FableVision Resources for Social-Emotional Learning

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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September FableFriday: Hannah O’Neal, Lead Animator

“One of the things I like most about my job is creating fun and engaging characters, animals, and designs that bring a smile to the audience’s faces and brighten their day for having seen it,” says Hannah O’Neal. Once a FableVision intern, now lead animator, Hannah has created stunning animation at the studio for years. During her time as an intern, Hannah connected with the work and mission of FableVision, and when she finished her internship, she soon began freelancing. She then joined the team as a staff artist/animator and later became lead animator. In her role, she has delivered high-quality animation on a number of award-winning projects, and takes part in many important conversations surrounding the studio’s animation process. 

What distinguishes FableVision from other studios in the industry, for Hannah, is the work environment. “FableVision has a tremendous studio culture that creates a positive place to work,” says Hannah. “As an employee for a while now, it’s always been a pleasure working in a place that has collected what is both some of the best talent and also the nicest people in the Boston area.” 

Read on for more information on Hannah’s role at FableVision, where and how she finds artistic inspiration, and how she is shaping the minds of future animators in her animation course at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

What is involved in being a Lead Animator at FableVision, and how has your day-to-day routine changed since the beginning of your time at FableVision?
I still get to do a lot of the day-to-day animation tasks, making characters and designs move around in an interesting way, but now I also get to be more a part of the upfront discussions on not just what we’re working on, but also why, and how. In that way, I have the opportunity to shape the way we approach our animation for a given project and make sure we’re doing the best we can to meet our clients’ and partners’ goals. I am also able to interact more with other animation freelancers on projects and help direct them. I interact more with clients, as well, and provide animation-related information and feedback that helps keep projects looking their best.

As the art/animation internship coordinator, you’ve guided many young artists and even former students of yours in their practice. What do you look for in an intern candidate, and how does it feel to work with your students and former students at FableVision?
I was once an intern at FableVision, so I feel really blessed to be able to help usher in our new art interns every semester. I’m always looking for candidates who have the appropriate skill level in their portfolios for art or animation; however, portfolios only get a candidate so far. I also need to make sure that the candidate will fit in well within our close team-oriented environment. So I look for talented folks who are also up-beat, goal focused, and willing to jump into a team project and work with other people to make something great! I do my best to make sure my interns and students are getting the best professional experience possible, while also making it a positive experience for the studio to interact with these talented young people. By the end of the semester, I tend to be very sad when I have to say goodbye to them, but we all typically stay in touch, and I do my best to keep those connections alive.

You started out as a FableVision intern! How does your experience transitioning from intern to animator to now lead animator affect how you run the internship program?
FableVision was a great place to intern, and if I have anything to say about it, it remains a great place to intern! Becoming an animator after being an intern was a very different experience for me. The transition from animator to lead animator involves more managing, which means there is more overlap with my role as internship coordinator. I manage a team and their time, as well as direct look and feel of a project’s motion needs. I take what I learn managing the interns and apply it to what I do as a lead, and vice versa. 

What’s a project you’ve worked on this year that you’re especially proud of? Do you have any all time favorites?
This year, I just wrapped up a project that deals with financial literacy content. I was able to work with some really amazing writing and character designs, as well as some fantastic voice acting. Things came together so well and made my job not only easy, but super fun to execute. When we previewed the animation in front of the studio, it made people laugh and have a good time. That’s the best part of the job, when our team comes together well and makes something everyone really enjoys.

What are some things that have influenced your art style over the years?
As a kid, I was really into anime-style animation. While I am not as interested in that as an adult, I still use its visual language in my work. This is easy to do because most animators these days are using anime-inspired visual cues as well. Other inspirations include independent comic artists and illustrators of varying styles and genres. I love styles that push poses and emotions beyond the expected, and you tend to see more of that in comics since you have to say more in one character pose than you would in animation. I also derive a lot of inspiration from video games in terms of how things can move and what software to use to do so. I love seeing the latest from top-name motion graphic companies, as well. I’m fascinated by how much one can relate to an audience using abstract shapes and good graphic design. But what I have always felt most inspired by is nature! I’m a huge nature nerd, and it has always informed what and how I create art.

