PBS Kids

Background
PBS Kids is a children's programming block on PBS and 24-hour digital channel. For the IDs used on PBS Kids, see PBS Kids.

1st Logo (August 30, 1993-November 15, 1999)
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Visuals: On a white background, we see some crudely drawn P-heads, dubbed the "P-Pals." The first of them resembles Pernell; it is wearing a red cap and an earring. The P-Pals sing, "This is! P-B-SSSSSS!" (the "P-B-SSSSSS!" part of which is done by a female choir) while dancing and changing patterns. Near the end, the P-Pals raise their arms in the air and the first P-Pal ad-libs "Woo-hoo-hooooo!" a la Michael Jackson as its cap flies off. Then, the word "serif" in the same font as the 3rd PBS logo fades in as the cap drops back on its head, and an orange P-shaped dog, P-Pet, runs across the screen and barks, then walks away.

Trivia:
 * The logo was designed and animated by Gene Mackles and Chris Pullman at WGBH Boston using Macromedia Director on Macintosh computers. This is the same team that did the animations for Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? and the "Rebus" spot for PBS Online.
 * Allusions are made to both the 4th and 5th PBS logos. When P-Pet runs across the screen as PBS fades in, it's a reference to the spectral lines of the 4th logo. The finished product closely resembles that of the 5th logo.

Variants:
 * There is a variation where the dog gives the first P-Pal a dark blue balloon with the text "Comic Sans MS" (pronounced "ee-eye", short for "Educational and Informative") on it in Comic Sans, which was added in 1997, a year after the 6th PBS ident debuted.
 * Sometimes, the logo fades out after the P-Pet barks.
 * There is a variation where the camera quickly goes through a doorway on a black background and the three color-changing P-heads are seen against the white background, with confetti falling from the top, and all three P-heads yell "Surprise!" and cheer with loud party horns heard in the background. There is no text. This was a short-lived version and was usually played in-between shows as a promo.
 * There is a long version of the "Surprise!" variant which first takes place on a black background. The door opens and closes as one of the P-Pals, Penny, peeks in and out. P-Pet (from the standard version) walks through the screen and into the door. Then another P-Pal, Pete, peeks in and out from the above. Then the door opens and we proceed into the animation above.
 * There is another variant of this long version, where the animation is believed to come from. During the above animation, some kids say "The P-Pals are coming!" various times. Then, before the door opens, they say "Who are the P-Pals?" After the P-Pals yell "Surprise," they shout "The P-Pals are coming!" one last time, and one of the kids says "Watch for them!"
 * On a 1994 episode of In the Mix, the logo looks a bit washed out, with the brightness and contrast pumped up in excess.
 * There is a variant where we see a bird's-eye-view of the "PTV Park" setting, which starts with a sign that says "PTV" in its corporate font being guarded by two P-Pals named Polly and Pernell. The camera flies in under the sign so we get a good view of everything: lots of P-Pals doing their own activities, multicolored P-Pal-style drawings of the Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood sets, and carnival-themed structures. We head towards a periwinkle tent with a red top and a movie screen is on it (resembling old commercial tents where people used to go see movies in the 1930s) and the regular ID plays (minus the "This Is...!" part).

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A techno-pop tune with a synth-horn, drums and a bass, as well as the P-Pals singing their lines. The drum machine was a Roland R-8.
 * The "Surprise!" variation just has loud party horns and cheering, in the voices of characters from PTV shows (like Big Bird and Elmo from Sesame Street). The long versions of the "Surprise!" variation have giggling and a door creaking.
 * The "PTV Park" variant features a playful, circus-like tune with bongos, marimba and electric piano, as well as a kid's voice saying "Hi, you're in PTV Park on..." before continuing into the theme from the regular logo.

Availability:
 * It appeared on PBS Kids shows from the era, such as Sesame Street, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Wishbone, Arthur, and The Magic School Bus among others, but it's usually been replaced with newer logos since then. So, at this rate, your best bet is checking old recordings, along with a selection of PBS Home Video releases from the late '90s.
 * This can be seen on video releases of Theodore Tugboat, Zoom (1999 version) including Party with Zoom and The Making of Zoom, Arthur, and early Teletubbies tapes from Warner Home Video; the Paramount re-release of "Here Come the Teletubbies" on VHS from 2004 preserves this, while the DVD release from that same year has the 1999 PBS Kids logo instead.
 * The original version of this logo is also preserved on some PolyGram Video releases of Wishbone episodes, including "Salty Dog" and "Terrified Terrier", though it's missing on "The Prince and the Pooch", "The Slobbery Hound", and "Twisted Tail".
 * When Sprout (now Universal Kids) aired Barney and Friends episodes from the era, this logo was edited out.
 * The "Surprise!" variants were only used for a year or two; however, the short variant was used on IPTV well into 1999 and UNC-TV until late 2001. According to a YouTube commenter, this variant was on a tape of The Huggabug Club called "A Cuddly Christmas"; this is disputed because the series was distributed by American Public Television instead of PBS.
 * The logo made its first appearance on the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood week "Mister Rogers Talks About Then and Now", and the E/I variant first appeared on The Magic School Bus episode "Meets Molly Cule".
 * The 1993 variant appeared on Twitch.tv's prints of various Mister Rogers' Neighborhood episodes from the era, as well as Episode #1643 from 1991 and the 1997 E/I variant appeared on Twitch.tv prints of many episodes that were created between 1997 and 1999.
 * The last known appearance of this logo on television was in 2005 on ETPTV after an episode of Square One TV Math Talk. This logo was used on WIPR-TV well into 2002. The last known new program to use this logo was the In the Mix episode "Cliques: Behind the Labels", broadcast on November 15, 1999.
 * On Adventures from the Book of Virtues, the original version appeared on the three-part primetime premiere (it was plastered by the 1996 PBS logo on the individual rebroadcasts the next year, which additionally have an added funding credit for public television viewers that wasn't on the primetime premiere versions), and the later version appeared on all episodes of the second season; among those episodes featured in the three-part primetime premiere, it's been confirmed to appear on a Reader's Digest-branded videocassette of "Courage", where the opening PBS logo is replaced by an opening graphic for Reader's Digest.
 * The standard 1993 variant is also retained on Amazon Video's print of Sesame Street Stays Up Late and also appeared on the VHS of Barney's First Adventures after the PolyGram Television logo.
 * Most master tapes of The Magic School Bus also have this logo, with the exceptions of "Gets Lost in Space", "Hops Home", and "In the Arctic." It doesn't appear on the KidVision or Warner Home Video releases, as they go straight from the closing funding credits to the book promo at the end of each episode.
 * On Shining Time Station, it plasters the 3rd and 4th PBS logos on "Things That Go Ga-Hooga in the Night" and "Is This the End?"
 * On pledge programming, this appears on Barney Celebrates Children and Barney Live in New York City. This does not, however, appear on Elmopalooza, which uses the 1998 PBS logo instead.
 * The PTV Park variant was retired with the "e/i" version of the normal logo being introduced in 1997. It was seen at the end of some broadcasts of Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, but was only occasionally seen in-between shows like the "Surprise!" variant.
 * This logo did not appear on the first season of Dragon Tales, which used the 1999 PBS Kids logo instead.

