Earth Day 2009 - TV Specials and Movies for Kids

Kids are going to be more environmentally aware than ever after Earth Day 2009. Start them out young with new DVDs for preschoolers, and make Earth Day a family affair by seeing the new Disneynature movie, Earth. Here is a rundown of some of the kid-friendly Earth Day TV specials, new DVDs and movies for 2009:

Nickelodeon features Earth friendly programming all day on April 22 (time in ET/PT):

• The Wonder Pets! “Save the Racoon”(10:30 a.m.): The Wonder Pets use recycled materials to fix the flyboat and save a baby raccoon stuck in a recycling bin.
• Olivia “Olivia Helps Mother Nature” (11:30 a.m.): After learning about the environment, Olivia is on a mission to recycle, cut down on waste, and conserve energy.
• Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! “Save the Wuzzly/All Bottled Up” (1:30 p.m.): In “Save the Wuzzly,” Wubbzy and Daizy must help a family of Wuzzly bears save their bambooboo tree home from developers. In “All Bottled Up,” Wubbzy has to teach the denizens of Wuzzleburg to reuse and recycle.
• iCarly “iGo Green” (8:00 p.m.): Carly, Sam and Freddie are assigned the task of creating an original earth-friendly project that benefits the environment.
• True Jackson, VP “True Intrigue” (8:30 p.m.): Max returns from his trip to Africa with a top-secret environmentally-friendly fabric.
• 9:00 p.m.*—Nickelodeon, NOGGIN and The N will “Power Down” for 60-seconds.
• Throughout the day, Nickelodeon will air vignettes featuring real kids who are taking action to improve the environment.
• Names of those who have pledged to be part of The Big Green Help and local events/organizations that are participating in The Big Green Help Earth Day events will be scrolled across the screen all day.

NOGGIN’s Earth Day (April 22, all times ET):

Toot & Puddle “Recycle Cycle/Being Green” (9:00 a.m.): In “Recycle Cycle,” Toot and Puddle discover a pollution problem in Pocket Pond and the whole gang rallies to clean up their home environment. Toot & Puddle visit Uncle Bertie in Scotland in “Being Green.”

Yo Gabba Gabba! “Green” (1:30 p.m.): The Gabba gang learns to care for their environment by watering plants, not littering, cleaning up the trash and recycling.

Pinky Dinky Doo “Loch Mess Monster” (3:00 p.m.): When Tyler’s fish tank gets polluted, Pinky tells him a story about the town of Loch Mess and the importance of working together and keeping things clean so they don’t get polluted.

Disney Channel Earth Day Programming (April 18 encoring on the 22nd, all times ET):

Handy Manny "Arbor Day"/"Flicker Speaks English" (April 18 9:00 a.m.): Manny and the tools help park groundskeeper Jackie transplant an ailing tree to a sunnier spot.

Handy Manny "Home Sweet Home"/"Jackie's Old Shed" (1o:30 a.m.): Manny and the tools reuse wood from an old shed to build a recycling storage area.

Special Agent Oso “Dr. Off”/License to Dress (8:00 a.m.): Addison is quick to volunteer to help her family keep from wasting power and water, and Oso helps her figure out where to start.

Playhouse Disney will encore green-themed episodes of "Special Agent Oso" and "Handy Mandy" Wednesday, April 22 (8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., ET/PT).

On FRIDAY, APRIL 17 (8:00-8:30 p.m. ET/PT) , catch a new green-themed episode of The Suite Life on Deck. In "Splash and Trash," Zack falls for Marissa, a girl who Woody believes is a mermaid. Cody tries to get the ship to "go green."

PBS KIDS Share the Earth Day

• This year, PBS KIDS will air special programming on Wednesday, April 22 (check local listings). The programming block for preschoolers will feature earth-friendly episodes from shows like Curious George, Super Why, and Sid the Science Kid. PBS KIDS GO! will feature themed episodes from Arthur and Cyberchase.

2009 Earth Friendly DVD Releases (now available on DVD):

• Handy Manny: Manny's Green Team: This DVD contains five episodes of Handy Manny, several of which focus on environmental related issues. The DVD also contains a game that helps kids learn about how they can help the environment.
• Schoolhouse Rock! Earth: The creators of the original Schoolhouse Rock! TV series have created new songs for today's kids featuring issues facing the world now. Schoolhouse Rock! Earth contains 13 animated songs (11 of them are new) about the environment and bein' green.
• Sesame Street: Being Green: Elmo and Abby get excited about helping the earth as they learn how to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
• Barbie Presents Thumbelina: Barbie tells the story of Thumbelina and the Twillerbees to a group of children who are planting trees to help the environment.

Earth Day Movie:

• Earth: The first film in the Disneynature series, Earth, narrated by JAMES EARL JONES, tells the remarkable story of three animal families and their amazing journeys across the planet we all call home. Opens in theaters on April 22.