is an American children's computer-animated television series produced by **The Jim Henson Company** and **PBS** affiliate, **KCET Channel 28** in Los Angeles, California. It premiered on **PBS Kids** on September 1, 2008 and ended on March 25, 2013. The show was created using the **Henson Digital Puppetry Studio** and produced motion capture which allows puppeteers to voice digitally animated characters in real time.

The series has produced a two seasons, with a total of 66 half-hour episodes and has lasted for four years.

## Premise

The series features **Sid**, an inquisitive youngster, who uses comedy to tackle questions children have about basic scientific principals and why things work the way they do. He tries to answer many questions and solve problems with the help of his friends (**May**, **Gerald** and **Gabriela**), **Teacher Susie**, and his family (his mother **Alice**; his father **Mort**; his Grandma **Rose**, and his baby brother **Zeke**. In the episode "**Hello Doggie**," Sid's Grandma adopts a dog from the animal shelter, which she names **Philbert**.

In the second season, the children often take field trips to the **Science Center**.

The conceptual content of Sid is based in national science learning standards, cognitive learning theory, and on the preschool science curriculum, **Preschool Pathways to Science**.

Each week's episodes are built around a single scientific topic or concept. The first week (episodes 1 – 5) focuses on **scientific tools** and **concepts** (such as **charts**, **observation**, **estimation**, and **measuring**). The second week (episodes 6 – 10) focuses on **changes** and **transformation** (including **decay, growth**, **freezing and melting**, and **the effects of heat**). The third week (episodes 11 – 15) focuses on the **senses** (including touch, smell, sight, taste, and hearing). The fourth week (episodes 16 – 20) focuses on **health** (including **brushing teeth**, **eating food**, **sneezing** and **exercise**). The fifth week (episodes 21 – 25) focuses on simple machines (including **wheels**, **inclined planes**, **levers** and **pulleys**). The sixth week (episodes 26 – 30) focuses on **backyard science**. The seventh week (episodes 31 – 35) focuses on the **human body**. The eighth week (episodes 36 – 40) focuses on weather. The Friday shows are designed to review, reinforce and summarize the central concept of the week.

## Characters

**Main**

* **Sid -** A inquisitive young boy whose dream is to become a scientist when he grows up. He is the most practical character on the show and is often portrayed as a very supportive friend and leading scientist in his group. He gets so many questions every single day while at his school after he thinks about questions the night before. His special item is a toy microphone with four different colored buttons. When pressed, the blue button plays the recorded laughter of people, the yellow button plays the recorded applause, the red button makes a cow noise, and the white button records echoes. His favorite toy is his stuffed panda named **Igantz**.
* **Gabriela -** Sid's classmate. Unlike her friends, Gabriela is the most sensible character and often comes up with the most reasonable jokes during **Good Laughternoon**. She is the most authoritative figure of the quartet, often being the second-in-command of the group activities. She likes playing pretend, always opting to be a "**mommy**" parent. She has an older brother named **Mateo**.
* **Gerald -** Sid's best friend. Although he often straggles at the start of **Rug Time**, he is enthusiastic, rambunctious, imaginative, and known for his creative entrances into the school, during which he often pretends to be something other than himself (like an elephant, or a racecar driver). He has a dog called **Chester**. He is perhaps the most vivid character of the group, often being the life and soul of activities. A running gag is that he is always trying to be funny, but almost never succeeds. In the special episode "**Sid's Backyard Camp-out**", it's revealed that he has a fear of darkness, but has since overcame it.
* **May -** Another one of Sid's friends. She is known for her friendliness and politeness and is considerably smarter than her other three friends. She is Asian, has a cat named **Mooshu**, and wears glasses due to nearsightedness, which is proven in the episode "**Grandma's Glasses**" when she has trouble seeing the eye chart. She is the friendliest of the four, characterized by her charm and courtesy.