How did you first become interested in animation? What advice would you have for an artist pursuing the field today?
As mentioned, I love nature, and it’s because of that love that I was drawn to animation, specifically to the idea that I could essentially create living art. I could make art move and breathe and run and laugh. It seemed to me to be a very powerful form of artistic expression. One thing I would suggest for an artist interested in learning how to create animation, and ultimately becoming a professional animator, is to make sure you’re okay with drawing a lot! It can be tedious, and if you’re finding the level of tedium is preventing you from feeling that spark of creativity, you may want to try other forms of art. But, if you are really into it like I was, you should learn the basics first! 

And I what I mean by “basics” is learning how to draw animation (either on paper or in a software that lets you draw frame-by-frame) before starting to learn software. The animation world is very competitive world, and there are more software options than you can shake a stick at. There’s also a lot of pressure for a young animator to learn ALL THE SOFTWARE! However, all the software in the world isn’t going to make you a good animator if you don’t understand how to move and draw with a sense of weight and 3-dimension. It takes an experienced artist to make that movement something worth watching, giving your object life, making it relatable, and giving it a purpose. That can be quite a tall order! But if you can figure out how to do that, no matter what software (or paper) you use, you’ll be on the fast track to becoming a successful animator and artist.

Where do you seek out opportunities for viewing art and animation? What are some of your favorite animated shows/movies/cartoons?
Studio Ghibli films are always a great source of animation inspiration for me in regards to tone, story, and character movement. Anything animated by Milt Kahl is worth studying for hours if you can as well! He was a master of animation. One of my most favorite animated TV shows is Batman the Animated Series from the 90’s. It was very formative for me! It pushed character design and story in the realm of children’s television and is still such a pleasure to watch. I also love the animation coming out of the Cartoon Saloon in Ireland. They’re great at adding interesting stylized design and story to make epic and enjoyable animated films. Practically anything coming out of Gobelins school for animation is also top-notch! And last but certainly not least, I’ve really enjoyed the works of Giant Ant, an amazing motion graphic studio! 

Tell us about your current teaching gig!
I am lucky to work in a place that lets me take part in teaching a class on 2D Animation software at MassArt. I have always really loved teaching, which is part of the reason I enjoy running the intern program at FableVision. I’m going into my second semester teaching, and I’m really looking forward to it. Helping young artists learn to be the best they can is super rewarding work!

We heard you’re also into gaming. What’s your current favorite video game, and are there any games that have influenced your artistic style over the years?
My favorite video game is Journey—hands down! It’s SO amazing in every way I hope a game to be amazing. It has a meaningful story that promotes cooperative play with others, it looks stunning, and the music is *chef’s kiss*. It’s an award-winning game for a reason.

More about Hannah:

What’s at the top of your travel bucket list and why? New Zealand because it’s so BEAUTIFUL and kind of weird, and I can pretend to be a hobbit. It’d be great!
You love to camp! Do you prefer a tent or a camper? TENT 100%. I like hiking into a remote location and pitching a tent by a fire. There’s just something so satisfying about that—being so lost in and surrounded by nature.
We heard you grew up on an animal farm. Do you know why cows come close when they hear trumpets or other music? Cattle will come to any weird noise you make so long as they believe there will be food at the end of their journey. We used to yell out a sort of song to attract the cattle to come feed. They have to hear you over fields and hills, so you have to be really loud! It went something like, “SoooooeeeeEEEEe Cooome n’ Get iiiiiiiitttt!” and hit the empty bucket against the giant feeding trough because it makes a loud sound. The cattle loved it!
Favorite song to listen to while working? I like to listen to albums, so it’s hard to pick one song! I like to listen to the album “Songs from Moonlit Lake” by Daniel Olsén because it’s so darn cute!
Favorite work snack? Double chocolate cookies from Flour Bakery!
Describe your ideal dessert: There was this legendary dessert dish my Granny made when I was a kid that she called Mississippi Mud Pie Graveyard. It was a kind of cake with LOTS of chocolate things. It had pudding, oreo crumbles, and maybe some cream cheese. MOST IMPORTANTLY, though, it was in a casserole dish decorated with gummy worms and marshmallow ghosts to resemble a graveyard, since she made it for Halloween. I will never forget that dish and want nothing more than to eat that again, but only for Halloween!
Summarize FableVision in three words: Hard-working, good people.

