Autumn Adventures: FableVision's 2022 Back-to-School Guide

After a sunny and spectacular summer vacation, returning to school or starting school for the first time can be scary. Whether your family traveled, relaxed, spent time outdoors, or simply had a different schedule, it takes time to shift back to your school and fall routines. To help your children combat the “school scaries” and enjoy the fall, we’ve compiled a list of resources to ensure that they have a fantastic year full of educational and engaging learning. 

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International Dot Day

Empower kids to make their marks by celebrating International Dot Day on September 15-ish. Based on FableVision’s Co-Founder and New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot, International Dot Day encourages kids to connect and collaborate as they re-discover the power and potential of creativity in all they do. This year, join Peter at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City or watch the livestream of the event. September 15 doesn’t work for you? Here’s a little secret: you can celebrate Dot Day whenever you want! 

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UCAR’s SkySci for Kids

As we gradually add sweaters, scarves, and fuzzy hats to our wardrobe, check out UCAR’s SkySci for Kids to learn about weather, climate, and sky science. With humor, bright colors, and a clear breakdown of topics, FableVision-made animated videos and minigames featuring Yolanda the palm tree, Jeff the yeti, and Snacks the dog will teach kids about tornadoes, hurricanes, heat waves, and more. Visit the website to encourage your child to fight climate change.

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Cyber Fashion Challenge

Another great way to fight climate change – upcycling! Based on Cyberchase’s season 13 episode “Sustainable By Design,” born-accessible Cyber Fashion Challenge, created in partnership with FableVision, The WNET Group, PBS KIDS, and Bridge Multimedia, teaches 6-8-year-olds about avoiding fast fashion and encouraging the creative reuse of materials. Practice counting and shape identification by creating a sustainable fashion line for Fabio DeZine.

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Museum of Science “EiE Families” Website

Spark your child’s interest in engineering and computer science by checking out the Museum of Science “EiE Families” microsite, built by FableVision, with interactive features to support STEM learning at-home and on-the-go. Play Bye Bye Bug and create a way to lead a ladybug to safety, or explore the other activities, in both English and Spanish. Bonus: if you’re in Boston, take a field trip to the Museum of Science to see science in action.

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“Our State and the Nation: A Georgia Studies Course”

History fanatics – we have a treat for you. FableVision created a host site for Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB)’s online textbook, developing an online experience for eighth-grade students. In the revamped George history course, students can examine images, define vocabulary words, watch videos, and go on virtual field trips from the classroom or the comfort of their homes. 

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Pinna Original Yes No Audio Adventures

One of the best parts of fall? Halloween! Immerse yourself in spooky season by answering yes or no to questions in Escape the Haunted House, a Pinna Original Yes No Audio adventure, produced by FableVision’s audiyo-yo. Listeners are the main characters as they interact with the show and create their own story. If your kids aren’t fans of haunted houses, they can listen to Escape the Marshmallow Dream Forest or Escape the Sinking Ship. The 5-minute, voice-activated audio adventures provide a perfect, creative outlet during car rides, before bedtime, and more.

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Boston vs. Bullies Academy for Internet Champions

Join Bobby the Badger and his friends Ivy, Jordan, and Felix to score a touchdown, make a basket, and hit a home run with The Sports Museum’s bullying-prevention game. As kids continue to use the internet at younger ages and run into in-person and online bullying, Boston vs. Bullies Academy for Internet Champions, created by FableVision, helps kids navigate tricky situations, make smart choices online, and combat bullying. Learn how to stay safe by checking out the free game.

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“Friendlets” Animated Shorts

Besides stopping bullying, children should also see the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships to avoid abuse, love better, and find true friends. Created in partnership with One Love Foundation, “Friendlets” animated shorts showcase familiar, humorous scenarios to help elementary-aged kids understand the importance of communication and appropriate responses in healthy friendships. Visit One Love’s Education Center for the shorts and associated resources.

National Bullying Prevention Month Spotlight: Galaxia

Whether it’s online, on a playground, or on a planet far, far away, bullying has a serious, often long-lasting, negative impact and creates an unsafe environment, especially for children. In order to change the culture around bullying, prevention and intervention are key. In addition, we need to start conversations surrounding this issue to make a difference in communities everywhere.

This National Bullying Prevention Month, as part of FableVision’s mission to move the world to a better through positive media, we are proud to highlight a new interactive game: Galaxia. This resource, created by National Health Promotion Associates (NHPA)’s Botvin LifeSkills Training and FableVision, is aimed at middle school students and designed to help prevent bullying in all its forms.

Galaxia introduces students to a fantastical, extraterrestrial world where all the characters are aliens, but their problems are surprisingly similar to their teenage counterparts on Earth. Students select one of two customizable avatars and interact with their fellow alien students and teachers at their outer space boarding school. With the National Health Promotion Associates’ evidence-based Botvin LifeSkills Training prevention curriculum integrated seamlessly into gameplay, students encounter various conflicts centered around peer pressure, bullying, communication, social skills, and substance abuse, and learn important coping mechanisms and skills for dealing with anger, anxiety and building resilience.

An EdTech Awards 2020 Cool Tool Finalist, Galaxia allows students to learn and practice how they would react to real-life challenges and see the consequences of their actions and decisions in a safe (outer) space. The gameplay options span three years of middle school (grades 6-8), and players use their social-emotional skills and understanding of the Botvin LifeSkills Training to respond to each situation and progress through the story. Depending on how they choose to handle different situations, players get different outcomes for the storyline to creates a uniquely personal experience.

While National Bullying Prevention Month reminds us all that we have more work to do in bringing awareness to the issue and supporting those affected, educating and sharing resources that work to prevent bullying and empower people to stand up for others, are things we can all do every day of the year. 

Visit the Botvin LifeSkills Training website to purchase Galaxia and integrate it into your in-class and distance learning curriculum today.