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Maryland Public Television

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A Baker’s Dozen of Summer Learning Activities

The recipe for a perfect summer includes a myriad of activities for you and your kids to enjoy together, whether at home, on the beach, at a campsite, another country, or grandma’s house. FableVision compiled a list of top notch ingredients, including games, interactives, videos, and more for kids of all ages. Check out our recommendations and start cooking up a fun and educational summer.

Young Learners, Ages 0-5

My S.T.E.M. Adventure

With the help of Leila Diaz, take your children on an adventure through 10 place-based activities in My S.T.E.M. Adventure, created with Bridge Multimedia and STEMIE. The born-accessible app promotes STEM learning skills for 0-5-year-olds with disabilities as players engage with science around them, emphasizing that science and learning can happen anywhere. Players are prompted to take photos and write descriptions of items, which get compiled at the end for a customizable storybook.

Learn with Sesame Street

“It feels so good to be kind!” Learn with Sesame Street, an educational app created by Sesame Workshop and HOMER Learning, helps 2-4-year-olds build social emotional (SEL) skills with the help of Sesame Street’s beloved muppets. As kids play through the app that helps them navigate big feelings and everyday challenges, check out the FableVision-created animated music videos written by VP of Moonladder Tone Thyne, each focusing on a specific SEL content area.

Sago Mini Friends

“Leaf pools, mustache finders, thankful trees, and singing a lullaby to a loaf of bread are entirely commonplace in Sagoville,” says Tone, showrunner and one of the executive producers of Sago Mini Friends. Read his interviews in Animation World Network and Animation Magazine to learn more about the adorable show for 3-4-year-olds focused on gratitude, and watch the series on AppleTV+.

PBS Parent Activity Videos

For a rainy day, dust off that old box of craft supplies in your attic and check out PBS KIDS’ series of “Find Ways to Play'' educational videos, including 20 live-action videos created by FableVision. The activities, ranging from crafts to games to printables, inspire and guide parents and caretakers through fun, hands-on family activities that are aligned to their favorite PBS KIDS series.

Children Ages 6-12

Cyber Fashion Challenge

Don’t throw out outgrown clothes this summer; instead, upcycle them. Using favorite characters from Cyberchase, born-accessible Cyber Fashion Challenge, created with The WNET Group, PBS KIDS, and Bridge Multimedia, teaches 6-8-year-olds about avoiding fast fashion and encouraging the creative reuse of materials. Players design new pieces by reusing materials, while learning counting, shape identification, and shape characteristics.

When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left

If you or your kids ever had frustrations, doubts, fears, or worries, check out When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left, written by Marc Colagiovanni, illustrated by FableVision founder and New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, and published by Scholastic. In their second collaboration, Peter and Marc created an inspirational and optimistic story about overcoming adversity and pursuing dreams. Watch the FableVision-created trailer to learn more and read the book.

Roasting Vegetables

How do you ensure that your kids eat their veggies? By bringing those funny vegetables to life, of course! Created with audiyo-yo and Pinna, Roasting Vegetables is a rollicking, silly, pun-filled trip into the crisper drawer to see what happens when two vegetables meet in an epic battle of wits and words. The podcast for 8-10-year-olds brings together original beets, a ton of puns, and a cast of characters that are as nutritious as they are delicious.

Pinna Original Yes No Audio Escape Series

Speaking of podcasts, check out audiyo-yo’s other collaboration with Pinna – the Pinna Original Yes No Audio Escape Series. Your 7-12-year-old kids are stuck in a spooky haunted house, the creaky cabin of a ship, or a magical marshmallow dream forest, with five minutes to escape. They can respond yes or no to activate their own audio adventure and change the course of the story. Start your 7-day-free trial. 

Tweens, Teens, and Young Adults

“Digital Connections” Video Series

Created by Common Sense Media in collaboration with AT&T and Public Library Association, “Digital Connections” is a free online video series for tweens and families to learn the competencies of good digital citizenship and how to use technology safely and responsibly. FableVision is proud to have worked with Common Sense Media to help bring this project to life. Watch “Digital Connections” today to help young people connect with balance, kindness, vigilance, and purpose.

Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman Documentaries Website and Interactives

Encourage your 6-10th graders to journey through the history and impact of social change. Maryland Public Television (MPT) and FableVision created a website and two interactives highlighting the PBS documentaries Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom and Becoming Frederick Douglass. Check out the multimedia timeline with more than 70 landmark moments in American history, complete the narrated self-assessment “Map Your Role for Social Change,” and watch the documentaries.

Forest Quest

For older teens thinking about their careers, Forest Quest, created with Project Learning Tree Canada (PLT), provides an engaging and educational online experience about green jobs, sustainable forest management, and wildlife biology. Hear from foresters, wildlife experts, biologists, and Indigenous peoples to discover the secrets of forests.

Start It Up!

In lieu of a forestry career, maybe entrepreneurship is your teen’s calling. Start It Up!, an online business simulator created in partnership with GPB Education and Georgia Council on Economic Education (GCEE), teaches high school students and young adults the ins and outs of creating a business, while adding mentorship, customization, humor, and vibrant design to the experience.

That Bonus Activity

Yusuf/Cat Stevens’ “King of a Land”

After a long day, relax by listening and singing along to Cat Stevens’ new album, “King of a Land.” FableVision created animated lyric videos for two songs (stay tuned for one more) – “Take the World Apart” and “King of a Land” – featuring artwork by Peter H. Reynolds, who brings the message of finding inner peace to life. Is your entire family ready to sing?

