The catchy theme song with its graphics zooming around and old fashioned jingle reminded me simultaneously of the Jetsons and the Flintstones. But after the first few seconds of the show, it was clear this program is on a different planet than those old cartoons.

The science lessons started nearly immediately. For the first episode we viewed, a few jokes about “rock concerts” and “rock candy” led to the Zula Patrol jumping into the “Multo-pedia” for a tutorial on the three different types of rocks and how they are formed. This knowledge was important for the members of the Zula Patrol in order to solve the episode’s mission.

Did you know that you can tell sedimentary rock by dropping it into vinegar to see if it bubbles? Nah, I didn’t. But my kids think this is cool. And I probably once knew that there are volcanoes on moons of other planets, but I hadn’t really thought of it until I saw the cartoon of one spouting snow on Io: gotta love the rapid temperature changes around Jupiter!

The science lessons aren’t fact after fact after fact; rather, there are comedic breaks between the more lecture-like material. These breaks further a secondary plot before the mission gets back on track.

Information is repeated several times, so even if a new vocabulary word isn’t immediately remembered, the term comes back again and again throughout the episode. I certainly wouldn’t have remembered “igneous rock” if it weren’t for repeated mentions of “Iggy the Igneous Rock.”

There are funny bits for those with a command of the lesson, such as “Marilyn the Metamorphic Rock” saying “I’ve been under a lot of pressure lately,” just minutes after Zeeter from the Zula Patrol explains that metamorphic rock is caused when different types of rocks are squeezed together.

The kids who make up the target audience of pre-K to 2nd grade are simultaneously interested and easily distracted. The fast-pace of the brightly colored cartoons keeps up the enthusiasm of the mission while the carefully crafted reinforcements of the material keep the information fresh.
At the end of the mission, the “Multo Moment” sums up the lessons, explaining how the scientific knowledge of the Zula Patrol helped save the day.

Next, the Zula Patrol grabs some popcorn and drinks, then sits down “Mystery Science Theater” style in front of a live-action video that recaps the scientific lessons they learned during their mission.

This program isn’t just child’s play: the advisory team is made up of impressively credentialed individuals, such as astronauts, astronomers, and rocket scientists. The mission behind the program of making science accessible to pre-K through second graders has been well-researched. My age-3 and age-6 kids gave the Zula Patrol their seal of approval.

The Zula Patrol website has a lot of information about the concept behind the Zula Patrol. There are games for kids, and a section for parents/teachers which includes such things as a list of “First Books” on a variety of different scientific topics or curriculum pages with ideas for hands-on activities that compliment the episodes.

Of course the main attraction is the show itself – check out your local listings to see when it plays in your area.