Challenging times for selling kids TV series overseas? Certainly. Time for interactive elements to seal the deal? Apparently.

CCI Entertainment and Distribution360 are the latest indie distributors to be bound for Cannes with TV series that include digital components.

Ahead of MIPCOM, CCI has acquired the worldwide distribution rights for Apartment 11’s Finding Stuff Out, a science-based show that airs on TVO and is aimed at six- to nine-year-olds.

At the same time, CCI’s digital division, with backing from the Bell Media Fund and the Shaw Rocket Fund, has been developing online content for the series about a young host who produces a webcast to answer cool questions from real kids.

Meanwhile, Distribution360 is headed to MIPCOM with Olive the Ostrich, a British CGI animated series from Blue Zoo Productions for preschoolers about the travels of an ostrich.

The kids series integrates real artwork drawn by British school children that have been submitted online.

Their pictures are used as props, backgrounds and characters in Olive’s imaginary world and are animated into 2-D for each episode.

To engage kids further, Blue Zoo has produced smartphone apps and ebooks based on the property.

Distribution 360 will be shopping the series at MIPCOM after picking up the worldwide distribution rights, excluding the UK where Nick Jr. has just debuted Olive the Ostrich, at MIPTV.