New Thomas & Friends Videos Teach Preschoolers Important Concepts

Disclosure: This is a post sponsored by Mattel.

Use the new Thomas & Friends videos to teach preschoolers about Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in order to make the world a better place by becoming global citizens. This means teaching young children about caring for others and the world. More precisely, it is 17 learning objectives related to health, education, environment, poverty, and gender equality.

Thomas is a beloved character who preschool children already know and love. So having him introduce these global concepts is a terrific way to introduce the information. (And, the new videos are short and sweet — about 1 – 2 minutes.)

New Thomas & Friends Videos Teach Preschoolers Important Concepts

The United Nations, Olivia Wilde, and Thomas & Friends want to help inspire and enlarge children’s worlds. As we know, kids’ worlds start out small — which is, of course, developmentally appropriate. And as children grow up, we can help them consider other people and the world around them. This enlarges their worlds and helps them learn about creating a better world for us all. These videos will help start important conversations about issues facing our world right now.

You’ll find six new videos with conversation starters, play tips, and activities to learn some of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Here are the topics in these new Thomas & Friends videos:

Quality Education

Gender Equality

Clean Water and Sanitation

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Responsible Consumption and Production

Life on Land

You can watch the short Thomas & Friends videos on the website, All Aboard For Global Education.

As I mentioned, each video comes with parent tips including the goals, conversation starters, and play ideas. The videos are a combination of animation and real-life footage.

For example, on the topic of “Quality Education”, you’ll watch the Thomas & Friends video as well as read the goals and extension ideas for the topic. Here’s what you’ll find:

What is the Goal: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

What is My Child Learning?

Importance of learning
Empathy for others
Approaches to learning
Creativity and innovation

Conversation Starters:

Tell me what Thomas said about schools?
Does everyone go to school? Why is it hard for some children to go to school?
What are some fun things that can happen at school?
How can learning something help you?

Playful Learning

Invite others into your classroom so they can learn, too.
For very young children, keep it simple with a 4-5 piece puzzle or have the stuffed animals sit in a circle as you play with a ball or blocks.
For older children, create a project together such as a number line to decorate your “classroom” or have them read to you.

Each Thomas & Friends video is like this with an abundance of parent tips!

Share your experience using the hashtag: #AllAboardForGlobalGoals. Don’t forget to tag Thomas & Friends on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Help your children become global citizens with new knowledge from Thomas & Friends and the United Nations. Check out all the videos and additional information here.