Legacy: Fondly remembered by many who grew up with this logo, especially Arthur fans. Others may have been scared or annoyed by the loud music and flashing effects, and (for the latter) its plastering of older logos. The "Surprise!" variant is known for startling many due to the quick zoom and even more rapid flashing colors, which may be why it was short-lived.

2nd Logo (July 11, 1994-1997)


Visuals: Over footage of kids in red and blue uniforms swinging jump ropes around, the P-head zooms in, facing left as it did until 1984. Then a stylized T, looking like three red dots across with three red dots below, zooms similarly, followed by a green square with a cutout V.

Trivia: The drum break used in this logo is known as the Funky Drummer break, originating from the drum break performed by Clyde Stubblefield in the James Brown single "Funky Drummer" (1970). The sample also appears as the first sample on the first track of "Zero-G Datafile" (1990), volume one.

Technique: Live action and computer-generated animation.

Audios: A drum beat, with an announcer calling out each letter as they appear.

Availability: This logo and other similar spots appeared following shows aimed at older children during the era, such as Reading Rainbow and reruns of Square One TV.

1st Logo (September 6, 1999-2014)
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Visuals:
 * Dash / Boy: On a lime green background, we see a close-up of an eye. The eye blinks. After that, the camera zooms out to reveal a boy (officially given the name Dash in 2006) wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt. Then, he points his finger in the head and scratches his head trying to think about something. A great big smile on his face appears and says “Doink!”, and then the background becomes a green circle with his face on it on a pink striped background, and a white thought bubble appears with the letters "PBS" growing until they reach the bubble. The URL address for PBS Kids appears at the bottom left corner of the screen.
 * Dot / Girl: On the same lime green background as the boy, there is a pathway at the bottom of the screen, and a girl (officially named Dot in 2007) runs up to the screen, wearing a long sleeved pink-striped shirt, black pants and white shoes. Once she reaches the screen, a great big smile on her face appears. A circle zooms out on a white background with moving pink, yellow and blue lines. A white thought bubble appears with the letters "PBS" growing until they reach the bubble. The URL address for PBS Kids appears at the bottom left corner of the screen.

Trivia:
 * This logo was designed by Richard McGuire (an artist that creates PBS Kids-style characters for the magazine The New Yorker, although he has created PBS Kids-style characters long before this logo was introduced) and Bob Shea for Lee Hunt Associates; the company was acquired by Razorfish in December 1999.
 * The boy and girl were modeled after Lee Hunt's two children, who also appeared in a PBS Kids image spot.
 * For their first few weeks, these two IDs were used in tandem with the first logo. Eventually, they replaced the first logo. However, some PBS stations used the previous logo until 2002.

Variants:
 * There is a variation of this logo used for international prints of PBS Kids shows. In this variant, the background is black, the entire logo is removed (except for the word "PBS") and the words "Comic Sans MS" in the Comic Sans font are seen above the word "PBS". This variant appears instead of the funding credits and the end of international prints of most PBS Kids shows. The start of the international prints of PBS Kids shows cut out the funding credits entirely, meaning it goes straight into the respective show's intro.
 * On VHS and DVD releases of PBS Kids shows, the word "kidsvideo" appears below the logo. Both Dot and Dash were used for both variants. It was used until late 2013, with the regular Dash logo being used on several DVDs of PBS Kids shows. It was replaced with the 2013 logos on post-2014 DVDs.
 * A variant used for a trailer advertising DVDs of PBS Kids shows exists; here, the Dot variant is used and an iris-out effect appears once Dot smiles.
 * A variant exists where the Dash variant is with green borders and is in widescreen. This was seen on the DVD preview of WordWorld.

Technique: 2D animation (digitally colored and composited with USAnimation software) by Passion Pictures and King Camera for Lee Hunt Associates.

Audio: A tongue rolling sound, then a catchy four-note a cappella tune sung by a specific gender of kids, depending on each variant; the Dot variant has a chorus of young girls, and the Dash variant has a chorus of young boys. At the end of both (and other variants) idents, a "doink" sound is heard and they all end up eventually singing the company name. In both variants, a bubbling sound is heard when the thought bubble appears.

Audio Trivia: These IDs were composed by Baron & Baron.

Audio Variants:
 * The trailer variant uses a synthesized dance-pop theme with a male voiceover asking, "Did you know that your favorite PBS Kids programs are now available on DVD?".
 * For the "kidsvideo" version of the Dash variant, the music from the Dot variant is used for some reason, most likely due to an audio error.
 * Another variant has the Dot variant using the music from the Dash variant.
 * Another version of Dash's "kidsvideo" variant used the right music (meaning that it used the music from Dash's variant). This was discontinued in 2007.
 * On a Maya & Miguel DVD, the international variant uses the PBS Kids Go! music.
 * None, or the closing theme of the respective show for the international variant.