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FableVision Studios’ Top Moments of 2021

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It was the second year of the pandemic but in many ways 2021 brought us hope. Producing “stories that matter, stories that move” has never been more important. 

We’re so lucky to have our incredible staff, friends, partners, and clients who collaborated with us on amazing educational animation, videos, games, and interactive projects. We can’t wait to continue working with you (spoiler alert!) from our new space! As we look forward to FableVision’s new chapter in 2022, here’s a look back at our top moments from 2021.

1. Award Winners
We are honored to represent unique, creative, and educational projects. Thank you for your recognition!

2. Amazing Partners
We’re happy to work with current and new clients for immersive and educational collaborations. Here are just a few partnerships that we wanted to thank.

3. Thought Leadership
We love sharing our insights and learning from other experts at conferences. Here’s where we presented this year.

Peter H. Reynolds - Education Exchange Keynote

4. Newsworthy Collaborations
Here’s how more people had the chance to learn about our projects.

5. Seasonal Banners
We welcome each season with beautiful banners created by our artists. We hope you love them just as much as we do! Doesn’t our winter one help us end 2021 on an especially cozy note?

Spring banner designed by FableVision Production Designer Julie Oliveira

Summer banner designed by FableVision Production Designer Julie Oliveira

Fall banner designed by FableVision Lead Artist Christina Kelly

Winter banner designed by FableVision Production Designer Julie Oliveira

6. New Studio on Newbury Street!
As 2021 was FableVision’s 25th anniversary, we’re celebrating with the studio’s new location in one of Boston’s most iconic districts—Newbury Street! The original wood floors, vintage skylight, and spacious roof deck with beautiful Boston views will inspire us and give us that extra boost to continue creating wonderful projects together. We look forward to working with you and inviting you to our new home.

Thank you for following us in 2021. We can’t wait to make 2022 even better!

New Office

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FableVision Resources for Social-Emotional Learning

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Resilience, empathy, and compassion—these are the social-emotional skills that empower kids to speak up for themselves and their friends during difficult situations. However, that’s easier said than done—developing social-emotional and critical thinking skills takes practice and courage. To help kids grow into brave adults, FableVision gathered a list of resources for you and your family to explore.

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Sesame Street in Community Spinners
To aid Sesame Street achieve its mission of helping children grow smarter, kinder, and stronger, FableVision created two spinner engine interactives in partnership with Sesame Workshop. They’ll be used in Sesame Street in Communities, an online resource to help parent and educate 0-5-year-olds. Grover’s Playground Workout helps children have fun while exercising. After spinning the wheel and landing on a monster, children and parents imitate the moves of that monster. Using muppets, A Little Help from My Furry Friends teaches coping strategies for stress and anxiety. 

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Project Here Games
To help the state of Massachusetts’ Project Here initiative of changing the status quo of substance use prevention education, FableVision partnered with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, GE Foundation, and Health Resources in Action. The output of the partnership is Project Here Games. The game tackles coping methods, decision-making, communication, and myth-busting. As players travel through the games by applying their earned skills to solve life-like scenarios, they’re able to test their solutions in a safe space, while staying entertained.

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Galaxia
A missing professor, illegal substances, an online bully, and an evil plot that could put the entire school in jeopardy—these are the challenges students face in Galaxia, FableVision’s bullying prevention game. Created in partnership with National Health Promotion Associates (NHPA) for the LifeSkills Training middle school curriculum, Galaxia allows students to work through scenarios surrounding peer pressure, bullying, coping with stress, and more. The outerspace boarding school game helps students make smart choices in a fun way, and the choices in the game affect the trajectory of their path.

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Different Kinds of Hurt: Isaac’s Story
In collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health and Walker Cares, FableVision created Different Kinds of Hurt: Isaac’s Story, a multi-media campaign consisting of a graphic novel (available for free to Massachusetts residents), animated film, and accompanying print resources. Featuring young Isaac and his friend Mia as they discuss their recent time in the hospital, the resources aim to normalize conversations about mental health and fight the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

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Civics! An American Musical
As children navigate U.S. history and analyze primary resources to produce their own musical, Civics! An American Musical teaches middle school students the power of everyday citizens in causing change. Developed in partnership with Maryland Public Television, Maryland Humanities, and Tufts’ CIRCLE as a part of the Library of Congress’ Teaching With Primary Sources Program, it aims to motivate the next generation of activists. The Hamilton-inspired games allow students to adapt true events from U.S. history to the stage, such as the desegregation of public schools, the National Parks, the FDA, and the Chinese Exclusion Act.

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Quandary
Can a game include complicated ethical problems while engaging children on a narrative level? In collaboration with the Learning Games Network, FableVision answered yes to this question by creating Quandary, an ethical decision-making card game. Students play as the captain of the new space colony Braxos and use their listening and moral decision-making skills to keep the peace among colonies. The game aims to help players make difficult decisions where there are no right or wrong answers, like most conflicts in everyday life.

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Say Something!
Written by FableVision founder and New York Times bestselling author Peter H. Reynolds and published by Scholastic, Say Something! reminds children that their voices can inspire, heal, and transform. To provide movement to the message and art of the book, FableVision created a trailer and animated film that encourage children to be brave and speak up against injustice. Using the uplifting words and actions of the characters as inspiration, the trailer and film follow them striving to make a positive difference in their world.

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