It’s time again to gather the gang for a PBS KIDS Family Night, a weekly family viewing event featuring movie specials and fun, themed programming!

This time around, get ready for some basketball with your favorite PBS KIDS characters. Family Night features fun ball game episodes from Molly of Denali, Arthur, Odd Squad, and more!

Catch it all on the PBS Kids 24/7 channel or online with the PBS Kids Free Video App.

Friday, Saturday & Sunday
3/18 – 3/20

Molly of Denali
“Basketball Blues”
7 PM

In this special 2-part episode, Molly’s shooting slump has terrible timing – her basketball team is up against the Hoopsters! Can Tooey’s game plan and advice from Alaska state basketball champion Kamaka Hepa help Molly out?

Arthur
“The Wheel Deal / The Buster Report”
7:30 PM

In “The Wheel Deal,” after an injury, Brain has to spend some time using a wheelchair. But now he can’t compete in a basketball tournament for charity! Or, can he? He meets a new friend, Lydia Fox, who just happens to be a wheelchair basketball player…and shows him how it’s done. And then in “The Buster Report” the kids are assigned to write a report on someone they admire. To everyone’s surprise, most especially Buster’s, George picks….Buster! Will George focus on Buster’s joke telling, the sandwich named after Buster, or Buster’s famous food collection? Or…will George sing the praises of some of Buster’s other traits that often go overlooked?

Odd Squad
“Zero Effect / Bad Luck Bears”
8 PM

In “Zero Effect,” Olive and Otto must stop zeroes from disappearing before the missing zeroes destroy the town… and Otto turns into a baby. Then, in “Bad Luck Bears,” when odd things start happening to the Bears basketball team, Olive and Otto must set things straight before the big game.

Molly of Denali
“Welcome Home Balto / Snow Jam”
8:30 PM

In “Welcome Home Balto,” when Molly finds out there is no statue of the heroic dog Balto in nearby Nenana, she sets out to remedy the situation and ends up on her own dogsledding adventure. And then in “Snow Jam,” Molly’s basketball team, the Qyah Northern Lights, are planning to dribble basketballs while snowshoeing to raise money to attend a regional basketball tournament in Akiak. Before the race, Grandpa Nat teaches Molly traditional Koyukon words for different types of snow. The lesson proves to be crucial the day of the run when Molly must rely on her new knowledge to help her team across the finish line.

Let’s Go Luna!
“Hoopin’ Hopper / A Chopsticky Situation”
9 PM

In “Hoopin’ Hooper,” when Andy loses his basketball in Beijing, he learns that although competitive sports are fun, friendship is more important than winning. Then, in “A Chopsticky Situation,” Leo wants to taste all kinds of delicious Chinese food, but must first exercise patience in learning to use chopsticks.

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
“I Am James Naismith / I Am Temple Grandin”
9:30 PM

First in “I Am James Naismith,” Xavier, Yadina and Brad are disappointed when they can’t play ball hockey – none of them have hockey sticks! Now what? To the Secret Museum! Our heroes are sent back in time to meet inventor, James Naismith. We first meet James as a young kid in a small town; he doesn’t have any sports equipment at all, but still manages to come up with fun ideas for a game. Years later, he puts his creativity to good use as he invents the game of basketball! And then in “I Am Temple Grandin,” Yadina really wants to make friends with a new boy from her class, Ben, by showing him around the museum. Yadina struggles to make friends with Ben, because he doesn’t want to do things her way – he has his own unique way of experiencing the exhibits. Unsure how to make friends with Ben now, there’s only one place Yadina can turn…to the Secret Museum! Our heroes are sent back in time to meet another unique person: Temple Grandin.

Watch, Play & Learn

Host a Family Olympics

Grades PreK-3
Help your child create her own Home Olympics! Try to hold your event outside, or put mats on the floor indoors. Remind children that the object is not to win, but to have FUN!

Compete in the Seal Hop

Grades PreK-3
Native Youth Olympics (NYO) consist of different traditional game-like exercises created by Alaska Native people. They teach survival skills, strength, and teamwork. In one of the events, participants compete to see who can make it the farthest distance while hopping like a seal. This is called the Seal Hop or Knuckle Hop.

Addition Agility With Olive and Otto

Grades K-3
There’s trouble on the court. In the episode “Bad Luck Bears,” Olive’s favorite basketball team has lost its spark (and a lot of games!) Olive and Otto discover it’s unlucky number, 13, that’s causing all the trouble. They must add, and add, and add to figure out where the nasty numeral is hiding. In this activity, like Olive and Otto, your child will practice finding how numbers can be formed using addition.

The Science of Angles: Learn Through Sports

Grades 1-3
Take the court with retired NBA star and current basketball analyst Kendall Gill to learn about the science of the perfect shot. We use angles every day – to build ramps and slides, steer a car, shoot basketballs, throw baseballs, and kick soccer balls. In fact, the science of angles is in almost every sport we play and every movement we make, so go out and play a game with your kids.

For more activities, crafts, and games visit PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS for Parents!