Availability:
 * While seen on older prints of PBS Kids shows, it is becoming hard to find on TV, as many of the shows that used it were either "repackaged" (plastered) by prints containing the 2013 and 2022 logos, or were taken off of PBS stations completely, though given its very long run of 15 years, it shouldn't be too hard to find on your old VHS tapes and/or your home video releases.
 * Also, this logo plastered the 1993 logo on some prints of PBS Kids programs, though other prints, however, used the 1993 logo until 2002.
 * The "kidsvideo" variant can be seen on Caillou, Theodore Tugboat, Zoboomafoo and Teletubbies DVDs and tapes from Warner Home Video and Paramount Home Entertainment, but the Dot variant was dropped starting with the PBS Kids 3 pack DVD set in October 2006.
 * The standard/regular variants are a little harder to find on DVD, but the Dot variant can be found on DVD releases of Between the Lions and Dragon Tales, while the Dash variant can be found on a couple of DVDs of Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat, particularly "Great Purr-Formances".
 * A few episodes of the teen program In the Mix also ended with this logo.
 * This doesn't appear on international prints of PBS Kids programs, as it is replaced alongside the funding credits by the International variant. Said variant can be found on Clifford the Big Red Dog tapes and Maya & Miguel DVDs from Artisan Home Entertainment/Lionsgate.
 * Appears on numerous 1979-2001 episodes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood on Twitch.tv, often plastering older logos. On the 2017 PBS rebroadcast of the latter, the Dash variant was preserved on Episodes #1465 (followed by a period promo from 1979 for an educational booklet made as a tie-in to the week's episodes), #1475, #1644 (marking the logo's first national appearance in years), #1653, #1655, #1695, #1709, and #1716, and the Dot variant was preserved on Episodes #1652, #1721, #1755, and #1756. In September of 2018, PBS began re-using older prints of these episodes, so both variants were still intact on their respective episodes until the show was repackaged in October 2021 removing both logos and replacing them with 2013 logos.
 * Though the logo was first seen on Dragon Tales (which premiered on September 6, 1999), promos for the show ran as early as the first week of September 1999 (when the P-Pals branding and logo were still in use), as seen here.
 * The Dash variant was preserved on reruns of The Berenstain Bears, though many PBS stations have removed the show.
 * Though the logo stopped being used regularly in 2008, it continued to be used as a secondary ID on reruns of older PBS Kids shows until 2013, when it was replaced with the 2013 logos on the many rebroadcasts of those shows, and on 2000-2014 home video releases of PBS Kids shows, when it was replaced by the 2013 logos on post-2014 releases.

Legacy: A very well-known logo and one that is fondly remembered by many for its art style and quirky, experimental music. It can be seen as annoying by some for how long it lasted and plastered older logos, though. It is also a common subject of "logo edits (also known as "Effects")" on YouTube.

2nd Logo (1999; September 4, 2000-August 31, 2008)
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Visuals:
 * Dash / Boy: On a green background with spinning circles, we see the boy (Dash) at first a caveman with an emotionless face, then he squashes himself to become a scuba diver, after which the background changes to blue and the circles float away. Finally, he squashes himself again to become a robot. He grabs a white oval with the letters "PBS" in it. He then squashes himself for the last time, turning into the circular PBS Kids logo. Blue bubbles are shaking on a pastel spring bud background.
 * Dot / Girl: On the same green background, we see the girl (Dot) at first a tiger with her hair covering her ears unlike in the Boy variant. When she squashes herself to become an octopus, she puffs her cheeks and then smiles. Finally, she squashes herself again to become an astronaut. After that, she squashes herself for the last time, turning into the circular PBS Kids logo on a blue background with stars.
 * Also, like the previous logo at the lower left hand of the screen, the URL address for PBS Kids will appear like before. In both variants, either the girl or boy is on the top-right corner of the screen.

Variants:
 * On international prints of PBS Kids shows (mainly from the Bookworm Bunch programming block, but produced by Nelvana), as well as the series George Shrinks, Seven Little Monsters, The Berenstain Bears (2003 series) and Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse, there is a variation in which the logo is a still picture of the Astronaut part of this logo. However, the logo is slightly off-center and Dash in his robot form is replaced with the words "Produced In Association With" and the PBS "Circle P-Head" logo below. A French variant of this logo also exists, where the "Produced In Association With" text is translated into "Produit en Association avec".
 * Two variants of the French variant also exist: one where the font is curvy and has a white outline (similar to the Caillou credits) and one where the font and color are the same as the English variant.
 * A cropped 16:9 version of the Dot variant exists. It was only seen on DragonflyTV.
 * Coloring pages based on these system cues exist.

Technique: Same as the previous logo.

Audio: A quirky, avant-garde synth-pop theme different from the one before, also composed by Baron & Baron. It starts off with some kids softly scatting the music from the 1999 logo, which is one octave higher, at first accompanied by a synthesizer, then a weird bubbling-up-like rocket ship sound effect (which can be heard echoing in the Dash variant), and then the kids singing the company name in a higher tone than the previous logo.

Audio Variants:
 * The Dot variant has cat-like sounds and a group of kids saying "Boing!" in the background. The synths are also twelve octaves higher and the bubbling sound is slightly delayed when Dot becomes an octopus. When Dot becomes an astronaut, a THX-like sound is heard. Faint "thud" sounds are heard over the company chant.
 * The Dash variant has the kids chanting in the same key, but twelve octaves lower and a tongue rolling sound when Dash becomes a scuba diver. When Dash grabs the "PBS" bubble, a whoosh and a robotic gasp are heard. A deep synth-bass line is then heard under the company chant.
 * None, or the respective show's closing theme for the international variant.
 * Spanish-dubbed programming had redubbed scatting, with "PBS Kids" being pronounced "pe-be-ese kids".