FableVision’s Nine EdTech Thought Leaders to Watch in 2019

Looking for inspiration for the new year? Check out these nine edtech thought leaders to get advice on how to engage your students, create more opportunities in and out of the classroom, integrate technology into your curriculum, and stay up-to-date on edtech trends.

Image source: Remake Learning

1. Michelle King

We were first introduced to Michelle King at the 2018 Connected Learning Summit where she gave the featured plenary. Michelle is a middle school teacher, learning instigator, love activist, and transformer. She strives to make learning enjoyable and relevant for all students by connecting it to their own lives.

To engage her classroom and other educators, Michelle uses game-based learning, design, restorative justice, equity, social justice, and teacher empowerment to shape how students experience learning. Michelle also curates and publishes content on education, business, science, arts and entertainment, and more through her paper.li “newspaper.”

Follow her on Twitter: @LrningInstigatr
Check out her TED Talk

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Image source: Angela Maiers website

2. Angela Maiers

Angela Maiers is a distinguished writer, entrepreneur, speaker, and educator. She aims to be a leader, visionary, entrepreneur, disruptor, and change maker in education and enterprise through her message on the importance of mattering.

Angela’s mission is to unleash the genius in all of us by encouraging people to embrace their value and potential contribution. She founded Choose2Matter to encourage collaboration among students to develop new and creative solutions to social problems. The organization has since grown to also support parents, educators, and employees internationally.

Follow her on Twitter: @angelamaiers
Check out her initiatives

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Image source: Tom Vander Ark Twitter

3. Tom Vander Ark

Tom Vander Ark, Chief Executive Officer of Getting Smart and co-founder of Learn Capital, advises and invests in impact organizations and learning institutions in order to support innovations in learning.

Tom has co-authored over fifty books, chapters, and white papers. He has also published thousands of articles on platforms such as GettingSmart.com, LinkedIn, Education Week, and Forbes. Outside of his work with Getting Smart and his work as an author, Tom regularly presents at various national and international conferences, including ASU/GSV, SXSW EDU, The World Bank, Bett Show, and The Digital Education Show Middle East.

Follow him on Twitter: @tvanderark
Check out a list of his publications

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Image source: Medium article

4. George Couros

George Couros, an “Innovative Teaching, Learning, and Leadership” consultant and author of The Innovator’s Mindset, encourages educators to inspire their students to follow their passions, which in turn inspires others to do the same. A learner, educator, and consultant, George believes that education must focus on collaboration in order to meet the needs of all children.

With over 17 years of experience as an educator, Couros uses first-hand experience from teaching and working with teachers to support educators who are trying to help students find and excel in their own paths. He also works with schools to adapt curriculum to better serve students’ needs in the present and for their futures.

Follow him on Twitter: @gcouros
Learn more about his educational leadership philosophy

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Image source: ISTE 2017 keynote

5. Jennie Magiera

Jennie Magiera, Chief Program Officer at EdTechTeam and co-founder of Student Voice Foundation, empowers educators to create new and innovative opportunities for students. Much of her work focuses on recognizing problems in the classroom and discovering different ways to navigate and address them through effective use of technology and “edventures”: student-centered, passion-based experiential learning.

A Corwin best-selling author, White House Champion for Change, TEDx Speaker, and former Chicago Public Schools teacher, among other roles, Jennie is committed to reimagining professional learning in order to address teacher support that feels more relevant to educators and students.

Follow her on Twitter: @MsMagiera
Check out her book: Courageous Edventures

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Image source: Nebraska Educational Technology Society

6. Eric Curts

Eric Curts, an Authorized Google Education Trainer and Google Certified Innovator, provides training and consulting to schools and organizations in educational technology, with a focus on Google Apps.

In his blog Control Alt Achieve, Eric details how to integrate Google Apps into curriculum in order to transform education in a positive way. He also provides tutorials, guides, presentations, and other resources for educators or organization employees to make full use of the tools available.

