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Donkey Hodie: Songs, Videos & Activities

Play games and watch full episodes of Donkey Hodie on https://pbskids.org/donkeyhodie

The whimsical puppet series produced by Fred Rogers Productions and Spiffy Pictures, encourages preschoolers to aim high, embrace challenges, and work hard to achieve their goals. The colorful multi-platform show follows the adventures of Donkey Hodie, granddaughter of the original Donkey Hodie character from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (now known as “Grampy Hodie”). The original puppet appeared in 59 episodes of the beloved children’s series. Inspired by the quirky, funny side of Fred Rogers, Donkey Hodie furthers the children’s TV pioneer’s mission of helping young viewers navigate the challenges of childhood. The series features original new music along with reimagined versions of Rogers’ songs.

Set in the whimsical land of Someplace Else, the imaginative social-emotional series for children ages 3-5 centers on the adventures of Donkey Hodie, an enthusiastic, “can-do” yellow donkey with a bright magenta mane, and her pals: Purple Panda, her loyal and empathetic best friend who wears his big heart on his sleeve; Duck Duck, a practical, quick-witted young mallard who loves to figure things out; and Bob Dog, an energetic and eager canine who is always ready to boogie to music or fetch a ball. In Someplace Else, everyone’s big dreams are possible—whether it’s Purple Panda finding the end of the Golden Rainbow, Duck Duck planning a Book-A-Palooza Festival or Bob Dog playing the largest kickball game in history. Episodes include catchy songs that reinforce the stories’ positive messages and fun adventures.

Watch Full Episodes on the PBS KIDS YouTube Playlist

WXXI Education Favorites
Here are a few of our favorite Activities: 

Learn more at the PBS KIDS for Parents Donkey Hodie Page

Find activities, and games in the PBS LearningMedia Donkey Hodie Collection

Listen to the Donkey Hodie Theme Song:

Sesame Street: See Us Coming Together Special

It’s “Neighbor Day” on Sesame Street and everyone has something special to share! The special follows the Sesame Street friends through a community celebration with new friend Ji-Young—a 7-year-old Korean American character, performed by Sesame Workshop puppeteer Kathleen Kim. Original music and celebrity guests like actors Simu Liu and Anna Cathcart, comic book artist Jim Lee, chef Melissa King, television personality Padma Lakshmi, and athlete Naomi Osaka round out the celebration! Also Available on PBS LearningMedia

and 

Ji-Young’s Song with the Best Friends’ Band

Norm & Company: Dr. Walter Cooper On-Demand

Scientist, activist, educator, and humanitarian Dr. Walter Cooper joins WXXI President Norm Silverstein for an episode of Norm & Company, a monthly series where long-time Rochesterians recount fascinating stories about their lives in our community. Dr. Cooper shares stories about his college days at the University of Rochester, his work as a research scientist for Eastman Kodak Company, and his strong involvement in civil rights and education issue. Dr. Cooper received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Rochester in 1956 and worked as a research scientist at Eastman Kodak Company for more than 30 years. During his time at Kodak he became very active in civil rights and educational issues, and is still today. The Democrat and Chronicle has called Dr. Walter Cooper a “superhero” because of his contributions to the Rochester community, his devotion to equality, and his commitment to young people. 

Serving Change On-Demand

Episode 1: Start Small, Think Big: Meet the roadtrippers and other inspiring people changing the world on a local, countrywide, and global level. Along the way, the roadtrippers learn making small positive changes in their own communities can slowly add up to changing the entire world around them.

Episode 2: From the Ground Up: How do you build a better world? One small change at a time. The roadtrippers meet with public service professionals doing their part to pave the way to a more just and equitable society.

Episode 3: A New World: Change is always happening—the best we can do is influence it in a positive direction. The roadtrippers meet leaders working to do just that, and reflect back on how they can do the same.

Watch On-Demand

More Roadtrip Nation Specials

The Next Mission On-Demand

 

Three veterans set off on a road trip to discover their purpose in the civilian world.

Roadtrip Nation: The Next Mission, shares stories presented prove there’s no one way to handle transition—each veteran has a different background and set of challenges. But they all share a common hurdle: after spending their lives defined by their military identity, they wonder who they’ll be when the uniform is gone. Helen Chandler has been in or around the military her whole life—she was literally born in an Army helicopter. But now that she has retired from her military career, she’s struggling to find an identity that doesn’t revolve around being a soldier. Army veteran Sam Shockley had everything stripped from him in an instant when he lost his legs to an explosive device during a tour of Afghanistan. But after trudging through post-traumatic depression, he feels he’s finally ready to take hold of his life and find a passion that will push him forward. Bernard Edwards has already figured out what his passion is—helping his fellow veterans transition out of financial and mental woes. Now he’s ready to execute his vision, and seeks to connect with other altruistic veterans like himself. From interviews with fitness entrepreneur Derek Weida, to skincare line founder Nicole Baldwin, author and businessman Robert Kiyosaki, and many more, the road-trippers discover that the skills cultivated in the military aren’t relegated to the battlefield; they can be translated to any number of exciting jobs.