**Recurring**

* **Susie -** The teacher of Sid's school. She begins the day with "**Rug Time**," where she calls her students over to sit in a circle and ask them if they have anything to share with the class. Usually, the theme that gets everyone's attention is what was discussed during "**Sid's Survey**" and what Sid was thinking about earlier in the day. She demonstrates the experiments with her class each and every day that her students are there that follows Sid's main question theme.
* **Alice -** Sid's mother and the wife of Mort. She is a website designer and children's computer game developer (Seen in Episode 58 "**The Amazing Computer Science Tool!**"). She also frequently searches up the web for Sid to answer his main question before dropping him off for school. It's revealed that Alice is of African descent.
* **Mort -** Sid's father. He works in construction and often relates Sid's observations to his work experiences. It's revealed that Mort is Jewish.
* **Zeke -** Sid's baby brother who is 1-year-old.
* **Rose -** Sid's paternal grandmother and Mort's mother. She enjoys telling Sid stories about herself when she was younger while driving Sid home from school.
* **Philbert -** Sid's pet dog.
* **Dr. Rosalinda -** Gabriela's mother. Her job is working at the **Science Center** that kids often visit. She helps to explain the various exhibits at the center and how they relate to the school lessons the children are having.

## Production

Production began in January 2003 with 42 half-hour episodes of **Sid the Science Kid** having been ordered. The series debuted on **PBS Kids** along with **Martha Speaks** on September 1, 2008, with a two-year on-air commitment. The original working title for the series was formally "**What's the Big Idea?**" and the central character, Sid, was originally named Josh. The series is the second CGI-animated show to use the motion capture technique after **Donkey Kong Country**.

## Episodes

**Sid The Science Kid** - **The Jim Henson Company**

**Season 1 (2008 - 2009)**

1. **The Sticker Chart**
2. **The Rolie Polie**
3. **Enough With The Seashells!**
4. **The Whale Episode**
5. **Super Science Tools**
6. **My Mushy Banana**
7. **My Shrinking Shoes**
8. **My Ice Pops!**
9. **The Perfect Pancake**
10. **No More Changes!**
11. **The Itchy Tag**
12. **What's That Smell?**
13. **Grandma's Glasses**
14. **Too Much Noise!**
15. **All My Senses**
16. **A Brush With Teeth**
17. **I Want Cake**
18. **The Big Sneeze**
19. **Must See TV!**
20. **Sid's Health Day**
21. **The Broken Wheel**
22. **My Slide**
23. **Sid's Amazing Invention**
24. **The Tree House**
25. **Climb, Ignatz, Climb!**
26. **Hello Doggie!**
27. **Home Tweet Home**
28. **The Dirt On Dirt**
29. **Don't Forget The Leaves!**
30. **The Bug Club**
31. **Sid's Rainy Play Date**
32. **Special Sunny Sid Day**
33. **Special Mom Day Meal**
34. **I Have Muscles Where? (Muscle Boy Sid)**
35. **Sid's Amazing Lungs**
36. **How Did My Dog Do That?**
37. **Now That's Using Your Brain!**
38. **Sid's Holiday Adventure**
39. **The Wind Did It!**
40. **Sid The Weatherman**

**Season 2 (2010 - 2012)**

1. **Slide To The Side**
2. **That's The Way The Ball Bounces**
3. **Ignatz's Inertia**
4. **Sid's Super Kick**
5. **Where Did The Water Go?**
6. **Clean Air!**
7. **Reused Robot!**
8. **Save The Stump!**
9. **Let There Be Light**
10. **Discovering Darkness**
11. **Shadow Smile**
12. **A Rainbow Every Day!**
13. **The Amazing Computer Science Tool!**
14. **The Big Cheese**
15. **Sid Wings It!**
16. **Sid Engineers A Solution**
17. **Sleep? Who Needs It?**
18. **Seed The Science Kid**
19. **The Reason Sid's Sneezin'**

**Special Episodes**

**Season 1**

1. **Getting A Shot! You Can Do It!**

**Season 2**

1. **No School Sing-Along Special!**
2. **Sid's Backyard Campout**
3. **Halloween Spooky Science Special**
4. **I Want To Be A Scientist!**
5. **Get Up And Move!**
6. **Rock 'n' Roll Easter**

