April 6
Kid Fest At Home
We are so sad we couldn’t meet in person this year. With that in mind, we decided to bring Kid Fest to you!
Parents and Caregivers
Find resources for parents and caregivers here! Jump start family learning with tips on how to make the most of family television time, advice on fostering reading skills, and the exploration of other issues that are important to families.
Compact Science | New YouTube Series
Compact Science is an engaging new YouTube series from WNED PBS and the Buffalo Museum of Science that explores the wonders of science. Host Sarajane Gomlak Green investigates the geology of Niagara Falls, discovers the chemistry at work in sponge candy, learns how density is the key to lake-effect snow, and more. If you’re curious about the world around you, there’s a lot to explore and Compact Science will be your guide.
Geared towards children (grades K-6), their families, and anyone with a curiosity of the world around them, each episode frames a scientific concept with a signature regional connection that celebrates the science and history of the Western New York and Southern Ontario region.
New episodes will be released every other Tuesday at noon beginning March 30 through May 25, 2021. The videos will also be available here on our website along with instructions for the viewer challenge experiments that can be performed at home or in a classroom.
Compact Science is funded by The Joy Family Foundation.
BTPM CREATES COMMUNITY CLASSROOM
Learn at Home
We are here to support families, educators, and students as a community classroom during these challenging times. Find special program schedules, tool & resources.
BTPM & Bright by text
Bright by Text
Bright by Text provides quality information and trusted resources to parents and caregivers of children prenatal to eight.
PBS KIDS Daily
PBS KIDS' weekday newsletter offers activities and tips you can use to help kids play and learn at home.
Parenting During Coronavirus: Dealing With Burnout
The past year has been tough. Families are having to adapt and respond to what seems like a never ending year of abnormalities.
PBS KIDS FOR PARENTs
Preschool Learning At Home
Preschoolers need lots of support from adults to help them develop the habits they need to thrive in school and beyond. Find resources to support your child's early learning.
PBS Kids for Parents
How to Support Your Child for a Very Different School Year
There are a lot of questions about the new school year during COVID. But whether learning at school or home this year, your child will learn and grow--here's how to support them.
PBS Kids For Parents
Get Ready for Back-to-School
Families have enormous questions about the 2020-2021 school year right now. There's a lot we can do to bolster our children’s feelings of confidence and security.
How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus
We know it can be a scary time for families as normal routines are disrupted due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This is a great time to talk to children about what is happening, and empower them to be helpers to keep each other healthy.
In the words of Mister Rogers: "Anything that's human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary.”
Meet the Helpers
Vaccines:
Vaccines are important, but can be scary. Learn how scientists and vaccines help keep us healthy.
Activity: Vaccine Coloring Sheet(pdf)
Meet the Helpers
Wearing a Mask Helps Stop the Spread of Germs
You can be a germ buster by wearing a cloth mask. Learn more about how a mask can keep you healthy.
Meet the Helpers
How an Epidemiologist Helps
Meet an epidemiologist and see how these disease detectives are working to help the spread of the Coronavirus.
Meet the Helpers
What is Coronavirus?
A doctor helper explains the coronavirus and how children can be good helpers.
Meet the Helpers
Explaining Social Distancing
Social distancing is necessary to stay healthy from coronavirus, but can be difficult for children to understand.
Meet the Helpers
How to Talk to Children
Here are some tips for how parents can talk to their children about coronavirus.
Meet the Helpers
Be a Helper
We can all be helpers. Here are a few tips!
Meet the Helpers
What is a Virus?
Explaining a virus to children in a way they can understand, can help stop the spreading of germs.
Meet the Helpers
Coronavirus Dos & Don'ts for Parents
A few do's &don'ts for families during the coronavirus outbreak.
Meet the Helpers
Wash Your Hands
Be a good helper and remember to wash your hands often!!
Top Three Tips for Families:
- Talk about feelings & facts
Be open and honest with children by sharing age-appropriate facts. Yes, people are getting sick, but it's like a cold or a flu. We have doctors to help make you feel better if anyone gets sick. - Make children feel safe
Children worry and pick up on emotions from those around them. Make sure they know they are in a safe space and lots of helpers are working to keep everyone safe. - Be germ busters
The best way to help is to develop and reinforce good hygiene routines. Make sure your family is doing these four things:
Wash Your Hands
- Hands should be washed before and after every meal and snack.
- Hands should also be washed after coughing or sneezing and after going to the bathroom.