Watch  Next Mission: On-Demand

More Roadtrip Nation Specials

Summer Learning with PBS KIDS

Digital Resources

Summer Reading At Your Library with PBS KIDS Resources

WXXI Kids Facebook Daily Learning Updates: WXXI Kids provides regular updates on programming, digital resources, parenting, and education. WXXI Kids offer children, families, caregivers and teachers the opportunity to explore the world through quality television programming, exciting online games and valuable educational resources. http://facebook.com/WXXIKids

Free Road Trip Games and Activities from PBS KIDS for Parents

Start with A Book: To ward off the learning loss that many children experience over the summer, Start with a Book offers parents, caregivers, summer program staff and librarians lots of engaging ideas for getting kids hooked on reading, exploring and learning all summer long — and beyond. (From Reading Rockets) http://www.startwithabook.org

PBSKIDS.org/learn: PBS KIDS provides parents with daily learning tips, extended learning ideas and recommended games and activities now through the end of August  at pbskids.org/learn. 

PBS Parents Summer Learning Resources: Parents can also be inspired to make this a summer full of learning and fun. Every week, parent bloggers will provide educational activities, crafts, experiments and other resources for parents to explore with their children at http://www.pbs.org/parents/summer/. 

PBS KIDS Apps: PBS KIDS offers a variety of free and low-cost apps for parents and kids to support summer learning, including the new PBS KIDS Super Vision App, PBS KIDS Video Player and PBS Parents Play and Learn. Information about the apps is available at https://www.pbskids.org/apps/filter/app/

PBS LearningMedia NY: Explore topics of curiosity with high quality public media video clips, games and interactives on topics across the curriculum. PreK-12 & Adult Education and Career Ready topics https://pbslearningmedia.org

Camp TV: Camp TV is a summer learning and exploration series that brings the day camp experience to children at home. It is available on television and on-demand at the websites below.

  • Weekly Camp TV Guides: Weekly guides with episode descriptions and a list of materials needed for the hands-on activities. 
  • Camp TV on demand: Watch episodes of Camp TV anytime!
  • Camp TV PBS LearningMedia Collection: Resources and activities to help extend the learning in each episode. 
  • Camp PBS KIDS: Summer is full of opportunities to play and learn! We know summer might look a little different this year, but Camp PBS KIDS is here to fill your days with creativity, exploration and fun for the whole family. Explore ideas, tips and activities around different themes with your favorite PBS KIDS characters!
  • Camp PBS LearningMedia! Whether you’re looking for music and dance activities, science experiments, family-friendly adventures, or learning about dinosaurs (plus more!), you will find media and activity resources in the Camp PBS LearningMedia collection.

Community Events:

Find Your Local Library by County: Look at their website to see what they have planned

OWLL Library System Public Libraries

Monroe County Public Libraries

Many local libraries are offering great summer learning events and performances! Don’t miss out

Monroe County Library Systems NYS Summer Reading Program Check out Monroe County Library System Summer Reading Programs.

Peg + Cat: Songs, Videos & Activities

Watch Full Episodes on the Playlist Above

Play games and watch full episodes of Peg + Cat on http://pbskids.org/peg

Peg + Cat follows the adorable, spirited Peg and her sidekick Cat as they embark on adventures, solve problems together, and learn foundational math concepts and skills. In each 11 minute episode, Peg and Cat are challenged by A REALLY BIG PROBLEM and they must find a way out of this messy funny crisis without totally freaking out! That’s what life is like for Peg and Cat, the heroes of this animated math-based series for children ages 3-5 years old. Play more Peg + Cat games and watch videos at http://pbskids.org/peg

Please note: All of the resources listed below and available through PBS KIDS are designed for co-viewing, co-learning, and co-participation – meaning that to create the most meaningful experience and takeaways, adults and children should use them together.

WXXI Education Favorites
Here are a few of our favorite PEG + CAT Activities

Career Center Series On-Demand

 

Career Center series collection of career sector stories produced by Detroit Public TV.

Watch Career Center Series Short Docs

Watch all 8 episodes:

Information Technology

Ep10 | 26m 45s

Careers in Public Service

Ep7 | 26m 45s

Healthcare Careers

Ep6 | 26m 45s

High Tech Manufacturing Careers

Ep5 | 26m 45s

Careers in Transportation

Ep4 | 26m 45s

Careers in Building Trades

Ep3 | 26m 45s

Careers in Sports and Athletics

Ep2 | 26m 45s

Early Childhood Education Careers

Ep1 | 26m 45s

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