Follow him on Twitter: @ericcurts
Check out his services

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Image source: The Cool Cat Teacher Blog

7. Vicki Davis

Vicki Davis, a full-time teacher and IT Director in Georgia, provides advice and resources to fellow educators on how to reach all children, especially those who learn differently or who struggle with learning. Her blog, The Cool Cat Teacher Blog, inspires educators to approach teaching with patience, resilience, and positivity. It also amplifies educator voices by offering a platform for them to share their stories with an online community.

Vicki also highlights tools and technologies that can benefit classrooms, such as digital film, augmented reality, virtual reality, and many more. A blogger, podcaster, Global Collaborative Project Inventor, author, and speaker, Vicki uses her expertise and love of education to fulfill her mission of helping you become a better teacher.

Follow her on Twitter: @coolcatteacher
Check out her podcast: 10-Minute Teacher

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Image source: Eric Sheninger Twitter

8. Eric Sheninger

Eric Sheninger is a Senior Fellow and Thought Leader on Digital Leadership with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE), as well as a former award-winning principal at New Milford High School. Using his experience implementing various sustainable change initiatives that reshaped how teachers taught and students learned at his school, Eric created the Pillars of Digital Leadership, a framework for all educators to create similar change and transformations in their own school cultures.

A best-selling author and in-demand speaker, Eric pays particular attention to how educators can successfully integrate technology into their curricula to increase professional development opportunities, enhance student learning, and transform learning spaces. He also details how technology can help schools and organizations better communicate with stakeholders and the larger public in order to increase brand presence.

Follow him on Twitter: @E_Sheninger
Check out his publications and blog

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Image source: School Library Journal Flickr

9. The Reynolds Brothers

If this name seems familiar, that’s because they’re two of our FableVision co-founders! Peter H. Reynolds and his twin brother Paul A. Reynolds are both advocates of creativity and lifelong learning. Peter is a best-selling children's book author (The Dot, Ish, Sky Color, Someday), illustrator (Judy Moody, The Water Princess), bookshop owner, and advocate for children, parents, teachers, and caregivers to “make their mark” in learning, expressing their creativity, and solving social issues. Paul is a storyteller, educator, award-winning author, and passionate supporter of using the power of storytelling and media to create engaging and authentic educational experiences for learners of all ages.

Peter and Paul also support and empower educators and students through FableVision Learning, FableVision’s K-12 educational publisher and distributor of creative software, the nonprofit Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity dedicated to innovative teaching practices, and (of course) FableVision Studios, our media production studio that shares "stories that matter, stories that move" in an effort to move the world to a better place.

Upcoming events:

Paul is participating in a workshop titled “Make to Learn: An Easy, Affordable Onramp to STEAM” and signing books as a part of the “Meet the Authors” booth at the Future of Education Technology Conference in Orlando, Florida on January 28th.

Peter is speaking on creativity and the power of the individual teacher at Bett in London on January 25th.

Follow them on Twitter: @peterhreynolds and @fablepaul
Check out Peter’s FableFriday and Paul’s FableFriday

September FableFriday: Sam Bissonnette, Producer

Samantha “Sam” Bissonnette is holding educational media to a high standard – and it’s an interactive one. The newest producer at the studio, Sam is no stranger to FableVision, having spent time honing her skills as a 2013 intern in our marketing department. Since then, Sam has ventured deeper into media production, managing streaming content on the digital team at PBS KIDS, working as a production assistant on shows like WordGirl and Astroblast!, and consulting with Sesame Workshop on innovating in the early education field. After graduating from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education (HGSE), Sam returns to FableVision armed with a renewed passion for producing educational media. Among other things, she’s constantly thinking about how our favorite properties positively impact our lives – no matter your age.

“I’m really excited about interactive experiences through streaming media. Specifically, there’s a lot of conversation that says TV is a passive experience, and I disagree – the best shows and stories start conversation and action,” Sam shares. “People feel moved to make fan art, express their thoughts about characters online, or host viewing parties. I’m really excited to be able to think about harnessing this excitement at FableVision Studios and make it easier for people to interact with media, especially in an educational space.”

