Go Wild: 8 Wild Kratts Science Games

Wild Kratts LIVE! 2.0 brought the action of the show right to my kids. Just like on TV, Chris and Martin shared their knowledge about animals and their creature powers. They fought pesky Zachbots and encouraged kids to think about the environment. My kids left, asking how they could dive into the fun of the show right from home.

The Wild Kratts games offer a perfect blend of fun and learning. These eight awesome games, available online or on the free PBS KIDS Games App, allow kids to embark on their own Creature Adventures while learning about animals and the world we share with them.

1. World Rescue Game: The newest Wild Kratts game is here! In this game, Zach’s Zachbots are destroying different habitats around the world! Only Chris and Martin can help. By playing this game, kids will learn about animals all over the globe. After playing, take a walk with your kids to see how their newfound knowledge comes to life in the real world. Try asking your kids questions such as, "What did you notice about the squirrels we spotted?" or "Why were the ants gathering around on the sidewalk?"

2. Archerfish Bug Rush: Archerfish are amazing creatures with amazing Creature Powers: They come to the water’s surface and spit at bugs, shooting them down into the water. Play along with Martin and Chris and see if you can spit down the bugs! (If you’re in the Midwest and parts of the Southwest this summer, this is an especially fun activity. Pair this game with the emergence of a brood of cicadas. Could archerfish shoot down cicadas? Yes! And with cicadas everywhere, any archerfish in the area will have a feast.)

3. Aviva’s Powersuit Maker: Some of my kids’ favorite books involve mismatching different animal parts to get strange new creations. The head of a shark plus the body of an octopus makes a sharktopus! Aviva’s Powersuit Maker allows kids to use their imagination when mixing and matching different Creature Powers. Combine a dragonfly's wings, an eagle's head, and a skunk's feet. Have fun making creative creature combinations! After playing, take your imagination a step further. Have kids pretend to wear their suits. Can they act out their mismatched creations? Continue the fun by helping them build their own costume.

4. Amazin’ Amazon Adventure: Aviva needs information to build new Creature Power Discs. In this fun game, kids learn about animals in the Amazon rainforest. This is a great game to try before exploring your own backyard for creatures.

5. Cats and Dogs: Did you know that wild animals related to cats and dogs can act very similar to your pets? Discover the similarities and differences between your kitty and a savannah lion. Find out what separates the household puppy from an African wild dog. Then, if you want to keep the baby animal love going even more, you can try the Wild Kratts Baby Buddies app. In this app, you’ll learn to take care of wild baby animals, including many favorites from the show including Thornsley the baby Elephant and Maze the baby zebra.

6. Monkey Mayhem: If your kids are fans of platform video games, you’ll love Monkey Mayhem. Platform video games are two-dimensional games like Nintendo’s original Super Mario or Donkey Kong games that involve characters moving across, up, and down on a series of platforms. In Monkey Mayhem, kids will help Chris and Martin catch the bananas. Then, change up the style of each level with your level editor. By changing what the course looks like each time, kids have a chance to add their own spin to a fun game.

7. Creature Power Suit: Underwater Challenge: Who’s ready for a challenge? In this tricky game, Aviva has lost her machine parts in the ocean, and the Wild Kratts need to use the Creature Powers of underwater animals to retrieve them. After that, try making your own paper plate aquarium.

8. Creature Mobile: Kids always on the go? Let them race on over to Aviva’s Creature Mobile game. Pick a terrain to race in, and then add creature abilities based on that environment — otter powers for water, rabbit powers for land, and more! If you remember which animals do best in certain terrains, you can beat Zach. Zach’s so slow he’ll seem like a snail…and you can celebrate by making the learning experience even more engaging.

However you play, go wild this summer, and keep on Creature Adventuring!