Availability:
 * Coloring Pages: They have disappeared from the PBS Kids website since the mid-2000s.
 * Animated Variant: It was first spotted on a Lee Hunt Associates reel featuring other PBS Kids bumpers made and introduced in 1999. Seen on 2000-2008 prints of PBS Kids programming at the time, though most of the shows that used it were either plastered with newer logos or have been removed from PBS stations entirely. International prints of PBS Kids programs have also cut this logo and funding credits and replaced them with the International variant. It also appears (for some reason) on certain Sony Wonder DVDs of Arthur following the funding credits. On Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, the Dot variant appeared on Twitch.tv's print of 'Episode #1526', and the Dash variant was retained on PBS airings of 'Episode #1482', including the 2018 remastered version up until October 2021, when the logo was plastered. The Dot variant was also used on Reading Rainbow DVDs dedicated to particular episodes originally broadcast in 2004. Yet again, check those old VHS tapes to find this. Again, whatever remaining appearances of this logo were likely ended when the channel rebranded its logo in July 2022.
 * International Variant: Seen at the end of PBS Kids series at the time. It was preserved on Qubo airings of Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse, and Columbia TriStar/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment DVD and VHS prints of 2003's The Berenstain Bears. Also appears on Timothy Goes to School on Tubi, Treehouse Direct and until 2017, when the channel lost the broadcast rights to the show, Tiny Pop airings in the UK.

Legacy: Same as the previous logo.

3rd Logo (September 3, 2001-October 5, 2002, September 4, 2006-April 1, 2015)


Visuals: We see the PBS Kids logo (which has "KIDS" in white below) above in-credit. The text, "THIS PROGRAM [WAS] PARTIALLY FUNDED BY" is seen above the logo.

Technique: None.

Audio: The closing theme of the show.

Availability: Seen on Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat and before the NBCUniversal logo on international prints of Curious George.

4th Logo (2000-2001; January 21, 2002-October 7, 2013)
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Visuals:
 * Snow Globe: Dash ice skates on a pond, then suddenly feels the ground shaking and stops. After the camera shakes, it pans out to reveal that he is in a yellow snow globe, which is held by Dot looking at the viewer shaking it, which is making the snow globe start snowing, who giggles. Snowflakes cover the screen to transition to the circular PBS Kids logo on a light blue background with snowflakes.
 * Fishbowl: On a lime green background, Dash looks at a goldfish in his fishbowl on a desk. Then we cut to a close-up of the fishbowl as Dash comes to the fishbowl the goldfish is in. The goldfish then gets surprised when Dash looks at him before bubbles cover the screen to transition to Dash as an fish appearing then swimming in the water as Dash imagines. After a second, he gets swallowed by Dot as a  fish. Before Dot can look at the viewer, bubbles cover the screen to transition to the circular PBS Kids logo with Dot afterwards on an  background with bubbles.

Variants:
 * On CBBC airings of Martha Speaks, the Fishbowl ident is still.
 * Sometimes the pbskids.org URL appears when the PBS Kids logo appears.
 * There is a prototype variant of the Snow Globe bumper where the color of the background is a bit darker, the pond has a slightly different shape, the animation is different and less smoother, the snowflakes are brighter and bigger, Dot is looking down instead of at the viewer, she has fingers and the word "KIDS" is added below the circular PBS Kids logo. This variant is seen on season 1 of Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks.
 * There is a accurate widescreen version of the Fishbowl bumper also has the word "KIDS" being added below the circular PBS Kids logo; however, there are no other changes. It includes differences that the Fishbowl variant of this logo is presented in widescreen: It is zoomed in slightly at the beginning of the logo when Dash looks at a goldfish in his fishbowl, the close-up of the fishbowl is a bit zoomed out, the fish are slightly off the screen, the bubbles are more brighter and bigger and the word "KIDS" is added below the circular PBS Kids logo. This variant is seen on season 2 of Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks, early-2008 episodes of Sid the Science Kid and Lomax the Hound of Music.
 * Cropped 16:9 versions exist.
 * An uncropped version of this logo appeared on PBS Kids airings of most episodes of WordWorld.
 * An uncropped version of the Fishbowl ident (no URL is shown) appeared on NCircle Entertainment DVD releases of WordWorld.

Technique: 2D animation by Primal Screen in Atlanta, Georgia.

Audio:


 * Snow Globe: A whimsical 10-note vibraphone tune (the last four notes are the company's jingle, possibly spoofing C. E. Levy's "Skater's Waltz" or Joseph Martin's "Come to the Music" but in F-major), accompanied by jingle bells followed by the "Doink!" sound and the kids saying the company name.
 * Fish Bowl: Bubbling sounds, accompanied by a boy scatting the slightly higher version of the 1999 jingle circle lipped as if to imitate a fish followed by the same "Doink!" sound and the kids saying the company name.
 * The company chant sounds less like singing and more like a simple yell with a girl giggling at the end. If you listen closely you can also hear the company chant from the Dot variant of the 1999 logo. Sound design also created by Primal Screen.

Audio Variant: An error version of the Fishbowl ident uses the Snow Globe variant theme. This can be only heard on early PBS Kids airings of most episodes of WordWorld.

Availability:
 * Appeared on 2002-2013 prints of PBS Kids programming at the time. However, many of the shows it appeared on have either been replaced with newer logos or do not air on PBS anymore.
 * This logo was first seen on a Primal Screen reel featuring other PBS Kids idents, most of which were produced and premiered between 2000 and 2001; its first introduction on TV was presumabily on Cyberchase.
 * Like before, the 2nd ident appears on a few Arthur DVDs by Sony Wonder (such as Arthur's Tooth).
 * The prototype variant of the 1st ident can be found on season 1 of Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks, and it may also have appeared on some airings of It's a Big Big World as well.
 * The prototype version of the 2nd ident can be found on season 2 of Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks, early 2008 episodes of Sid the Science Kid and Lomax the Hound of Music.
 * Like before, the prototype version of the 2nd ident also appears on a Prime Video airing of season 1 of Sid The Science Kid with only one episode such as "Enough with the Seashells".
 * The 2nd ident (the prototype version of the Fishbowl ident) can be found on early 2008 episodes of Sid the Science Kid.
 * Like before, the 2nd ident appears on Primal Screen.
 * The 2nd ident sometimes appeared on a few episodes of Clifford's Puppy Days.
 * Like before, the Fishbowl ident appeared on NCircle DVD releases of WordWorld.
 * The cropped 16:9 version of this logo was likely seen on early Martha Speaks episodes, DragonflyTV and Super Why!.
 * The normal fishbowl variant was seen on the final season of Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks.
 * A native 16:9 variant of the fish bumper is also rare, only seen on HD feeds of PBS stations if they were available.
 * The prototype variant of the snow globe bumper appeared on Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks, which has not been rerun on PBS Kids since August 2008.
 * This logo does not appear on Mister Rogers Neighborhood.
 * Whatever remaining appearances of this logo were likely ended when the company rebranded its logo in July 2022.

