Kids are natural scientists, constantly exploring the world around them. The Cat in the Hat Builds That! supports children’s understanding of science concepts, and involves them in doing science using the engineering design process! Your child will travel to fantastical worlds with the Cat in the Hat, and learn right alongside Nick and Sally. The games in this app encourage kids to ask questions, experiment, tinker, and make mistakes; all while building problem solving and science inquiry skills.

Communicate and Collaborate

Bridge-a-rama: The dragon is trying to get to a birthday party in Spansylvania, but how will he get there? Be an engineer and build some bridges to help him!

Improve

Encourage your child to think how they can keep improving their bridge for the dragon. Whenever they create – in the game or at home – with real world objects like blocks, ask: “Is your bridge long enough? Strong enough? Where does it need more support under it?” Test your bridge and keep trying new things together, to make it better.

Create

Slidea-ma-zoo: Ready, set, slide! Thing 1 and Thing 2 have a series of slippery challenges at the Frictionarium Slide Park. Change Nick and Sally’s slide height and texture, until it’s ready for the slide racing challenge!

Cheer your child on as they modify the height and texture of their slide, and test it in the racing challenge. Sometimes the challenge is to go faster down the slide and sometimes it’s to go slower, or to match the other slide’s speed. This helps your child think more flexibly, as there are different ways to define the problem, and they require different solutions. You can point out how it’s okay to not always get it on the first try, but that’s part of the fun! The goal is to try out different possibilities and test them. Hint: Sometimes more than one solution works!

Test

Sorta-ma-gogo: Whoops! That silly ToBorrowland ram keeps knocking things out of the Borrowing Truck – what a mess! Use your sorting skills and help Nick and Sally put everything back before the Truck reaches the next station.

Define a problem

Gather up the right things. Then take a closer look - there are many different ways to sort those things! Use the Flinga-ma-jigger to sort by color, shape, use, or texture.

By Defining the Problem your child can work with Nick and Sally to think carefully about how they can successfully restore order in ToBorrowland! Encourage your child to identify how many ways there are to sort a single object. Take a closer look!


Scientists use tools to explore, help solve a problem, plan, create or share their observations! Here are some of the tools your child will encounter in The Cat in the Hat Builds That.

Measuring Snail - How will you know if something is going to fit? Measure it with the Measuring Snail!

Micro-ma-boodle - Sometimes it helps to take a closer look. The magnifying Micro-ma-boodle lets you see texture.

Snap-o-Rama camera - Documenting what you learn is an important part of doing science! Take some pictures, then go back and see what you learned in the photo album in the treehouse.

Test

Doodle-ma-boodle - Sketching can help you share and remember your ideas, as well as Imagine & Plan what you want to do!


Playing games will unlock open-ended free play areas in the Backyard, where your child will be able to explore and play creatively with all the parts of the game. What will they imagine, plan, test, improve, and create?

Everyone learns better when they experience what they’ve learned in a few different ways! Check out the Fun Things to Do, found in the treehouse. There, you will find suggestions for ways to extend play beyond the screen, at home or around the neighborhood! See how the science you learn with The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That shows up in the real world around you!

CREDITS

The Cat in the Hat Builds That! is produced by:

PBS Random House Children's Books Curious Media

Funding provided in part by:

The Department of Education The Corporation for Public Broadcasting

The contents of this program were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. PR/AWARD NUMBER U295A150003, CFDA No. 84.295A