Dora the Explorer is a half-hour animated children's television series starring a 7-year-old Latina girl and her friends that first aired in 1999. It is aired not only on Nickelodeon, but CBS and Noggin too. The show is designed to actively engage preschoolers in a play-along, computer-style adventure.



Dora the Explorer tells the story of Dora Marquez who ventures forth on various simple but obstacle-filled quests. Dora involves the other protagonists and the viewer of the show in the quest. At the end of each episode, Dora celebrates the completion of the quest with a song ("We Did It") and asks what the viewer's favorite part of the adventure was. In the original episodes, Dora the Explorer was shown to live in a computer, but now she resides in a jungle with her family.



Dora speaks both Spanish and English. Dora's name is taken from the Spanish word Exploradora, which means "female explorer."

Boots is Dora's best friend on the show and a monkey. Some more recently produced episodes have introduced Dora's cousin Diego, who now has his own show (and website- see our Diego site!). Swiper is a villainous fox who appears in nearly every episode.



Dora the Explorer teaches children how to observe situations and solve problems as they explore Dora's world with her. Along the way, kids learn basic Spanish words and phrases, as well as math skills, music, and physical coordination. The show is highly interactive, and Dora's young viewers are encouraged throughout the show to respond to Dora and to actively participate in the adventure through physical movement.

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