Legacy: Also a well-known and memorable logo from PBS.

5th Logo (September 4, 2000-March 20, 2014)
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Visuals: On a background with two halves of different colors, we see a kid's head and a thought bubble on the bottom and top halves. The background transforms from two different objects to another kid's head. The sponsors for the shows on which this bumper appeared on are next to the kids' heads. Throughout the bumper, the kids' heads smile at the viewer and look around.
 * PBS Kids Ready To Learn: The top half is yellow and the bottom half is blue. On the bottom left, there is a girl's head. The girl looks to the left as a flower appears in the thought bubble above, then she looks up when the flower changes to a pair of musical notes and smiles. Lastly, she looks at us with an excited look on her face as the musical notes change to a boy's head before returning to normal.
 * US Department of Education: The top half is orange and the bottom half is green. On the bottom left, there is a boy's head. The thought bubble has a truck, a kite, and another girl's head.
 * Corporation for Public Broadcasting: The top half is red, the bottom half is yellow, and another girl's head is seen on the bottom right. The objects appearing in the thought bubble above the girl's head are a monkey, a star, and a snow (or ice cream) cone.

Variants:
 * On Reading Rainbow, later Season 2 episodes of Clifford the Big Red Dog, Sesame Street, and Clifford's Puppy Days, the PBS Kids Ready To Learn logo is replaced with the red text "Ready To Learn Television Cooperative Agreement" (in the same font used in the Backyardigans logo and the 2001-2007 Playhouse Disney branding).
 * On Clifford's Puppy Days, Season 2 of Clifford, Reading Rainbow, and Sesame Street, the circular PBS Kids logo (with a registered trademark symbol) is shown before the CPB logo.
 * The CPB logo isn't seen on some episodes of Clifford's Puppy Days.
 * A prototype variant seen on Season 1 of Clifford the Big Red Dog and Plaza Sésamo has the music notes, the kite, and the monkey missing from the thought bubbles. Many frames, such as the first girl's head with a excited look on her face while looking up and the boy's head tilting slightly as he grins, are cut as a result of this. The first girl also still looks up, even though the flower doesn't change.
 * On Sesame Street, Clifford's Puppy Days, Dragon Tales, and later episodes of Clifford the Big Red Dog, there is a byline under the CPB logo that reads "A private corporation funded by the American people". A URL is added on Clifford's Puppy Days.
 * On various Reading Rainbow DVDs, the "Ready To Learn Television Cooperative Agreement" variant is used, and it's in VHS or filmed quality. On others, the "PBS Kids Ready To Learn" version is used and it has a more washed-out color scheme.
 * Sometimes, the PBS Kids Ready to Learn logo has two registered trademark symbols and features the regular PBS Kids Dot logo next to the text.
 * For Sesame Street and Dragon Tales, the kids' heads and bubbles were removed while the logos are centered on the screen. Also, the CPB logo appears on the second screen as well. For season 3 episodes of Dragon Tales, the words "Viewers Like You" and "Thank You" appear on top of the red/yellow half screen with the girl, but the CPB logo and the thought bubble are removed.

Technique: Limited computer animation by Razorfish (the successor to Lee Hunt Associates).

Audio: A synth tune with beating drums, scatting, and a whoosh sound at the end, composed by Baron & Baron (who also composed other music used on PBS Kids IDs during this time).

 Audio Trivia: The music in this logo originated from a Zoom ID (abeit extended) that debuted a year earlier (1999).

Audio Variants:
 * On Season 2 of Dragon Tales, the music is extended and there is another whoosh sound at the beginning.
 * On Season 1 and early Season 2 episodes of Clifford and Plaza Sésamo, the music is slightly sped-up.
 * On PBS Kids prints of Plaza Sésamo, there is a different recording of the same male announcer as the Dragon Tales variant reading the funding credits (with the exception of "Is funded in part by" and "Through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting" since they were also used on the DT variant).
 * On Sesame Street, it's an instrumental brass/woodwind version of the show's theme song.
 * On Reading Rainbow, the music starts and cuts off partway through.

Voice-overs:
 * Clifford the Big Red Dog:
 * Seasons 1-2: Charlie (Gary LeRoi) says "Clifford is funded in part by a Ready To Learn grant from the US Department of Education through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting."
 * Season 2: Cleo (Cree Summer) says "Clifford is funded in part by a Ready To Learn television cooperative agreement from the US Department of Education through the Public Broadcasting Service. And by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and from viewers like you."
 * Clifford's Puppy Days:
 * "Clifford is funded in part by a Ready To Learn television cooperative agreement from the US Department of Education through the Public Broadcasting Service. And by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and from viewers like you."
 * "Clifford is funded in part by a Ready To Learn television cooperative agreement from the US Department of Education through the Public Broadcasting Service. And by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you. Thank you."
 * Plaza Sésamo and Dragon Tales (Season 2): "This program is funded in part by a Ready To Learn grant from the US Department of Education... through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting."
 * Reading Rainbow:
 * "Reading Rainbow is also made possible by a Ready To Learn television cooperative agreement from the US Department of Education through the Public Broadcasting Service." (DVD versions edit out the word "also".)
 * 2004-2005 episodes (opening): "This program was funded in part by a Ready To Learn television cooperative agreement from the US Department of Education through the Public Broadcasting Service."
 * 2005 episodes (closing): "And by a Ready To Learn television cooperative agreement from the US Department of Education through the Public Broadcasting Service."
 * Sesame Street: Gordon (Roscoe Orman) says "Sesame Street is also brought to you by a Ready To Learn television cooperative agreement from the US Department of Education through the Public Broadcasting Service. And by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting."
 * Dragon Tales (Season 3): "This program was funded in part by a Ready to Learn, No Child Left Behind grant from the US Department of Education though the Public Broadcasting Service, and by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you, thank you".

