Welcome to FableVision’s Summer Camp!

As sunlight fills the days after 15 months of COVID-19, we’re looking forward to an engaging and exciting summer. To ensure that your children continue to learn while they’re on break, we created FableVision’s Summer Camp—a compilation of resources, including educational animated series, games, softwares, and videos.

Help your children have a fun summer by supporting their creativity, sparking their imagination, and encouraging their interest in new things. Whether they enjoy animals, engineering, or meteorology (just to name a few)—we’ve got you covered with a variety of free/low-cost activities that can be enjoyed by your family! 

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PBS KIDS Parent Activities Videos
Saturn’s rings, puzzle boxes, Yup’ik dance fans, and more—these live-action videos produced for PBS KIDS’ website for parents provide fun and educational crafts to create with your children using household materials and art supplies. In tandem with their favorite PBS KIDS shows, like Molly of Denali or Elinor Wonders Why, families can complete hands-on activities, while learning about central themes of the shows and discussing important questions. Grab your crayons, glue, and scissors and follow the easy steps in the videos—it’s time to make butterfly costumes and periscopes.

The instructional videos are available for free on PBS KIDS for Parents.

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The Paper Girls Show
How about a summer trip to Confetti, a beautiful world built entirely out of paper? In the FableVision and Global Tinker animated series The Paper Girls Show, best friends Cailey and Reese travel to Confetti to visit their paper friends Kami and Dev. Together they creatively invent solutions applicable to the real world. Each episode features a new type of technology, such as 3D printers and robots, and the series infuses STEAM curricula that inspires young girls to explore arts, science, programming, and engineering. 

Watch the series for free on YouTube.

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UCAR Animated Atmosphere
As summer brings heat waves and hurricanes to New England, help your children understand the weather by watching Animated Atmosphere videos, created for University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). To describe extreme weather and how to stay safe, the animated videos feature a weatherman yeti showing cold weather conditions, a dog demonstrating how to take care of pets, and a palm tree illustrating the effects of tropical storms. Humor, cute visuals, and an approachable script allow children to understand weather phenomena and get introduced to discussions on climate change.

The videos are available on UCAR’s YouTube.

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FableVision Games
FableVision Games, a research- and educational-game-based platform, engages students and improves their learning outcomes in STEM, social studies, literacy, and social-emotional skills. Math, history, puzzles, and more—FableVision Games has something for any child’s interest.

• Cyberchase Fractions Quest: Deepen your understanding of fractions by embarking on an adventure to save Cyberspace from the villain Hacker. Created in collaboration with THIRTEEN/WNET New York Public Media and Educational Development Center’s Center for Children and Technology, the immersive math game uses a series of quest-like challenges to keep students engaged.

• Zoombinis: Help small, blue creatures escape evil Bloats and return to Zoombiniville by playing Zoombinis. Created in partnership with TERC, a not-for-profit leader in K-12 math and science education, the math and logic game teaches computational thinking through a series of puzzles.

• Civics! An American Musical: In preparation for the Fourth of July, brush up on U.S. history and create a Broadway musical from scratch in Civics! An American Musical. By teaming up with the Library of Congress, Maryland Public Television, Maryland Humanities, and Tufts’ Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), FableVision created a game where middle-school students have fun analyzing primary sources while learning how to become responsible citizens. 

The games are available on the FableVision Games website—play for free through June.

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Echo Explorers
Speaking of Cyberchase, Hacker is up to his usual tricks. He trapped some bats and the CyberSquad needs your help to free them. Created in partnership with THIRTEEN/WNET and Bridge Multimedia, Echo Explorers, a born-accessible game, follows guidelines from child disability, math, and environmental science content experts. It can be tailored to each child’s unique learning needs and sensitivities through settings in sound, captions, background visuals, difficulty, and control modes. Children of all abilities learn about echolocation and coordinate mapping with their favorite characters from the PBS KIDS show.

The game is available on PBS KIDS.

