LOS ANGELES — For “Doggyland” co-creator and executive producer Claude Brooks, Doggyland is more than just entertainment.

What You Need To Know

  • "Doggyland", co-created by Claude Brooks and Snoop Dogg, is a children's show designed to teach social-emotional skills and reach young audiences in an engaging way

  • Snoop Dogg voices Bow Wizzle, a lead character created in his likeness

  • "Doggyland" features an episode called "Election Day" to teach kids the importance of voting

  • "Doggyland" is available on multiple platforms, including YouTube

For him, these characters are a chance to shape young minds.

“Doggy Land came about with Snoop Dogg actually reaching out to me. I have another kids’ show called ‘Hip Hop Harry,’” says Brooks. “And during COVID, we were exploding with that show. And he reached out and he was like, ‘Man, I wanna do something that really reaches out to the kids as well and is on brand with what I’m about.’”

With “Doggyland,” Brooks and Snoop wanted to go beyond ABCs and 123s.

“Sometimes when you’re cognitive and you’re just doing ABCs and 123s, it really shrinks the audience,” says Brooks. “But by being social-emotional, we opened it up to not just the kids, but the whole family.”

With election season in full swing, “Doggyland” now features an episode explaining voting so kids can relate to it.

“We decided to do a song about voting, and it’s a very nonpartisan way of just understanding the concept of voting,” Brooks explains.

“And the kids are going, ‘Well, what does that mean?’ Because they’ve seen a commercial, or they’ve seen a billboard or whatever. So now you can contextualize it in a way that it means something for them and allow you to have whatever discussion that makes sense at an age-relevant level.”

Circle, a nonpartisan research group, indicates a positive relationship between political participation and opportunities to develop student voice in and out of the classroom. Through a catchy hip-hop beat, call-and-response lyrics, and energetic dance moves, “Doggyland“ presents voting to help make your voice heard.

“It’s another layer of learning,” Brooks explains, “because as you’re singing along, slash dancing along, it’s reinforcing what you’re hearing.”

One character, Bow Wizzle, may seem familiar to some. That’s because he’s voiced by Snoop Dogg himself, bringing his unique personality to the role.

“The big draw is the colorful characters, the music,” Snoop said, “But once you look deep within the surface of what ‘Doggyland’ is about, you start to understand that there’s more messaging, there’s more teaching, there’s more fundamental advice for kids that will help them be better kids and to live better.”

And for Snoop, “Doggyland“ is part of a personal mission to reach young audiences.

“Me personally, from having kids and having grandkids and having a football league and being able to be around so many different kids, I know what they go through,” he said. “And remember this, I’m probably the biggest kid you’ll ever meet.”

As “Doggyland“ expands, Brooks says he’s proud of how it has resonated with viewers.

“It really has just grown into an organic level where it’s growing and pushing the whole social, emotional awareness in a big way.”

And with this latest episode, “Doggyland” shows kids they can make a difference — one voice, one value, one vote at a time.