Pull up a chair and get to know Sam’s thoughts on personalized learning, rich production past, and her enthusiastic love for food, Pokémon, and a certain BIG puppy in this month’s FableFriday.

Sam, tell us about your journey to FableVision story!
My journey (back!) to FableVision started after my internship with the marketing team here in 2013. Inspired to continue working in the edtech industry, I worked several different jobs in the children’s media space and finished graduate school. I heard there was a job opening at FableVision Studios so I interviewed with Executive Producer Karen Bresnahan and Senior Producer Peter Stidwill. Before I knew it, I was welcomed back into the FableVision team!

The role of producer is often mysterious as they’re creatively working behind the scenes to pull everything together. Can you give us a crash course on your role at FableVision?
Producers at FableVision have the exciting task of managing projects that come in all shapes and sizes. We think about the project as a whole and work to keep the client’s vision at the forefront of the team’s mind every step of the way. Producers have a hand in shaping and guiding each project towards delivery. I get to constantly learn more about art, tech, and design – all things I love! At FableVision, we’re fortunate to work on a broad range of media, so every day and every project feels different.

As a producer you have to stay organized, what’s your trick?
I like to record everything as much as possible – I have three notebooks, one schedule book, and lots of calendars! I can type pretty quickly too, so I tend to transcribe meetings and conversations whenever possible.

What’s a favorite project that you’re working on now?
It’s so hard to choose! FableVision’s work with The Good Project is especially important to me. Through research-based concepts, frameworks, and resources, The Good Project seeks to help students reflect upon the ethical dilemmas that arise in everyday life and give them the tools to make thoughtful decisions. It was my first kickoff as a part of the FableVision team, and it ties perfectly with my experience at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Plus it involves a lot of content I feel passionate about, like social/emotional development.

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Hats off to the new graduate! You recently matriculated from HGSE, tell us about what you studied in the Technology, Innovation, and Education (TIE) program?
As a member of the 2017 TIE cohort, I explored courses in design, entrepreneurship, animation, inclusive education, race and culture in education, and of course, children’s media! The program is really hands-on, so it involved a lot of awesome group projects and collaboration with students from a variety of professional backgrounds. I feel really fortunate to have spent a year growing professionally in such a supportive and creative environment.

Before heading off to grad school, you managed the streaming content on the digital team at PBS KIDS. What are some of the insights you gleaned from curating digital content for kids?
The PBS KIDS Video app is so successful in part because it has such great design, and it’s really made with the target audience in mind. It was important for our team to constantly be thinking about how our young audience was seeing our videos. One interesting thing we realized was that marking a video as “new” didn’t necessarily alert kids to brand new content – partly because we have a lot of early readers as viewers. This meant that we could regularly repurpose content along with current pieces to maintain a level of variety.

You spent some time teaching in the classroom. Do you have any takeaways from your time as a teacher?
My time as a preschool teacher was so valuable and it shapes the way I understand, think about, and appreciate children and early educators. As a child development major in undergrad I had a firm understanding of why early education is so important, but being a part of that growth really brought it home for me. Children zero to five can do so much more than I had imagined. Plus, they’re imaginative, creative, honest, and fun. Early educators are smart, dedicated, and passionate people that deserve all our support. 

Who are some industry folks that you’re following these days and how do they inspire you to follow your North Star?Women in media like Rebecca Sugar, Issa Rae, and the ladies of Broad City and 2DopeQueens who are leading the way in their genres are all really inspiring to me. They let their own unique perspectives be their creative guide rather than trying to make more of what is already out there.

Last year's Extra Life team at FableVision Studios

This is your first year gaming for good and raising funds for Boston Children’s Hospital with us for Extra Life! Why are you excited to join our team?
I’m super excited for Extra Life! Boston is my home and I’m proud that Boston Children’s Hospital is one of the best hospitals in the country. I’m excited to support an organization that brings so much necessity and good into the lives of kids and their families. I’m also looking forward to working with Team FableVision to beat our goal of $6,000!