Availability: Can currently be seen in old PBS Kids DVDs or VHS tapes.
 * Appeared on Clifford the Big Red Dog (until 2011, when the variants were plastered as a result of the show being repackaged; some PBS stations like KET and WFWA continued to use the older prints until 2015; thus, these variants were retained on them), seasons 2-3 of Dragon Tales, Clifford's Puppy Days, seasons 33-44 of Sesame Street, PBS Kids prints of Plaza Sésamo, and 2004-2006 episodes of Reading Rainbow (as well as post-2002 reruns of the show).
 * All of these shows aside from Sesame Street are now gone from PBS stations, but the variants can be seen on certain Reading Rainbow and Dragon Tales VHS tapes and DVDs.
 * Though most of these variants stopped being used regularly in 2006, Sesame Street continued to use the centered version of the CPB logo until 2014.
 * By the 2020s, the Clifford's Puppy Days variants were the only variants that could still be seen on TV, as the show did not receive an updated funding screen, and although the show stopped airing regularly on PBS in 2014, reruns continued to be shown on certain holidays until April 2022, when the show stopped airing entirely on PBS. Since then, any and all remaining appearances have ended.
 * Some late 2000s airings of Dragon Tales (like on CET and KET) would start with this funding plug and skip the preceding sponsors.

Legacy:
 * These funding bumpers are very well-known and fondly remembered by many.
 * It was once rumored by a YouTube video uploaded back in 2008/09 that at least one airing of Clifford the Big Red Dog went straight to the show's intro, cutting out the sponsors that usually followed this funding bumper and the "Viewers Like You" screen. This has been disputed, as the video (simply titled "PBS Kids") has either since been taken down or privated.

6th Logo (November 25, 2005)
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Visuals:
 * Sports. We first see a soccer ball being kicked to our left by Dash, wearing a blue and black uniform. Then the soccer ball turns into a tennis ball, which Dot, wearing a white and pink tennis uniform, hits with a tennis racket. The ball turns into a baseball, which Dash, now in a blue uniform and helmet, hits with a bat. The ball then flies past a scoreboard with the circular PBS Kids logo on it and out of the stadium. In the end, we hear a crowd cheering.
 * Paper: We see Dot and Dash walking through what appears to be a factory. Then, we see a roll of polka-dotted wrapping paper, which the two roll up by its end. With it, the circular PBS Kids logo flies in.
 * Sandcastles: On a bright sunny background in a beach-like setting, we see Dash in a bathing suit and sandals. To the right of him is a sandcastle that he built. He tries to show it off to Dot but then he is surprised as the camera zooms out to reveal Dot's sand structure, which is a sphinx with her head on it. She dusts off her hands as Dash looks in awe at her structure. Then we fade to the circular PBS Kids logo.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: Same as the 1st logo's Dot variant with additional sound effects.

Availability: These were shown during the Big Big Friend Day special, which aired on PBS Kids on November 25, 2005.

7th Logo (September 4, 2006-September 4, 2009)
Visuals: Unknown.

Variants: Unknown.

Technique: Unknown.

Audio: Depending on the variant.

Availability: Only seen on some pre-2009 PBS Kids Preschool block episodes from September 4, 2006 to September 4, 2009. Like before, check those old tapes.

8th Logo (September 1, 2008-October 7, 2013)
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Visuals: The logo shows Dot and Dash doing a certain activity before the PBS Kids circular logo is shown with the URL elsewhere on the screen.

Variants: Here are some of the variations of the activities included:


 * Bubbles
 * Telescopes
 * Fireflies
 * Rock climbing
 * Picnics
 * Gardens
 * Magnets
 * Fireworks
 * Swimming
 * Ants
 * Daffodil
 * Balloon
 * Sandbox
 * Camera
 * Carrots
 * Submarine
 * Cave

Variants:
 * Dash's Dance Party: We see Dash in front of the PBS Kids logo as he says "Thanks for playing! Gotta Dash!" He then runs away as his head pops up inside the green circle, either looking at the viewer or (starting with the premiere of The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! in 2010) looking to the left.
 * Exercise with Coach Hooper: We briefly see a close-up of the PBS Kids logo on Hooper's cap.
 * Box: Dot steps into a box, imagining she is a sailor, a cowboy, a ranger, and an astronaut. Dot then climbs out of the box, walking like she's on the moon with Dash.
 * There are also two rare Valentine's Day variants used in 2009. Dash's version has him blowing up a pink balloon and Dot's version has her receiving Valentine's cards in the mailbox. Both versions end with the PBS Kids circle logo on a hot magenta/cerise-textured BG while hearts are cascading in the BG.
 * Footprints (unused): Dash is in a forest following a trail. He sees the PBS Kids logo.
 * Starting in 2009 with the premiere of Dinosaur Train, the word "KIDS" is moved up to the thought bubble.
 * The logo may be in 4:3 aspect ratio.

Trivia: These IDs were animated and composed by Primal Screen, who previously made PBS Kids' 2001 branding elements (see the 4th logo).

Technique: 2D animation and CGI.

Music: The 1st ident's jingle once again, but much more conservative/conventional in nature and made with live instruments. The musical instruments also vary depending on the activity.


