5 Things My Children Learned from Dora the Explorer
You’ve probably heard a lot of animated voices if you have young children in your house. The cheery “!Hola!” is a familiar sound for many. “Soy Dora!” has become as familiar to many of us as the smell of WeetBix first thing in the morning. If your child has ever woken up before dawn, Dora the Explorer could have been your accidental parenting partner — a colourful character whose perky vocals gave you enough time to prepare a cup (and perhaps even drink it hot).
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When Dora the Explorer arrived at our home, I wasn’t impressed. Just another children’s show, I thought. I thought it was just another kids’ show.
She was not just entertaining my children — she taught them. Not in a boring, preachy “lesson of today” manner. Dora’s jungle adventures were filled with exciting language, math, and social-emotional learning. Over the years, I have watched my daughters grow and learn with Dora. Although they have moved on to other movies, shows, and hobbies, the impact of Dora the Explorer is still felt.
Here are five things that my children learned from Dora, and why she will forever hold a special spot in our family’s memories.
1. Learn Spanish with a Head Start
I’ll always remember the day that my two-year-old daughter shouted¡ Vamonos!” while she ran down the hall in search of a shoe. She didn’t know what it meant – not really – but her enthusiasm was genuine. It was all because of Dora.
Dora incorporated Spanish vocabulary in every episode, from “gracias,” “adios,” “rojo,” and “azul” to “rojo” and “azul,” as if they were breadcrumbs. It was not just the fact that my daughter learned these words, but also that she remembered them. Years later, she still shouts, “Hola!” whenever she sees an English menu in Spanish or sings her backpack song.
Dora’s repetition isn’t a gimmick, it’s an excellent pedagogical device. Repetition is a great tool for young children because it helps them retain and process new information. Dora took full advantage of this by introducing the Spanish words repeatedly until they became second nature.
Our daughter was enrolled in a Spanish class before school during her kindergarten years. Guess what? She knew most of the words from Dora. Although it wasn’t an extensive vocabulary, it was enough for her to feel confident and comfortable.
2. The ABCs and Why They’re More Fun in Song
Before Dora, we learned the alphabet by reading picture books or singing that old “A-B-C-D” tune. Dora made it an interactive experience. The letters of the alphabet were transformed into characters with sing-alongs and alphabet games. They also had themed quests involving spelling out clues.
One episode in particular became a favorite — the one where Dora, Boots, and the missing alphabet letters had to be returned to the alphabet book. My daughter would repeat the names and sounds of the letters as Dora read them.
Sincerity be damned, I never expected my early-riser to learn the ABCs by watching a TV show. She did, and she did it with enthusiasm. She did more than just memorize the alphabet. She understood its order, could recognize the letters in books, and even pointed them out at the grocery store. This foundational literacy was sparked by an animated cartoon. It gave her an advantage when she entered preschool.
Dora is not a replacement for phonics or bedtime books. Far from it. It’s incredible how much learning can be retained when delivered in the form of a story or song.
3. Counting
Dora’s uncanny knack for making counting fun would be her superpower. Every journey involved counting, whether it was crossing bridges or gathering coconuts.
My daughters loved it.
Dora did not just count the things once, she counted them again and again. She gave the kids plenty of time to answer and invited them to count with her. The animation reinforced the lesson with vivid visuals, which helped to link numbers with objects.
I was able to see the results for myself. I saw the results first-hand.
Counting along with Dora was a regular activity. Everything became a mini-math lesson, whether it was bath toys, blocks, or blueberries. Not the stressful kind, but the one filled with excitement and joy.
4. The Power of Friendship and Teamwork
Dora is not alone on her adventures. Boots, Map, Backpack, and Diego, her cousin, are all with Dora on adventures. Together they solve puzzles and escape traps. They also outwit Swiper. Every time, it’s a group effort.
My girls began to see what friendship was like after watching Dora. They learned to work together and listen to one another. These early lessons of empathy and collaboration were carried into their play.
Both of my daughters once had an imaginary friend who looked remarkably like the Dora crew. “Boots”, the Dora crew, would join us for tea. The map helped them find the toys under their bed. Even in the backyard, they had mini-adventures, following imaginary arrows, and chanting, “Swiper! No swiping!” to the cat.
Lessons go deeper than play. They were naturally drawn to group activities and showed patience with others who struggled. They also quoted Dora’s encouragements, such as “You can do this!” or “We have done it!”
Did Dora alone have these social skills in her possession? Most likely not. She helped.
5. Girls Can Do Anything
Dora is a woman who has a certain empowering quality. She doesn’t sit around waiting for someone else to rescue her. Instead, she gets up and makes a plan. She is confident, brave, intelligent, and kind. She climbs mountains and crosses rivers while remaining positive.
What’s the best part of all? She doesn’t make a big fuss about being “a boy doing girl things”; she just does it. No fuss. No gender restrictions. No pink glitter required.
Dora was a role model for my daughters without me even trying. She taught them that girls can explore, solve challenges, lead, learn other languages, befriend pets, and tackle any challenge. She did all of this without losing her cheerfulness or kindness.
She didn’t insult or fight him, even though Swiper said that she did. She set boundaries and stuck to her word. What a great life lesson!
Dora Today: The Joy of Nostalgia
My daughters have moved past their Dora phase. They’re now more interested in graphic novels, Roblox, and arguing about which Marvel superhero they think would win a fight. But what about the Dora DVDs, then? The Dora DVDs are still on the shelf. What about the floor puzzle? The floor puzzle? Every so often, I catch them sneaking episodes onto the tablet and laughing at how small and familiar everything feels.
We went to see the live-action film Dor and the Lost City of Gold as a whole family. We went to see the movie together, not because our children were Dora-obsessed at that time — but because all of us had fond memories. It was amazing to see that brave little girl take on the world once again, this time with teenage angst. She even has a backpack that talks.
I’ll Always Be Grateful for Dora
Over the years, we’ve seen our fair share of annoying kids’ shows. You know them — they’re overly loud, annoying, or just plain strange. Dora the Explorer was not one of those. She was educational, entertaining, and helpful to me as a mother.
She taught my daughters how to read and write, gave them their first experience with another language, nd helped them develop their literacy skills. She also opened a window for friendship and problem-solving. She gave me something more personal – ten quiet minutes in the morning, and the knowledge that my children were learning as I drank my tea.
Here’s Dora, with a map in hand, a backpack full, and a head wide open. We did it, indeed.
Would you like to have a printable Dora-themed activity sheet (such as a list of Spanish words for beginners, a game that counts, or a map-making activity for children)? Please let me know – I would be happy to make one!