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Go Wild! With Ranger Rick
Who can better excite children about wildlife than the beloved raccoon Ranger Rick? The FableVision-created mobile app for National Wildlife Federation (NWF)’s Ranger Rick teaches 4-8-year-olds about animals through three activities. In “That’s Wild!,” children engage through jokes and riddles about their favorite animals. In “Mystery Animal,” a set of clues helps children guess the unknown animal. Lastly, in “Rick’s Pix,” children create a scrapbook of animal photos decorated with stickers, frames, and nature backgrounds. The app excites children through fun activities, vibrant colors, and NWF’s extensive database of information. Next time you’re at the zoo, aquarium, or backyard, learn more about the animals you see through Go Wild! With Ranger Rick.

The app is free to download with a Ranger Rick subscription.

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Reach Every Reader Apps
Help your young children begin their literacy journey! FableVision-created mobile apps, Photo Play and Animal Antics, for Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE)’s Reach Every Reader initiative, turn everyday routines into learning opportunities for 2-4-year-olds. In Photo Play, children decorate their own photos with stickers, emojis, and talk balloons, which helps them facilitate conversations with caregivers about the photo memories, locations, and details. In Animal Antics, children and caretakers use their imaginations to role-play as different animals. Reach Every Reader works to bridge the literacy gap by providing learning opportunities and word acquisition in low-income families.

The apps are available to download for free.

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FabMaker Studio
Spark your child's interest in engineering through FabMaker Studio, an easy-to-use, web-based program that allows children to engage in STEM and STEAM learning. From idea to reality, children build paper prototypes and final designs with this researched-based application. FabMaker Studio is part of the national Make To Learn research initiative, a unique for-profit/non-profit collaborative founded by Glen Bull, Co-Director of the Center for Technology and Teacher Education at the University of Virginia and The Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity. 

The online-tool provides a low-cost, accessible way to design and invent 2D and 3D projects. As children progress through the program, they transform their creativity into building their own working machines. FabMaker is perfect for creating at home, in the classroom, and summer programs. 

 If you click here for more information, you can also receive a free activity!

FableVision and AETC Collaborate to Promote COVID-19 Vaccine Literacy

With COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and vaccination hesitancy on the rise, educating ourselves remains a priority. By combating false information and taking the time to learn about COVID-19 and other health topics, we can improve the health of us, our family, and our friends. 

To bring humor and movement to complex scientific concepts, FableVision and the AIDS Education Training Center (AETC) partnered together to create an animated series based on the NoiseFilter Podcast and Live Show, featuring infectious disease specialist Dr. MarkAlain Dery and community health expert Dr. Eric Griggs (Doc Griggs). The podcast aims to distill COVID-19 information, debunk misinformation, and correct health literacy.

To extend NoiseFilter beyond a podcast, FableVision created a video series with animated versions of Dr. Dery and Doc Griggs as they digest complicated scientific concepts into bite-size chunks. By using humor, storytelling, and punk rock spike proteins, they provide an easy way for the general public to dispel myths and understand COVID-19 and mRNA vaccines. As Dr. Dery and Doc Griggs’ personalities, dynamic, and humor come to life, FableVision artists use fun visuals, whimsy, and fairy tale analogies to help the doctor duo captivate audiences and explain medical concepts in an easy-to-understand way. 

“Dr. Dery and Doc Griggs have an amazing wealth of pop culture knowledge and a super-cartoony sensibility, which makes the brainstorming sessions ridiculously fun,” says Leigh Hallisey, FableVision’s Creative Director and Head Writer. “They aren’t afraid to push the boundaries with trippy visuals and humor, as long as the science is accurate and engaging for our audience. You’d be hard pressed to find anything else like it in the world of health PSAs, and that makes us really proud.” 

As a studio committed to telling “stories that matter, stories that move,” FableVision is proud to team up with AETC and NoiseFilter to produce a series that aims to reduce health disparities and achieve health equity through creative educational methods. Read on for more information.