Who is Kovu?
Kovu the dog! My fiancé Andy and I adopted Kovu as a rescue puppy a few years ago while we were living outside D.C. He’s nostalgically named after Kovu from Lion King 2, because we both happened to love the movie as kids and it’s such a great name! Kovu is about 90 lbs, and we think a Boxer, Great Pyrenees, Staffordshire mix. Maybe. He’s very lovable, strange, lazy, sleepy, and friendly. He loves belly rubs, playing with little kids, and swimming in lakes. He’s always making us laugh and we love him a lot!

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As a traveling foodie, tell us about the top three international places to visit and eat our way through.

• Spiessbraten in Idar-Oberstein, Germany
• Hot Pot in Chengdu, China
• Bread in every form in Annecy, France.

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More about Sam!

Hogwarts house: I want to say Gryffindor, but I think I’m a Hufflepuff.
Your current jam: Bright Whites by Kishi Bashi
Current read: My professor’s book – The Diversity Bargain by Natasha Warikoo
Best Cartoon Ever: Ohhhhh, don’t make me choose! If I have to, my favorite anime is School Live! (Gakkō Gurashi!)
Food that makes you look like a cooking connoisseur: My Cincinnati Chili! (Thanks, America’s Test Kitchen!)
Greatest holiday: Halloween!!!!
Favorite Pokemon: Vulpix (fire types forever!) 
Tell us a joke: This is my favorite thing on the internet.
Hands-down the best sports team:  The Tufts Women’s Track and Field team!

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My favorite game I played with my dad was…

From the backyard to the kitchen table, Dads find any occasion to play a game. It’s what makes each day a bit more fun! To celebrate Father’s Day FableVisionaries share their favorite they’ve played with their dad.

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While my dad mostly drew on the beach, he drew this on my sister-in-law's famous tablecloth filled with embroidered signatures of guests.

To start Peter H. Reynolds, FableVision’s co-founder, shares a story about a “game” his dad would play and the influence it’s had on his creative life.

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My upcoming book I AM YOGA, a collaboration with Susan Verde, is an example of the "bird on the head" homage to Dad.

“My father, Keith Hamilton Reynolds, was most often busy with his calculator trying to keep up with his job as treasurer for a medical instruments company or tinkering with his car. His creativity emerged making furniture in our garage.

He was a quiet man and I don't think it occurred to him to teach me and I don't think playing a game with me ever occurred to him. Although, in his own quiet way, he played a ‘game’ with me that has stayed with me for decades.

Something magical happened on the beach on Cape Cod each summer. Dad would take a stick, or in later years, his cane, and draw a man with a hat with a bird on his head. I was so amazed at how great an artist he was that I ran home and tried it myself.

Good games are challenges and this quiet little ‘game’ inspired me to ‘make my mark.’ To this day, whenever I can, I find a way to add a bird in my books, and quite often find a place on a character’s head for it to perch.

A tribute, a nod, a thank you to my father.”

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Tone Thyne, Vice President of Creative

"My Dad would often throw down the gauntlet at the dinner table and challenge his six kids to a fierce 'Try To Laugh Without Smiling' competition. Whoever could successfully make the sound of genuine laughing without cracking a smile was declared the winner. He was always the champ. Go ahead….get yourself out of earshot of your co-workers and give it a try. You’ll understand why we alway had such tremendous respect for his finely-crafted talent."

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Sarah Ditkoff, Communications and Development Strategist

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“My dad taught my brother and I how to play Cribbage. The most memorable thing (and probably his favorite thing) is when we kids are losing really badly and he gets to say, ‘you just got skunked.’

He says it really quietly, like it's the worst news he's ever delivered, but you can tell how pleased he is that he's winning. Or even worse – ‘you just got...double skunked,’ and my brother and I howl, ‘nooooooo!’ in response.

I can count on one hand the number of times I've managed to beat my dad at Cribbage, but I still love to play. I still favor a good card game over most other games.”

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Anny Din, Production Assistant

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“My favorite game I played with my dad was tennis! He used to take me and my other siblings out every other weekend and teach us how to volley a tennis ball. I could barely hold up a tennis racket because I was so young and the baby of all of us but I loved those weekends.”

