Need Help?
PBS KIDS PLAY! Customer Service is available toll-free at 1-888-727-8085 or by email at support@pbskidsplay.org.
What is PBS KIDS PLAY!
1. Give me your "elevator pitch."
PBS KIDS PLAY! is the only online school readiness program that customizes the learning experience to your child's level across 20 different subject areas. Your subscription to PLAY! gets you access to more than 50 exclusive educational activities that you won't find anywhere else – and all of them match with national educational standards and benchmarks. PLAY! adjusts based on your child's individual learning achievements, unlocking exciting new challenges. A personal progress chart for each child shows the results as he or she advances through the curriculum. Plus, PLAY! has built-in safety features that prevent keyboard banging and give you the option to set a time limit… Ding!
2. Is PBS KIDS PLAY! right for my child?
PBS KIDS PLAY! is filled with exciting new challenges guided by PBS KIDS characters – and we add something new each week to keep your child engaged. Our games and activities cover a broad range of interests, from math and science to literacy and language development. You can try PBS KIDS PLAY! without entering a credit card number to see if it's right for your child.
3. How long does it take to get started playing?
Less than one minute. The only personal information we ask for is an email address that we use to ensure you have a unique user ID.
How It Works
4. Can I try PBS KIDS PLAY! for free?
You bet! Just go to pbskidsplay.org and click the large orange button to take it for a test drive. We think you'll love what PLAY! has to offer: It's a great tool for your child to learn in a fun, low-stress way. No strings attached.
5. Why doesn't PBS KIDS PLAY! take up the whole screen?
If your resolution is set at higher than 1024 x 768, PBS KIDS PLAY! will not stretch to fit your screen. If you wish to get a full-screen experience, just download and install our free Flash-based player. It will take under 30 seconds to download and it also adds a kid-friendly desktop icon. Go to Download Page >>
6. What kind of computer do I need?
PBS KIDS PLAY! requires a computer with a high-speed Internet connection. We recommend using a computer with a Pentium 4 (2.4 Ghz or above), PowerPC G5, or Core Duo processor. Your computer monitor must also support 1024 x 768 resolution.
7. Does PLAY! work on a Mac?
Yes. PLAY! runs on Mac OS X with Safari 2.x and 3.x or Firefox 2.x for Mac. Just go to pbskidsplay.org and click the large orange button.
8. Do I need to be online in order to use PBS KIDS PLAY!?
Yes, it requires a high-speed Internet connection at all times.
9. Can my child use these games independently or do I need to be there to help them?
We've designed PBS KIDS PLAY! so that children of ages 3 to 6 are able to play independently, to the extent that is possible with young children. Our goal is to help children to gain confidence with the computer and with the curriculum. However, each child may have different abilities and needs, so the only way to really evaluate this is to try it! Also consider using the "Take a Break" feature (built into PLAY!), which helps you better monitor your child's computer use.
10. How does it work if I have two or more kids?
You can create individual learning profiles for up to four children per account. If you have more than one computer, each child can play using his or her own profile at the same time.
11. Can I use my PBS KIDS PLAY! account from any computer?
You can start PBS KIDS PLAY! from any computer with a high-speed Internet connection by going to pbskidsplay.org and clicking the large orange button. We recommend using a computer with a Pentium 4 (2.4 Ghz or above), PowerPC G5, or Core Duo processor. If you are using PBS KIDS PLAY! for the first time on a new computer, after you click the button you will see a registration page. Just click the link "I already registered >>" on this page to sign in.
12. Can I use PBS KIDS PLAY! if I am not in the USA?
This service is offered to US customers only and requires a US billing address. Subscribers may continue to use the desktop version of PBS KIDS PLAY! while traveling or stationed abroad.
Free Trial
13. Do I need to give you my credit card to try it?
No. A lot of online services make you put in a credit card number just to try their service and then bill you when you forget to cancel. We're just not that mean.
14. Do I have to cancel the trial, or does it end automatically?
It ends automatically. Your trial starts after you create a free PBS KIDS PLAY! account. You will not be asked for a credit card and you will not be charged if you forget to cancel. You do not need to do anything to cancel the trial.
15. What happens after my trial period expires?
Nothing. No bills. No spam. But you won't be able to access our games or activities after the trial period is over. We will archive everything for you in case you decide to subscribe later. To subscribe after the trial expires, just sign into PLAY! and follow the instructions from there. Or, you can subscribe right from this website.
16. What does PBS do with the subscription fees?
By subscribing to PBS KIDS PLAY!, you are directly supporting PBS KIDS programming. As a non-profit public media organization, every dollar we make gets reinvested into creating more quality content that serves the needs of today's parents, caregivers and children.