A Look Inside

Episode 1: Valiant Vaccine Versus the Vicious Virus
Animated versions of Dr. Dery and Doc Griggs provide a simple way for healthcare workers and the public to discuss COVID-19. With fast-paced cartoons, engaging punk rock music, and superhero antibodies, the pair details how COVID-19 makes people sick, how mRNA works, and how mRNA vaccines fight Coronavirus.

Episode 2: The Big Bad Variant and the Three Little Griggs
The second video uses a Three Little Pigs analogy and more humor to demonstrate how the mRNA vaccine fights COVID-19 variants. By comparing the human body to the three pigs’ houses and COVID-19 to the wolf, the animation delves deeper into how COVID-19 mutates and how the mRNA booster shot helps the body update its security system to fight the mutating virus.

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Established in 1987, AETC aims to improve the quality of life of persons with or at-risk of HIV through high-quality professional education and training.

To stay informed about COVID-19 and to follow Dr. Dery and Doc Griggs’ journey of promoting health initiatives, watch the first two episodes on AETC’s YouTube Channel, the NoiseFilter website, and other platforms. Stay tuned for more episodes to come.

Educate, Engage, and Equip Yourself this Earth Day

FableVision is celebrating the 51st Earth Day! While it is important to be grateful for the world around us year-round, Earth Day is an opportunity to increase our awareness and knowledge of the ways in which we can take better care of our planet. This includes being more mindful of the impact our actions and behavior can have on the world and its current and future residents—people, animals, plants, and more. Here at FableVision, we understand how imperative it is to educate people, especially youth, to treat the planet with respect. It is also crucial for all of us to stay educated and informed about the value of our natural resources and the impact our every move can have on the earth today and every day.

So this year, we rounded up our favorite resources to showcase the Earth’s beauty and different ways we can preserve and protect it. Whether you’re looking to explore the mysteries of the deep sea, or seeking clarity about natural phenomena you never quite understood, our collection has something for everyone. Keep reading for engaging animation, clever PSAs, and fun games and interactives that will hopefully teach you something new!

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Animated Atmosphere (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research)

Come rain or shine, UCAR’s new FableVision-created Animated Atmosphere series is sure to blow you away! If you have ever wondered why sea levels are rising or what the difference is between rain, hail, and snow, this is the video series for you. Learn more about why ozone can be good or bad, how you can take care of yourself during a heatwave, and what exactly makes the wind blow. Watch these 17 animated videos to answer questions you may have about climate change, the weather, and natural phenomena. 

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Secrets of the Sea (Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access)

Take a deep dive into the magical world of coral reefs! Secrets of the Sea allows viewers to familiarize themselves with the beautiful mysteries of a coral reef and learn from explorers who have dedicated their lives to studying the organisms that make up these habitats and leading the fight against climate change to protect these precious habitats. Immerse yourself in this digital experience, created in partnership with the Smithsonian and featuring FableVision-designed 2D zooplankton and 3D models.

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Sorajiro: PSAs (Big Tent Entertainment)

Japan’s favorite weather mascot has made his way to the USA! In four funny, approachable PSAs, Sorajiro and his friends, Potsie and Kumo, tackle topical environmental issues, such as marine litter, air pollution, climate control, and environmental health. Created in partnership with Nippon TV and the United Nations, this series offers a call to action to viewers. Each 30-second video shows one of the friends committing an environmental faux pas and being corrected by the other members of the trio, ending on an empowering note by suggesting ways in which we can protect the environment. We all know someone who needs a gentle reminder to engage in better environmental practices—go ahead and send them a Sorajiro PSA!

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Go Wild! With Ranger Rick (National Wildlife Federation)

The animals are calling! Go Wild! With Ranger Rick includes three activities to encourage children to get off the couch and outside to appreciate nature! Children between the ages of 4 to 8 collect badges and awards while expanding their knowledge and acknowledging the beauty of the outside world. In Mystery Animal, kids rack their brains to guess an animal based on a range of clues. That’s Wild! seeks to astonish kids with fun facts, riddles, and jokes all based on their favorite animals. And in Rick’s Pix, kids unleash their creativity to decorate photos with stickers, frames, and nature backgrounds, saving their favorites to the app’s scrapbook. Ranger Rick is waiting—have a safe journey! 