 * "Sandbox" has a bassoon, vibraphone, synth-organ, and a tuba.
 * "Daffodil" has a vibraphone and tuba.
 * "Bubbles" has a pizzicato.
 * "Fireflies" has a synth-bassoon.
 * "Camera" has a slit drum and marimba.
 * "Fireworks" has a hang, timpani, snare drum, and bass violin.
 * "Carrots" has a synth-organ.
 * "Sheep" has a banjo.
 * "Balloon" has a mandobass and percussion.
 * Dash's Valentine's Day variant has a jazzy bass violin pizzicato tune with drums beating. Dot's Valentine's Day variant has a South American-style folk dance tune with conga drums, piano, and acoustic guitar. Both idents have different music, ending with a group of kids yelling "Happy Valentine's Day!", then a single kid says "From PBS Kids."

Sounds:
 * "Carrots" has the sounds of Dash pulling out the carrots and a stock rooster crowing sound ("Sound Ideas, BIRD, ROOSTER - MORNING CALL, ANIMAL 01").
 * "Sheep" has the sound of sheep bleating.
 * "Bubbles" has the sound of the bubbles popping and then a slide whistle sliding up when Dot blows the bubble with the PBS Kids logo on it.
 * "Frog" has the sound of a frog croaking in various pitches, along with cartoon "BOING!" sounds.

Audio Trivia: The variants that use the Dot variant have a girl saying the name, while the variants that use the Dash variant have a boy speaking instead. Both voices are implied to be those of Dash and Dot themselves.

Availability: The logo was retired on October 7, 2013 in favor of the next logo. However, it was common during its usage.
 * Appeared on 2008-2013 prints of PBS Kids programming, though certain shows that had this logo either no longer air on PBS or have been replaced with the 2013 and 2022 PBS Kids logos.
 * However, the shows WordWorld and Season 1 of Sid the Science Kid were not updated to use the new logos outside of the PBS Kids 24/7 channel (launched in 2017), though WordWorld was removed from the air in 2022. Thus, the shows still retained these logos on PBS airings, though the kids subchannel (PBS Kids 24/7) channel removes this logo.
 * Also seen on some post-2009 PBS Kids Preschool block episodes from September 7, 2009 to October 4, 2013.
 * Certain variants have been spotted on Sid the Science Kid DVDs, but this logo does not appear on DVDs of other PBS Kids shows from the era.
 * Some PBS stations, especially ones with their own kids subchannel before 2017, often used their own recordings of shows often captured when these logos were still in use (WFWA for example), which resulted in these logos being seen again on some stations. However, not many stations still use their own recordings, as most have switched to using the PBS national feed by now.
 * The PBS station WNEO in Alliance, Ohio also occasionally still uses these logos as general bumpers to fill in time between programs.
 * According to some recordings, the logo is believed to have made its first appearance on Sid the Science Kid. If you don't know, remember to check your old tapes. Rootle airings of 2008-2013 broadcasts may definitely have this logo.
 * It also appeared on Netflix prints of Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps and Barney and Friends, probably due to Netflix using PBS Kids prints, rather than the physical media prints they used for Bob the Builder: Ready, Steady, Build!.
 * Once again, whatever remaining appearances of this logo very likely ended when the channel rebranded its logo in July 2022.

Legacy: Several disliked the new art style, slower pacing, lack of quirkiness/surrealism and the more conservative/conventional jingle when they first came out. As with many other logos, however, these are still fondly remembered and well-liked by many.

9th Logo (October 7, 2013-2023)
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Visuals: In the same vein as the previous logo, the logo shows a redesigned Dot, along with two new characters, a girl with a biker helmet named Dee and a boy with a raccoon tail named Del, doing a certain activity. Then the PBS Kids circular logo is shown, with Dash using his 1999 design. Also, Dash's PBS Kids logo is seen on every variation (as Dot's version had been retired around this time).

Variants: Like the previous logo, here are some of the variations of the activities included:


 * Zipline
 * Beehive
 * Forest Run
 * Magnet
 * Moonwalk
 * Ping Pong
 * Power of 10
 * Cave
 * Band Parade
 * Trampoline
 * Yo-yo
 * Lemonade
 * France
 * Bubbles
 * Rockstar
 * Piano
 * Frisbee

A second set of system cues were created in 2015:
 * Asteroid Hop
 * Carrot Forest
 * Gull
 * Motherboard
 * Prism Parkour
 * Scientist
 * What Box

Trivia: This logo was designed by longtime PBS Kids creative director Chris Bishop, and animated by Primal Screen, previously responsible for PBS Kids' 2001 and 2008 branding elements.

Technique: 2D flat animation by Primal Screen.

Audio: The music from the 1st logo is used again, but without the kids chanting or the kid saying the company name at the end. Like the previous logo, the musical instruments these variants are played with vary depending on the activity, exactly like the 12th PBS ident. Also, the 1st logo's theme can be heard in different pitches.


 * Zipline, Magnet, Ping-Pong, Balloon Launch, Light Rays, Ladybug, Mainframe and Ants have crazy-like music and then the PBS Kids jingle in A/E. The Ping-Pong, Balloon Launch, Ladybug and Mainframe variants have the music played on an accordion.
 * Piano, Trampoline, Board Game, Jump Rope, Giraffe, Power of 10, Bubbles, Jelly Sandwich, Frisbee Climb, Jack-In-The-Box, Yo-Yo, Carrots and Apples have a 4-note synth organ theme, (B, A, G♯, E) which sounds similar to the song “Pretty Rachel” by Gerald “Maxwell” Rivera or the Qumi-Qumi theme and then the PBS Kids jingle in what sounds like E and A at the same time. Frisbee Climb, Jelly Sandwich and Jump Rope had the 4/4 drum beat replaced with an exotic-like drum music.
 * Moonwalk, Beehive, Waterski, Collecting Fruits and Lab Splat have the music in B♭ and then we hear the PBS Kids Jingle.
 * Fireflies, Tuba, Trapeze, and Parachute have shrill music and then we hear the PBS Kids jingle in its regular pitch.
 * Lemonade, Paint Flip, Bats, and Comet have an accordion tune sounding similar to the CBN and NBC jingles in E minor with a random bottle synth and the PBS Kids jingle in A.

