Education

Time for a summer full of PBS KIDS and community adventures! Our WXXI Early Learning Team has created a special checklist of summer activities to bring even more fun to your family this summer. Have fun exploring your local community and using PBS KIDS to spark joy with your kids. Need more ideas? Follow us on Facebook or Instagram for regular updates of new activities

Unearth a Story! Visit your local public library and join in on summer learning fun.

This summer’s theme for summer reading is “Unearth a Story” – libraries across the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region will be spending time exploring dinosaurs, archeology, paleontology, fossils, gardening, history, and so much more! See the full calendars of summer reading activities, special programming, and events at our region’s local libraries: Rochester Public Libraries, Monroe County Library System, and OWWL Library System.

• Find an OWWL Library location.
• See upcoming OWWL library programs.
• Find an MCLS Library location.
  See upcoming MCLS library programs.
• Visit the Toy Library.

P.S. Are you a summer learning program or public library? Check out WXXI’s Unearth a Story: Summer Learning Resource Guide. It’s free and available for everyone to use to enhance their summer learning experiences. The guide aligns PBS KIDS, PBS LearningMedia, and the summer reading theme of “Unearth a Story”.

Download the PBS KIDS Summer Activity Booklet.

Use the printable PBS KIDS Summer Activity Booklet for even more PBS KIDS-themed adventure and exploring ideas. The resource includes offline activities from your favorite PBS KIDS friends – Wild Kratts, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Phoebe & Jay, Weather Hunters, and more! Download the booklet here.

Go Screen-Free for a Week!

Summer is the best time to create some screen-time balance! Use this “Screen Free Week” guide for activity ideas, crafts, and adventures that you can do with your kids off-screen. All of the ideas are PBS KIDS-inspired activities – from listening to a PBS KIDS podcast to visiting a local playground to going on a sign scavenger hunt like Phoebe & Jay! The best part of loving PBS KIDS is being able to play, explore, and learn with PBS KIDS anytime, anywhere! Download here.

Use WXXI’s Summer Bucket List

Clickable List of Activities:

• Visit your local public library and join in on summer learning fun! (See above)

• Go on a texture hunt with Ruff Ruffman!

• Design your own vest, just like Carl the Collector.

• Observe the moon using Jet’s Moon Observation Journal.

• Make up your own silly dance and share it with a friend.

• Learn the Carrot Cake Dance with the Loops Family!

• Explore a local playground or park. (Here are some suggestions!)

• Play with a friend or someone in your family.

• Make a Summer Souvenir Box just like Alma.

• Have a dance party with your favorite music (and people!).

• Listen to the Molly of Denali podcast.

• Create your own t-shirt and listen to Jamming on the Job.

• Look outside and draw a map of your neighborhood.

Find WXXI Out in the Community!

Our WXXI Early Learning Team likes to spend time in all of the places that you do! Their calendar is filled with community events, activities, and fun things happening in our region. We’ll be out and about in lots of places and spaces where you might want to be too. Check out the calendar of community events – hope to see you out there!

Earlier this month, I reached out about the growing pressures facing public media. Since then, the situation in Washington has only intensified, and the challenges we face are becoming even clearer. 

At WXXI, we know that for families, PBS and PBS KIDS are more than just television channels—they are a trusted source of education, inspiration, and learning. Whether it’s Sesame Street helping young children build early literacy skills, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood teaching social-emotional learning, or Carl the Collector celebrating our differences and commonalities, these programs play a vital role in your child’s development. 

But here’s something many people don’t realize: PBS and PBS KIDS programs are made available to your family through local public media stations like WXXI.  We are the bridge that brings these award-winning programs into local families’ lives – on televisions or tablets, in classrooms and care settings, and in our community. 

Now, the future of public media is being debated in Washington, and decisions made in the coming weeks could threaten funding for these essential services. Cuts to federal funding don’t just affect WXXI—they impact your family’s access to high-quality, free educational programming and resources. 

That’s why we need you to speak up. If PBS, PBS KIDS, and public media matter to your family, now is the time to act. 

📢 Take Action Now: bit.ly/ProtectWXXI 

Every message sent, every story shared, and every show of support makes a difference. Decisions made in the coming weeks could impact public media for years to come. Let’s make sure our community’s voice is heard loud and clear. 

A message from you—can make a difference – whether it’s sharing your family’s experience, telling your representatives why PBS KIDS matters, or spreading the word on social media. Public media has been a trusted resource for generations, and with your support, we can ensure it remains strong for the next generation. 

Thank you for being part of the WXXI family. Your voice, your advocacy, and your support mean everything. 

Warm Regards

Chris Hastings 
President & CEO
WXXI Public Media