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The Paper Girls Show (Global Tinker)

Earth is cool, but have you been to Confetti? Join Caily and Reese, best friends and makers, on their adventures to a fantastic world crafted entirely out of paper. Guided by paper kids Kami and Dev, the girls unleash their creativity and problem-solving skills to bypass obstacles and avoid the wrath of Queen Frivol, discovering solutions to real-world problems along the way. In addition to displaying inspiring ingenuity through their creations, the girls also touch upon and display the importance of sustainable practices, educating viewers on topics such as renewable energy sources and recycling. The 12 animated episodes are centered around storylines with STEAM-inspired curricula to remind young girls that “If you can dream it, you can make it!”

FableVision Resources for Mental Health Awareness Month All Year Long

As we near the end of May and Mental Health Awareness Month, FableVision wants to make sure that the conversations surrounding mental health are not limited to these thirty one days. As we continue to #BreakTheStigma and work towards normalizing conversations about mental health and wellness, we believe that these important topics should be discussed all year long. And as many of us continue to spend more time in our homes these days, it is not only important that we continue to look after our own mental health, but also lend a helping hand to others who may be struggling. 

Take a look at our list of resources to help you have open and honest conversations about mental health, practice self-love and healthy coping skills, and learn and flourish - any day of the year!

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Different Kinds of Hurt: Isaac’s Story (Massachusetts Department of Mental Health)

It can be difficult for many children to share their worries and express how they feel to others. To normalize conversations about mental health and show kids that “it’s okay to not feel okay,” FableVision teamed up with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health and Walker Cares to create Different Kinds of Hurt: Isaac’s Story, a multimedia campaign that aims to fight the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

Consisting of a graphic novel, animated film, and accompanying print resources, Isaac’s Story shares the experiences of Isaac and his friend Mia as they describe their recent stays in the hospital, Mia for her broken leg and Isaac for his anxiety. The campaign draws parallels between mental and physical health without relying on harmful stereotypes.

Watch the film, order your free copy of the book (available to all Massachusetts residents), and download additional family and educator resources on the Isaac’s Story site.

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The Reflection in Me (Marc Colagiovanni)

How we view ourselves can have a huge impact on our mental health. That’s why FableVision teamed up with attorney turned storyteller and filmmaker Marc Colagiovanni to create The Reflection in Me, an animated film that spreads positivity and lets you know “you are perfectly perfect just the way you are!” 

The film follows a child's journey of self-love and motivates viewers to look deeper within and appreciate who they are. Drawing on the importance of acceptance, this heartwarming and uplifting film promotes a message of self-love as we see the child in the film is motivated by their reflection to accept who they truly are: perfectly perfect.

The full film is available on YouTube. Visit the FableVision website for more information about the film, its creator, and FableVision Studios.

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Sesame Street in Communities Spinners (Sesame Workshop)

Help your children grow smarter, kinder, and stronger! In partnership with Sesame Workshop, FableVision created two spinner engine interactives for Sesame Street in Communities, an online tool that provides parents and providers with access to information and activities directed to help them better care for and educate young children.

Encourage children to get up on their feet with “Grover’s Playground Workout,” an interactive that helps children have fun while exercising. Players spin a wheel and land on a random monster or pick a monster of their own choosing that then models up to three different moves for children and parents to imitate. Or learn coping strategies with the help of your favorite Sesame Street characters in “A Little Help from My Furry Friends.” Each selected monster showcases their own video to help children understand and develop skills to cope with stress and anxiety. 

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Project Here Games (The Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts, Health Resources in Action, and the GE Foundation)

To help promote healthy decision-making strategies and change the status quo of substance use prevention education, FableVision teamed up with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, GE foundation, and Health Resources in Action to create Project Here Games, a social emotional learning app that serves as part of the Massachusetts statewide Project Here initiative. 