## Home Media

Home media releases of **Sid The Science Kid...**

* **Change Happens - DVD**
* **Feeling Good Inside And Out - DVD**
* **Gizmos And Gadgets - DVD**
* **Going, Going, Green! DVD**
* **The Bug Club - DVD**
* **The Ruler Of Thumb - DVD**
* **Weather Kid Sid - DVD**
* **Sid's Sense-sational Adventures! DVD**
* **Sid's Backyard Campout - DVD**
* **Sid's Sing-Along - DVD**
* **Sid's Spooky Halloween - DVD**
* **Now That's Using Your Brain - DVD**
* **What Is A Rainbow? DVD**
* **Sid's Pet Project! DVD**
* **Sid In Motion - DVD**
* **Rock And Roll Easter - DVD**
* **Sid Wings It! DVD**
* **Observe & Explore - DVD**
* **Invent & Investigate - DVD**
* **Learn & Play With Sid - DVD**
* **Sid The Science Kid: 3-Pack DVD**
* **Sid The Science Kid: The Movie - DVD**

**Australian Releases**

* **My Shrinking Shoes - DVD**
* **The Tree House - DVD**
* **Super Science Collection - DVD Pack**

Sid The Science Kid: Change Happens: DVD (July 2009)Sid The Science Kid: Feeling Good Inside And Out: DVD (2009)Sid The Science Kid: Gizmos And Gadgets: DVD (September 2010)Sid The Science Kid: Going, Going, Green! DVD (2011)Sid The Science Kid: The Bug Club: DVD (August 2009)Sid The Science Kid: The Ruler Of Thumb: DVD (February 2010)Sid The Science Kid: Weather Kid Sid: DVD (December 2009)Sid The Science Kid: Sid's Sense-sational Adventures! DVD (January 2011)Sid The Science Kid: Sid's Backyard Campout: DVD (May 2012)Sid The Science Kid: Sid's Sing-Along: DVD (2011)Sid The Science Kid: Sid's Spooky Halloween: DVD (2012)Sid The Science Kid: Now That's Using Your Brain: DVD (2014)Sid The Science Kid: What Is A Rainbow? DVD (2014)Sid The Science Kid: Sid's Pet Project! DVD (2010)Sid The Science Kid: Sid In Motion: DVD (January 2012)Sid The Science Kid: Rock And Roll Easter: DVD (2013)Sid the Science Kid: Sid Wings It! DVD (2013)Sid The Science Kid: Observe & Explore: DVD (November 2015)Sid The Science Kid: Invent & Investigate: DVD (2017)Sid The Science Kid: Learn & Play With Sid: DVD (2015)Sid The Science Kid: 3-Pack DVD (May 2014)Sid The Science Kid: The Movie: DVD (2013)Sid The Science Kid: My Shrinking Shoes: DVD (March 2011) (Australia)Sid The Science Kid: The Tree House: DVD (2008) (Australia)Sid The Science Kid: Super Science Collection: DVD (Australia)

## Books

Book releases of **Sid The Science Kid...**

* **Hooray For Rain!**
* **Everybody, Move Your Feet!**
* **Why Did My Ice Pop Melt?**
* **Why Are My Shoes Shrinking?**
* **Why Can't I Have Cake For Dinner?**
* **A Cavity Is A Hole In Your Tooth**
* **The Trouble With Germs**
* **What's That Smell?**
* **I'm Not Afraid Of The Dark!**
* **Earth Day Fun**

Sid The Science Kid: Hooray For Rain! Story BookSid The Science Kid: Everybody, Move Your Feet! Story Book (May 2010)Sid The Science Kid: Why Did My Ice Pop Melt? Story Book (August 2010)Sid The Science Kid: Why Are My Shoes Shrinking? Story Book (2010)Sid The Science Kid: Why Can't I Have Cake For Dinner? Story Book (August 2010)Sid The Science Kid: A Cavity Is A Hole In Your Tooth: Story Book (April 2010)Sid The Science Kid: The Trouble With Germs: I Can Read Book (March 2010)Sid The Science Kid: What's That Smell? I Can Read Book (May 2010)Sid The Science Kid: I'm Not Afraid Of The Dark! I Can Read Book (May 2011)Sid the Science Kid: Earth Day Fun: I Can Read Book (February 2011)

