Can you believe that we are saying goodbye to 2020? This year has surely brought its trials and tribulations but we are happy to reflect on the lessons we’ve learned from our friends Xavier, Yadina, and Brad and all of the amazing heroes they’ve met along the way.
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum offers relatable life lessons for parents and children who are maneuvering through their fears and challenges. With the help of the Secret Museum, they travel to the past where they observe, interact, and learn important lessons.
To reflect on this past year, we want to highlight just some of the key lessons we learned from Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum and look forward to another year of adventures with the gang!
MARIE CURIE
This year, Xavier, Yadina, and Brad met physicist and chemist Marie Curie who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. When Marie was young, her father brought home laboratory equipment that Marie used to build her own lab. Marie went on to continue learning and researching all about science and became the first person and only woman to win the Nobel prize not once, but twice.
Marie Curie paved the way for more girls to follow their dreams! She taught us all, especially women, that when you follow your dreams you can be and do whatever you want in life!
ALEXANDER HAMILTON
Alexander Hamilton was an American politician, legal scholar, military commander, lawyer, and economist. But more importantly, Alexander never turned down a new adventure! In the episode ‘I Am Alexander Hamilton’, Yadina joins Alexander aboard a boat sailing towards a new land. On their way, he becomes a Founding Father of the United States and mints the very first coin!
While trying new things can be daunting at times and going on new adventures can take you out of your comfort zone, Alexander Hamilton taught us that new adventures are exciting and can be very rewarding!
RACHEL CARSON
We all know how important it is to protect the environment and all the living things in it. Our next hero is credited with advancing the global environmental movement. Rachel Carson was an American marine biologist, author, and conservationist. Carson’s work on the natural world raised concerns about our environmental footprint for generations to come.
On one of their trips to the Secret Museum, Brad meets Rachel Carson as she protects the wetlands near her home and protects all of the amazing life found in the oceans. Rachel inspires Brad to learn how he can protect the species he cares about and even as a kid we can all help to protect the Earth.
What is one thing you’ve taught your little one to do to protect the Earth?
MAYA ANGELOU
One thing we can all agree on is that the words you use matter and can be very powerful. Maya Angelou was an American poet and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows. Angelou received awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. She even became the first female streetcar conductor in the 1940s.
When Xavier, Yadina, and Brad meet Maya Angelou they are reminded of the importance of using their words for the good rather than to harm others. When Xavier and Yadina are in the middle of a sibling fight, Maya Angelou reminds them to fill their hearts with love rather than to hurt one another. As a young girl, Maya Angelou reads every book in the library at night and shows the power that words can have!
While we say goodbye to another year of adventures with Xavier, Yadina, and Brad, we take away lifelong lessons and continue to implement them into our daily lives. Reminding our little ones about the affirmations shown within the show can aid in building up self-esteem, social-emotional skills and better prepare them for new challenges they face every day!
Join Xavier, Yadina, and Brad on their adventures on PBS KIDS and the PBS KIDS mobile app from your own home! Be sure to follow along for more historical adventures on Facebook and Instagram. Share your experiences learning with Xavier on social media and tag @XavierRiddleHQ!