Dora the Explorer is a brave and curious character who crosses age and gender-specific play lines with her show, toys and games. These are no errant Scooby Doo adventures either, as the characters explore their world by helping others and learning about new perspectives along the way.

adorable Boots, Dora's monkey

Let’s start with the basics if you are new to the world of Dora. Everyone loves the Dora plush character dolls and the Dora plush backpack . There are dolls of all shapes and sizes, including doll houses and dress-up clothes for dolls and kids. I’ve seen sippy-cups and tub toys as well as Diego bikes and character boots. Even the classic board games have been redesigned to incorporate Dora in Candy Land , Memory, and the classic Chutes and Ladders.

And, believe it or not, the top sellers of this line is Dora the Explorer coloring sheets . No explanation needed for this perennial kids favorite!

But my favorite part of Dora’s world is how she encourages cross-cultural learning.

For example, some of the most popular Dora toys are the Leapster educational games that allow play in Spanish or English.

The games have interactive story-lines that teach letters, phonics, science concepts, critical thinking skills, counting, and pattern recognition. Some are rescue adventure-driven stories and others are simply fun games to help teach the concepts.

In fact, children who love Dora and Friends often end up learning a bit of Sp...