FOR PARENTS:

Designed to teach children about science and technology, Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab introduces viewers to four extremely bright, curious, and adventuresome 12-year-olds – and their mentor, a virtual Thomas Edison. In each episode the young proto-scientists use science to thwart criminals, avert disaster, and pursue a wide array of amazing adventures.  Mr. Edison functions as guide and mentor, advising and encouraging, but never solving their problems.

Each episode uncovers an array of scientific facts (e.g., why a compass needle points north; how a fossil is formed; how to distinguish among different minerals), as well as how those facts can be gathered, and how they can be put to use to solve whatever problem/crisis/disaster the Edison kids face at the moment.  Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab is designed to teach young viewers scientific facts, by making it fun, exciting, relevant to their immediate lives … and most of all, cool.

Want to help?

• Watch with your child and talk about what you have seen; ask them to explain one of the episode’s concepts to you.
• If an episode contained a “hands-on” demonstration (e.g., how to build a basic compass; how to make a fossil), encourage young viewers to carry out the “experiments” themselves.
• Ask young viewers whether they have encountered topics/issues similar to those portrayed in a given episode in the classroom.
• Encourage young viewers to visit the Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab website and to try out some of its features.
• Take you child to visit a local museum, aquarium, or zoo.
• Household activities such as cooking, gardening, and home repairs can easily become at-home science projects; invite your child to participate and talk about the “science” in them.