Combining popular and relevant games with an upbeat interactive structure, Project Here Games consists of varying mini-games surrounding coping methods, decision-making, communication, and myth-busting. Players travel through the games by applying their earned skills to solve life-like scenarios. Using effective communication and mindfulness, players are able to see what impact these skills can have on situations while in a safe space. 

Created with an underlying curriculum, these interactives consist of meaningful lessons that inform children about the risks of substance abuse as well as assess their knowledge on the subject. This research-based interactive experience grants prevention education a new and useful tool for substance education, overall positively impacting the mental and physical health of Massachusetts’ future.

Some of Our Favorite Resources in the Age of Social Distancing

As many of us prepare for another few weeks of social distancing, FableVision staffers have filled our time with walks, cooking, dancing, crafting, and, of course, storytelling. Looking for some suggestions for activities you and your family can do together? We’ve gathered another list of some of our favorite resources for while we’re physically apart. 

For a list of Distance Learning resources (although there are some resources on this list that fit that bill as well), check out our other blog here.

Stay safe!

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Yards for Yeardley: a virtual MOVEment from One Love Foundation

Feeling restless? Move for a good cause! Yards for Yeardley is a virtual movement organized by One Love, a foundation dedicated to educating young people about healthy relationships. In honor of the 10th anniversary of Yeardley Love’s death, One Love invites you to walk, run, dance, or get even more creative about how you want to move in order to help create a world where we know how to love better. Register online to pledge the number of yards you’ll move by May 3!

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Go Wild! With Ranger Rick from National Wildlife Federation - available for free for a limited time!

Get a taste of the outdoors while you’re cooped up inside! Learn all about animals and wildlife in Go Wild! With Ranger Rick, a FableVision-developed app from the National Wildlife Federation. Answer trivia questions, play games, and hear some jokes while hanging out with your favorite raccoon buddy Ranger Rick.

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Sesame Workshop’s Caring for Each Other Resources

In times like these, it’s important to keep caring for one another. Sesame Workshop’s Caring For Each Other initiative provides numerous resources for parents and children to cope with stress and continue playing, laughing, and learning together—with help from some familiar friends on Sesame Street!

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WGBH’s Distance Learning Center

With so many incredible learning resources out there, it can be overwhelming to find ones that work best for you or your child. WGBH’s Distance Learning Center has gathered a collection of free, quality digital resources from PBS LearningMedia and other PBS programming that can easily be filtered by grade level and subject. 

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Hold a concert in your living room with BSO at Home

Putting together a soundtrack for your new stay-at-home routine? Look no further than the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s free collection of daily performances and behind-the-scenes videos. With new music every morning, BSO at Home will keep you tapping along to the beat with their live performances, backstage views of what it’s like to be in the orchestra, and inside looks into how orchestra members are spending their time at home.

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GoNoodle: mindful movement for homes and classrooms (and current at-home classrooms)

Turn screen time into active screen time with GoNoodle! GoNoodle’s free videos and games—made with input from child development experts—promote movement and mindfulness in kids, from dance parties to yoga sessions. 

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Listen to a podcast, story, or song from Pinna

You don’t need a daily commute to keep listening to quality content! Pinna provides audiobooks and podcasts of all genres for kids 3-12. Pinna is extending its free trial period to 60 days. Use promo code PINNA4KIDS to receive your 30 extra days of listening.

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The Family Dinner Project offers food, fun, and conversation

We’re not the only ones #stressbaking right now. Food is a great way to bring people together, and it’s now more important than ever to spend time at the dinner table with your family. Check out The Family Dinner Project’s FableVision-designed website for great recipes, family activities, and conversation starters! They also compiled their own stuck-at-home guide, which you can find here. And if you’re on a dessert-making spree, why not try this recipe for banana chocolate chip mug cakes or host your own virtual dinner party for family and friends?

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Rock out with Fender

Do you dream of being a rockstar? A pop star? Or do you just have a guitar lying around? Fender is offering three months of free guitar, bass, and ukulele lessons online. Learn how to play your favorite songs at your own pace with Fender Play’s video lessons.