Audio Variant: On home media releases, a female announcer says "PBS Kids opens the world of possibility, thanks to PBS stations and viewers like you." or "Help all kids grow and learn with PBS Kids. Thank you for supporting your PBS station."

Availability:
 * This logo was first seen on the debut episode of Peg + Cat and is currently used on PBS Kids programming.
 * Oddly enough, this plasters previous logos and the closing funding credits on 2013 to 2017 reruns of Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman, but otherwise doesn't appear at all on the PBS Kids Channel.
 * This logo also plasters the 1971 PBS logo and 1999 PBS Kids logo on the 2018 week-long rebroadcast of vintage episodes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, beginning with "Death of a Goldfish", and it also appears on newer entries into the Saturday morning rotation.
 * This doesn't appear on the older Saturday morning package, however—episodes from that package retain the classic Dash and Dot logos.
 * Also seen on the final episode of the PBS Kids Preschool block on October 7, 2013.
 * Currently used on PBS Kids programming that has used it in original production. Some shows that are PBS Kids original productions, like Hero Elementary, which uses the Twin Cities PBS logo followed by Portfolio Entertainment, and Donkey Hodie, may not use it.
 * The logo was also used as a station ident and a home entertainment logo.
 * Beginning on July 19, 2022, PBS Kids rolled out a new multi-platform logo without the Dash character, which resulted in changes to older branding elements like these. An on air rebrand will also follow - a transitional period between the two logos is underway.

Legacy: These logos are a lot more divisive among fans than the 8th logo. Some dislike the new art style, faster pacing, character designs, and removal of Dash. Other fans like the logos however, finding them cute and creative.

10th Logo (2017-)
Visuals: We see some animals (or robots for the Clifford variant) doing an activity like dancing or playing a game while the funding credits are announced. The animation for these are usually recycled from existing station idents used by PBS stations.

Variants:
 * For special presentations like the Gruffalo and Friends event, a generic funding screen is used with the voiceover "This program is made possible in part by contributions to your PBS station by viewers like you, thank you." Three dogs (two of which look like an Airedale and a Scottish terrier) dig up and fight over bones until all three of them end up finding one.
 * For Let's Go Luna, we see a squirrel surrounded by acorns. A massive flock of red birds fights over the acorns, leaving one sad bird without any acorns to eat behind. The squirrel gives the sad bird its last acorn. The funding credits are on screen.
 * For Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, we see rabbits in a garden popping out of holes and chasing each other while the funding credits appear on screen.
 * For Clifford the Big Red Dog (2019 series), we see robots dancing on a conveyor belt while the funding credits appear on screen.
 * For Elinor Wonders Why and Rosie's Rules, we see a city background with a bird on a bench. There are also many black and yellow buildings, some trees, and a sailboat on a pond. The bird watches the funding credits appear on screen.

Technique: Animation that is recycled from existing station idents, as mentioned above.

Audio:
 * The generic funding screen uses slow relaxing music that sounds similar to some Animal Crossing music.
 * The Let's Go Luna funding screen uses faster and upbeat music.
 * The Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum funding screen recycles music from a 2008 PBS Kids station ID.
 * The Clifford the Big Red Dog (2019 series) funding screen uses jazzy music.
 * The Elinor Wonders Why and Rosie's Rules funding screens use the music from the "Birdhouse" system cue.

Availability: Can be seen on Clifford the Big Red Dog, Let's Go Luna, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, and other PBS Kids shows from the late 2010s to early 2020s.

11th Logo (November 21, 2018-)


Visuals: We see the PBS Kids logo either still or getting formed by objects.

Variants: Each vary by show:


 * Let's Go Luna/Xavier Riddle and The Secret Museum: A colorful yoyo is seen spinning on a light blue background. Suddenly, the yoyo's string disappears and the yoyo morphs into the PBS Kids circular logo with Dash in it.
 * TVO Kids and National Geographic Kids airings don't have this logo appearing at all.
 * Clifford the Big Red Dog (2019): Several paintballs fly and combine together to form the PBS Kids logo, then Dash looks up at the PBS Kids text.
 * Elinor Wonders Why: It's an updated version of the 3rd logo: just a still PBS Kids logo superimposed on the credits. Prints on DVD don't have the logo.
 * City Island: Fireworks explode over a city skyline. The 2022 PBS Kids logo appears from the fireworks.

Technique: 2D flat animation.

Audio: The ending theme of the TV series.

Audio Variants:
 * On Clifford the Big Red Dog, it uses a ukulele theme with a twelve-note whistling tune and dance-vibe drum beats, the first four notes sound similar to the Disney Channel logo.
 * On PBS Kids airings of said series, the logo is silent.

Availability:
 * Currently used on PBS Kids programming that has used it in original production. Some shows that are PBS Kids original productions, like Hero Elementary, which uses the Twin Cities PBS logo followed by Portfolio Entertainment, and Donkey Hodie, may not use it.
 * The logo was also used as a station ident.
 * This doesn't appear on newer episodes of PBS Kids programs that recently aired on PBS Kids before either the series premiere date of Let's Go Luna or on Sesame Street. The City Island logo does not appear on Rosie's Rules as resulted for the new logo.
 * As mentioned for the previous logo, PBS Kids introduced a new multi-platform logo without Dash, so this logo is in the process of being phased out.

12th Logo (July 19, 2022-)
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Visuals: Reuses animation from the 2013 and 2015 system cues, but replaces the logo with the new version, which is a blue circle with "PBS KIDS", with "PBS" in green and "KIDS" in white.

Variants: Same as the 9th logo.


 * On City Island, we see a city at night with a purple sky. Then, some fireworks appear which reveals the 2022 PBS Kids logo.

Technique: Same as the 9th logo.

Audio: Same as the 9th logo.

Availability:
 * Debuted in a sizzle reel on June 30, 2022, and later made its television debut on July 19 in the same year.
 * This logo is also used as a home entertainment logo.
 * The fireworks variant appears on City Island and will probably appear on newer, non-member-station-produced series.

Legacy: The design of the new logo is polarizing, with some considering it another victim to the minimalization trend in logo design and others considering it a breath of fresh air.