Splash and Bubbles for Parents¶
Product or Programme · All products and programmes
Evidence · 7 claims (4 for, 3 mixed) · 1 study (1 design),q2· 0 of 1 report an effect size · 7 claims rest on one study
Description¶
A PBS KIDS companion app for the Splash and Bubbles television series that supports joint parent-child viewing, science-related conversation, and hands-on activities.
Components¶
- Splash and Bubbles for Parents second-screen app: A second-screen digital resource designed to work alongside the Splash and Bubbles ocean science television show, aimed at "supporting and promoting science-rich talk between adults and children and facilitating joint engagement with media." It provides related content, conversation starters for before, during, and after viewing (separate first- and repeat-viewing prompts), and Activity Cove hands-on activities. An Automatic Content Recognition feature syncs the app to the episode being watched so parents can access related content easily. (Dominguez et al. (2021))
- Splash and Bubbles for Parents app with three sections (Dive In, Ocean Guide, Activities) and a sync feature: The Splash and Bubbles for Parents app is a second-screen digital resource providing conversation starter ideas, video clips, ocean animal and environment information, and hands-on activities for families to explore ocean science together while watching the Splash and Bubbles show. It includes three main sections: Dive In (with Let's Talk About It conversation starters, We'll Learn About science themes, Characters, and Clips), Ocean Guide (Featured, Characters, Environments, Topics, and Clips), and Activities (hands-on learning with a Snap It photo component). A sync feature uses ACR technology to automatically sync to the episode being watched. The station study examined what supports famil (Leones et al. (2021))
- Second-screen app structure with episode-synced conversation starters, hands-on activities, and a topical guide: A reusable design pattern for family joint media engagement apps: a second-screen resource that syncs to episode content and organizes support into a Dive In section with per-episode conversation starters, science themes, characters, and clips; hands-on Activities connecting science ideas to everyday experiences; and an Ocean Guide with environments, topics, and clips. The app "includes detailed information about the science concepts in the show, allows parents to easily access ideas for conversation during or after they watch the show with their children, and provides hands-on activities." (Digital Promise et al. (2021))
Claims¶
- Nearly all participating families reported using the Splash and Bubbles for Parents app and found it helpful for supporting children's science learning [+W]
- Families used multiple sections of the Splash and Bubbles for Parents app, with Dive In the most used and Let's Talk About It conversation starters rated most helpful within it [+W]
- Families showed widespread variability in which Ocean Guide and Activities components they found most helpful, often citing child age and interest [~W]
- Attrition in the station study was higher than expected, and partial-data families rated app components slightly lower than complete-data families [~W]
- Most families used the Activities section and rated it highly helpful, with many completing two or more activities [+W]
- In interviews, families who used the app's features more extensively seemed to have better internalized its purpose, and those who explored it most reported stronger self-reported changes in joint media engagement and science [+W]
- Sync feature uptake declined between survey and interview, with non-users citing unawareness, technical difficulties, or single-device viewing [~W]
Related Products and Programmes¶
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Key Sources¶
- Dominguez, X., Rood, E., Kamdar, D., Leones, T., & Huynh, K. (2021). Splash and Bubbles for Parents App: Field Study Report [Project Report]. Digital Promise. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/119
- Leones, T., Kamdar, D., Huynh, K., Gedney, M., & Dominguez, X. (2021). Splash and Bubbles for Parents App: Station Study Report [Project Report]. Digital Promise. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/120
- Digital Promise, The Jim Henson Company, Concord Evaluation Group, & Curious Media. (2021). Designing an app to support families' joint engagement with media: Design principles and lessons from research. [White Paper]. Digital Promise. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/121
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
product |
id |
splash-and-bubbles-for-parents |
title |
Splash and Bubbles for Parents |
description |
A PBS KIDS companion app for the Splash and Bubbles television series that supports joint parent-child viewing, science-related conversation, and hands-on activities. |
status |
review |
moved_from |
design/second-screen-family-jem-app-pattern, element/splash-and-bubbles-for-parents-app, element/splash-bubbles-parents-app-element |
product_kind |
software |
generated |
by process:sweep-kinds on 2026-10-10 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
3 — dominguez-2021, leones-2021, digital-promise-2021 |
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