## Songs

* **Looking For My Friends**
* **Rug Time**
* **Checking Out Charts**
* **I Magnify**
* **My Best Guess**
* **A Pirate's Tale**
* **It's Not Scary, It's Decayed**
* **You Look Different**
* **On Penguin Pond**
* **Cooking Is Chemistry**
* **Feeling The World On My Belly, It Feels Good To Be A Snake**
* **Detective Story**
* **Do The Look Around**
* **Waves Of Sound**
* **What Happened To The Tooth?**
* **The Delicious Nutritious Band**
* **A Germ's Journey**
* **Work That Body**
* **A World Without Wheels**
* **Push It Up The Incline Plane**
* **Never Without My Levers**
* **Up To The Tree House**
* **Honey Bits**
* **Lots Of Little Things To Do**
* **Dig This Town**
* **Bistro Le Leaf**
* **The Little Rain Cloud**
* **Break It Down**
* **Movin' Muscles**
* **Breathe In, Breathe Out**
* **The Skeleton I Got**
* **One Day In December**
* **I Am The Wind**
* **Fast As You Can**
* **The Bouncing Song**
* **Inertia**
* **Game Time**
* **Country Lights, City Lights**
* **In A World Of Darkness**
* **Cool In The Shade**
* **The Colors Of The Rainbow**
* **Super Sun**
* **Muscles, Muscles**
* **World's Famous Lever**
* **It Might Hurt A Bit, But It's Gonna Help A Whole Lot**
* **I Love My Mom**
* **Take A Walk**
* **Beautiful Trees**
* **The Buzz With The Bees**
* **What Are You Gonna Be On Halloween?**
* **Ology**
* **Jelly Jar Blues**
* **Rock Song**
* **Get Into The Habit**
* **Let's Get Connected**
* **Fly**
* **Tiny Turtle From Turtle Bay**
* **Water Song**
* **We All Need Our Sleep**
* **Love Your Pet**
* **Computers**
* **To The Moon**
* **Susie Sneeze, Allergy Detective**

## Album

A **PBS Kids Tunes** album entitled **Sid The Science Kid: Work Your Body** was released in 2015. It features 15 songs from the series.

**Tracklist**

1. **Sid The Science Kid Theme Song**
2. **Delicious Nutritious Band**
3. **You Look Different**
4. **The Look Around**
5. **Cooking Is Chemistry**
6. **Work Your Body**
7. **Waves Of Sound**
8. **Ruth's Tooth**
9. **Journey Of A Germ**
10. **Decay**
11. **Break It Down**
12. **Detective Story**
13. **Muscles, Muscles**
14. **Breathe In, Breathe Out**
15. **I Do What I Do (With The Skeleton I Got)**

## Film

A television movie titled **Sid The Science Kid: The Movie** premiered on **PBS Kids** and **PBS Kids Go!** on March 25, 2013. It featured the original voice cast of the show, with special guest voice **Christopher Lloyd** as **Dr. Bonanodon**. The film was released on DVD in 2013.

In the film, Sid and his friends enter a contest and win a trip to a new modern science museum in town. Sid and Gabriela were revealed to have won the contest and are allowed inside the museum before it officially opens to the public. On their trip, they meet new friends; **Yang Yang**, **Niu Niu**, a robot named **Bobbybot,** a group of other robots and a quirky scientist, who has designed robot tour guides to the future. However, BobbyBot malfunctions, causing the museum to be in total chaos and havoc, putting the grand opening of the museum in jeopardy. It's up to Sid and his friends to save the museum before it opens up.

## Games

Game releases of **Sid The Science Kid...**

* **Sorting Box**
* **Pan Balance**
* **Snowflake Match**
* **Weather Surprise**
* **Vegetable Harvest**
* **Red Light, Green Light**
* **Vegetable Patterns**
* **Balancing Act**
* **Collection Jar**
* **Super Duper Antibodies**
* **Say What?**
* **Shadow Show**
* **Mystery Lunchbox**
* **Snow Search**
* **Crystals Rule**
* **Vegetable Planting**

## Awards

The episode "**Save the Stump!**" won in the **Children's Programming** category Saturday at the **26th Genesis Awards**, presented by the **Humane Society of the United States**. Additionally, the series has received a total of six **Daytime Emmy Award** nominations and a **TCA Award** nomination.

## Gallery

Sid The Science Kid - 2nd TV PosterSid The Science Kid - Logo