My children are always very curious. They want to know how everything works and constantly want to look things up so they can understand this big world around them. We were fortunate enough to be able to review a few DVDS from an awesome series, and I can’t wait to tell you about it. Curiosity Quest is a series that aims to teach kids ages 7-14 all about a variety of subjects by interviewing the real experts and giving viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the subject matter.
We were able to review the DVD Combo Pack – Produce (Episodes include: Mushrooms, Cranberries, and Orange Packing) and the DVD Combo Pack – Swimmers of the Sea (Episodes include: Sea Turtle Rescue, Penguins, and Salmon). Each episode is approximately 30 minutes long. Every episode begins with a viewer-submitted question that host Joel Greene explores in depth.
Each DVD Combo Pack retails for just $24.95 each, and could be used for children younger than the listed ages of 7-14 and definitely create a learning experience for older learners as well! I found myself picking up new information right alongside my kids as we viewed each episode.
How We Used Curiosity Quest
I used Curiosity Quest as a fun extra for the kids on days where I didn’t want to give them a lot of mindless screen time, but I knew they needed a break from school or free play. We watched one or two episodes per week. My kids, ages 23 months to almost 9 years, were glued!
Before we watched the episode, I asked which one they wanted to watch. Once my kids picked something out at a group, we snuggled up to enjoy it together as a family. During the episode, when questions were posed to the audience, I would ask each kid what they thought. Usually, the questions had to do with vocabulary words that they probably hadn’t come across before. Their answers were funny, and the kids in the episode were pretty entertaining as well.
As the kids had questions of their own, we would periodically pause the DVD to discuss it further. We would finish the episode, and then if they had further questions, I would look it up online with them to quench their thirst for knowledge.
Each week, they were excited to watch a new episode! Once they saw how engaging the show was, they didn’t hesitate at all to take the time to complete a full episode in one sitting. They would usually beg to watch another one, too!
What We Thought
The episode about mushrooms was probably the most eye-opening for me. I had no idea how involved o r how hot (literally!) that the process could be. My kids were a bit grossed out by mushrooms once they saw how they grew, but have pointed them out to me every time they see a recipe with mushrooms or see them on a menu!
Learning about orange packing was a fun lesson. My kids were particularly impressed at how high-tech they are when deciding which oranges are considered good or bad. They were also amazed at how quickly workers were able to sort them into various groups.
After watching these episodes about produce, my kids have been totally different while out and about. When we’ve been to the grocery store since then, they have been very observant of the packaging and labels of produce. They share little facts with each other about quality control, packaging, and the age of the items set out for us to purchase. It’s cool to watch them apply what they have learned in real life scenarios.
Although my kids have studied penguins a lot over the last few years, they still learned quite a few new facts from this episode, and they were able to get up close and personal through the DVD to really get to know the animals. We stopped the DVD a few times for them to talk about other facts they already knew, and for them to discuss penguins and other animals they liked!
The Salmon episode was probably the one on the DVD where I learned the most. My kids thought their life cycle was totally bizarre and they giggled hysterically at how “creepy” it all was. I honestly haven’t been exposed to many real, live fish in my lifetime as I’ve always lived in land-locked areas of Texas. I got to learn a lot more about salmon through this, and I loved that they didn’t just show a bunch of pictures and throw out boring information. Joel Greene has a great way of really getting down to what the viewers really want to know and answering those questions!
In short, we loved Curiosity Quest!
My children are already begging for more new episodes, so we’ve already been browsing the Curiosity Quest store for what we’d like to see next. They even have subscription programs, which may end up being what we go with just to keep the fun coming and the save money, too.