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Carl Haber, Marketing Intern

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“My dad and I bonded through playing tennis when I was little. Every weekend, we’d hit the court and I was determined to best ‘The Wall’ I affectionately nicknamed him. I always thought that when I grew up big and tall I’d finally be able to beat him, but I never gained those last couple inches! Needless to say, my dad and I still have a great time when we duke it out on the concrete.”

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Michael Lin, QA/IT Specialist

“When I was very young, perhaps about seven, my parents bought a special training chess set for the family; each piece had its legal movement patterns drawn on the pieces themselves, to help new players learn the game. My dad, no doubt grooming me to be an intellectual of the highest order (at the time, he was an avid Frasier viewer), took a vested interest in helping me learn to play the game, and we’d regularly play against one another on lazy summer days and quiet evenings.

I never won very often against my dad, even though I’m sure he must have pulled some punches to make it a fairer fight. I doubt the average grandmaster allowed as many ‘take-backs’ as my father did, either, but being able to sit down and match wits with my dad made me feel much more grown-up. For my part, I held nothing back and gained a love for brain-frazzling board games that continues today. To eight-year-old me, there was no battlefield more hard-fought or brutal than each friendly game of chess across the living room couch.

Except maybe the Scrabble board.”

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Alexa Molinaro, Marketing Intern

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“One of my favorite games I played with my dad was during ‘bring your daughter to work day’ when he would bring my older sister and I to his job in New York City. He kept this big orange bouncy ball in his office that we would use to play a huge game of monkey in the middle after everyone else left for the day. I loved it because we looked super silly running and jumping around in our dress clothes and it showed me that even though my dad is a hard worker he still knows how to have fun.”

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Keith Zulawnik, Lead Artist

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“Oh man, so many games. My house was always fresh with new video games growing up. As a kid, we were all glued to the Super Nintendo. Games like Zelda: Link to the Past, UN Squadron, and Pilot Wings. After that we leveled up into the N64 days, where Mario Kart 64 and GoldenEye reigned supreme. Once I moved out, Xbox Live still kept us playing together. My dad and I would roam on horseback in the wild west in Red Dead Redemption and cruise around in Grand Theft Auto. Finally, the kicker... the whole family would quest together in World of Warcraft ’til 3 a.m. (Haha.) So to say ‘play a game together’…well...it's kind of an understatement, it's been years of gaming for the Zoo's!

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Jordan Persson, Production Assistant

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Pictured, my father (in the black jacket) and I once played an oversized game in England. He's an engineer and I'm not, so my goal in the game was usually to delay the inevitable.

“My father and I played a lot of different games – card games, board games, billiards, word games, and more – but, given its long history, Chess tended to be available in the strangest places.”

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Brian Grossman, Technical Director

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“As a father of a second grader, a fifth grader and a seventh grader, finding time to spend together can be difficult, but finding games that everyone enjoys is even more challenging. We’ve recently discovered Apples to Apples Freestyle. Unlike standard Apples to Apples which asks players to make connections among words or phrases printed on cards, the Freestyle version allows players to create their own words and phrases. A recent game, which included my parents, my wife, my three children and me presented the question: ‘If I ruled a country, I would make it famous for…’

Answers included: 'being the world’s worst tyranny,’  'kicking the crap out of every other country,’ and 'pudding.’ Needless to say, the chosen answer was 'pudding.' On this father’s day, I’m grateful for my family and hope there will be many more rounds of Apples to Apples Freestyle in the future.”

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Andrea Calvin, Brand and Development Strategist

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“My dad is big on exploring the outdoors. Growing up we would go camping every summer, take hiking adventures at Blue Hills, and venture out to the Cape Cod Canal in the winter. My love of nature comes from my dad and so does my love of kite flying. I have a few childhood memories of assembling kites and heading to the beach or an open field. I would hold on the kite and my dad would shout ‘Annie run,’ I would take off, my dad unraveling the string as I went, hoping for a gust of wind to take the kite. Once in the air, we’d take turns keeping the kite soaring and out of the trees – sometimes we were unlucky (as was the fate of the Strawberry Shortcake metallic kite).”