[Grundo Storybook] Real Research, in-game awards

[daMoose_Neo]

Hmmay, the working title of my Teddy Ruxpin game is "The Grundo Storybook", the point being the system is designed to tell stories and adventures, explore and learn.

I've been seriously sitting down to hammer out a system since my last conversation with the owner/creator, and I've got a number of angles to work with and a more comfortable footing I think.
I sat down with the cartoon in mind and figured "Okay, start explaining the shows in game terms".
The episode in mind, for some reason, deals with an encounter in the Great Desert with the creatures known as Mudblups, subterranian creatures who mine for coal. And a couple things jumped out at me:

1) While exploring the desert, they feel an Earthquake, which Gimmick explains is Trembly Fault in action and goes on to explain what a fault is and does.
2) When they stumble (unwittingly) upon the coal deposits, Gimmick does it again, with coal.

Suddenly, a mechanic sprung to mind: Realworld Research, ingame rewards! Idea being this: Each adventure would contain a couple of 'encounters' of an explorative sense- players could then take a break and research the subject or rattle off what they know about it. For each subject or 'encounter', have a bulleted list of points that should be brought up- the players who provide those earn points for their research (and even if everyone finds the same list, they each get points for that).

As I'm pondering this, another episode jumped into mind, the "Mystery of the Faded Fobs"- Fobs are birdlike creatures who live near Rainbow Falls. They're each different colors, purple, orange, blue etc. Suddenly, in the episode, the Fobs start turning grey. Teddy and Company investigate and find out the spring that feeds Rainbow Falls is plugged- the Fobs have been drinking normal water, that it was the Rainbow Falls spring that was changing their colors from a natural grey to their vibrant, normal selves. Of course, the well is unplugged and the waters flow again, but something else jumped out at me- experimentation! The old "White Carnation in dyed water" trick, help illustrate how plants react to changes in the water supply.

I'm thinking use these things to generate points/dice for the players, and at the end of the adventure have a "showdown" type round (or save the points over several adventures). In the Mudblup scenario, the characters had to escape. I'm envisioning a maze/boardgame style, where the players can use the points/dice earned to navigate the maze quicker to escape.
I'm really liking this system. For those NOT familiar with Teddy and the books or shows, every story had a moral or a learning opprotunity, fit very nicely into the stories. The Airship needed the coal for fuel to fly, the Fobs are friendly creatures and needed help, Gubby fell in love only to learn his romantic interest was a catapiller, who cocooned up and became a butterfly. In each, you learned several things: natural things, about faults, coal, water effects, butterfly life cycle, as well as more moral things; helping friends, learning to let go of some things, keeping your friends close, keeping yourself safe. I think it helps to get things to stick with younger crowds if they're helping Princess Aruzia learn what to do to keep from being kidnapped (focus of first several episodes actually, the rescue of Princess Aruzia from the Hard to Find City) than using scare tactics, dry lectures, or what not. I think its a basis consistant with the Teddy shows and design behind him.
Now then

1) Mechanically, has anyone tried something like this? Results, good or bad? Actual Play to support it?
2) The level non-game activity- research, experimentation etc. Too much? Or good idea? Too much prep or negligible/justifiable?
3) If you were a parent (or if you are) and you could sit down with a similar system, would you take the time to? Would your kids (if you have them) take to something, or view it as too much 'work'? Could something be done to make it seem like less work? *Note to self- catch some Bill Nye* *Note to Everyone: Mr.Forsee expressed interest in having a game kids could play with Parents and Grandparents. Any suggestions on what would make a Grandparent especailly sit down and play?*
4) Assuming the system follows this and sees print, I envision a release of the shows premises available as Adventure packets, with pregenerated materials for the Research Lists, Maps and what not. Good idea?