Pricing and Payment
17. How much does PLAY! cost?
A subscription costs $9.95 per month (billed automatically each month), or you can purchase one year of service for $79 (billed only once).
18. I'm a member of a local PBS station. Do I get a discount?
All members of PBS stations are eligible for a $30 discount on PBS KIDS PLAY! Please contact your local station to obtain the discount code.
19. What forms of payment do you accept?
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express credit and debit cards. Charges will appear on your bill as "PBS KIDS PLAY!"
20. What is your cancellation policy?
You can cancel any time you like. If you're a trial user, since we don't ask for any credit card, we won't bill you if you forget to cancel. We'll just notify you that the trial is over. If you choose to subscribe, you may do so with either a month'to'month or annual plan. You may cancel either online or by phone, as you prefer. If you cancel the month'to'month plan, we will immediately stop charging any further monthly subscription fees. Your account will remain active until the end of the billing period (up to 30 days from cancellation). Please refer to our Terms of Service.
21. How do I change from a monthly to annual subscriber?
We plan to offer this option soon. In the meantime, you can email support@pbskidsplay.org with this request, but for your security please do NOT include your credit card number in the email.
22. How often will my credit card be charged?
That depends on the price plan that you select when you subscribe to PLAY!. If you sign up as a monthly subscriber, the day that you submit your credit card information is the day that you will be charged each month. You will be charged again on that day for every subsequent month unless you cancel your subscription. If you prefer to take advantage of the cost savings with the annual price plan, you will only be charged once unless and until you decide to renew.
Technical
23. How do I use my Activation Code?
If you registered for a trial before purchasing, just start PBS KIDS PLAY!, sign in, and click the link "I have an Activation Code >>" which should display toward the right side of the screen. After clicking the link, enter your 7-digit code. If you have not used PBS KIDS PLAY! before, go to pbskidsplay.org and click the large orange button. After the progress bar finishes you should see a screen that says "One-Step Registration." Click the link "I have an Activation Code >>" which should display toward the right side of the screen. After clicking the link, enter your 7-digit code, complete the remainder of the form, and click PLAY! to begin use.
24. I tried subscribing online, but it didn't work.
Please call us toll-free at (888) 727-8085. We are open 24 hours a day.
25. When I try to install the PBS KIDS PLAY! player, I get an error message that says, "You must be an administrator to install…"
On Windows XP and Vista, you may need what are called "administrative rights" to install software on your computer. Try logging off your computer and logging back in with an "admin" account. If another member of your household set up this computer, you may need to check with him or her about which account to use.
26. I'm getting an error message that says "Internet Connection Error."
This means that the Internet connection between your computer and the PBS KIDS PLAY! servers is not working properly. First, check to see if you can access the Web using a browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. If you can't get any Web access at all, the problem may be either with your computer setup or with your Internet service provider. If you are able to surf the Web and are experiencing the problem only with PBS KIDS PLAY!, please call us toll-free at (888) 727-8085.
27. I'm getting an error message that says "Server Communication Error."
This means that there is a temporary communication problem between your computer and the PBS KIDS PLAY! servers that is not related to your Internet connection. It could mean, for example, that your session timed out. Try restarting PBS KIDS PLAY!. If that fails, please call us toll-free at (888) 727-8085.
PBS KIDS PLAY! Features:
- PBS KIDS PLAY! is a safe desktop environment that runs full-screen and does not allow sharing of personal information or any communications among users.
- Parents can pre-set a timer to enforce breaks and limit their child's time on the computer.
- The learning games adapt to each child based on his or her individual progress, unlocking exciting new content as the child advances.
- PBS KIDS characters suggest games and activities appropriate to the child's skill level in order to keep kids challenged and engaged.
- Children can save and edit creative projects, such as drawings and musical compositions.
- PBS KIDS PLAY! streams selected PBS KIDS television episodes on demand inside of a child-friendly Flash player.
- Text-free navigation enables pre-readers to navigate PBS KIDS PLAY!.
- A personal "favorites" list, showing thumbnail images of each activity, makes it easy to bookmark activities and find them later. Parents can also view recently-played activities.
- Technical support is available 24/7 via toll-free phone and email.
Types of Educational Games to Play
- Logic & Problem-Solving Games
- Math Games
- Music Games
- Pattern-Matching Games
- Phonics Games
- Puzzle Games
- Reading Games
- Science Games
- Shapes Games
- Spelling Games
- Story Games
- and much, much more!