- Hands should be washed with soap & water for at least 20 seconds or to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
Catch that Cough
- Try not to have children cough or sneeze into their hands.
- Make sure children cough or sneeze into a tissue, and then throw that into the trash.
Rest is Best
- Daniel Tiger reminds us when you're sick, rest is best.
- Remind them that it's important we protect ourselves from germs to keep us and our friends healthy, so staying home may be best for now.
Make Others Feel Better
- This is a great time to get crafty and make get well cards for friends or family.
- Explore technology like video chats to help children say hello to their friends & family.
Additional Resources
Super Why!
WNED PBS Kids Channel Family Night
Enjoy family viewing events featuring movie specials of themed programming Friday nights from 7-9pm on the WNED PBS KIDS channel.
Parenting resources and tips on raising children, child development articles, crafts and games for you and your child, planning birthday parties, and kids activities.
PBS PArents
Raising Kids Who Thrive
PBS Parents has articles from parents and experts.
Camp TV
Camp TV is now in session!
Welcome to Camp TV, a day camp experience for kids ages 5-10 in your living room!
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. We've gathered fun, exploratory resources for you to use as you plan learning fun.
Elinor Wonders Why
Elinor Wonders Why aims to encourage children to follow their curiosity, ask questions when they don’t understand and find answers using science inquiry skills. Meet Elinor! She’s a curious and observant bunny rabbit who is always asking questions. Elinor will introduce kids ages 3-5 to science, nature and community through adventures with her friends, Olive and Ari. Whether they discover a cute insect or find a fascinating plant, Elinor always gets excited because when you look close enough, everything in Nature is SO interesting!
PBS KIDS
Elinor Wonders Why | Meet Elinor | PBS KIDS
Meet Elinor! Elinor likes to learn all kinds of things, and you can never ask too many questions with Elinor! Don't miss the new show, Elinor Wonders Why on WNED PBS KIDS!
Kids will recognize themselves in Elinor’s boundless curiosity as she pursues the questions she wonders about – making observations and reveling in nature’s amazing answers. The stories in Elinor Wonders Why center around Elinor and her friends Ari, a funny and imaginative bat, and Olive, a perceptive and warm elephant. As kids explore Animal Town, they will meet all kinds of interesting, funny, and quirky characters, each with something to teach us about respecting others, the importance of diversity, caring for the environment, and working together to solve problems.
In each episode, Elinor models the foundational practices of science inquiry and engineering design -- including her amazing powers of observation and willingness to ask questions and investigate. When she encounters something she doesn’t understand, like why birds have feathers or how tiny ants build massive anthills, she just can’t let it go until she figures it out. And in discovering the answers, Elinor often learns something about nature’s ingenious inventions and how they can connect to ideas in our designed world, and what it takes to live in a community.
Along with the television series, Elinor Wonders Why will offer digital content for kids, parents and teachers, also debuting in September 2020. Elinor Wonders Why games will be available on pbskids.org and on the free PBS KIDS Games App. An Elinor Wonders Why app will also launch after the series’ debut. Parent resources will include tips and hands-on activities to extend the learning at home.
Sneak Peak!
Watch a full preview episode of Elinor Wonders Why - the show premieres September 7 on WNED PBS KIDS so mark your calendars!
PBS KIDS
NEW SHOW! Elinor Wonders Why FULL EPISODE | Ms. Mole’s Glass
When Mz. Mole forgets her glasses at school, Elinor and her friends follow her to return them. Mz. Mole can’t see anything without her glasses! The kids travel throughout Animal Town, just missing Mz. Mole at every turn. During their travels, the kids realize Mz. Mole has been shopping and getting around using different senses. By the time they finally reach Mz. Mole and return her glasses, she’s
Hero Elementary | New PBS KIDS Show
Hero Elementary is a school for budding superheroes, where kids learn to master their innate powers, like flying and teleportation, while exploring science along the way. he launching series will give children ages 4 to 7 important tools to help them solve problems by encouraging them to think and act like scientists, igniting their natural curiosity. Hero Elementary also showcases character and social-emotional concepts such as kindness, empathy, and commitment to working together to solve problems.
The stories in Hero Elementary center around a diverse group of super students, led by their quirky and enthusiastic teacher, Mr. Sparks. The team works together to help people, solve problems, and try to make the world a better place. When their imperfect powers aren’t up to the task, they look to their other powers – the superpowers of science – to help them investigate, observe, make predictions, and figure out a solution. Don't miss Hero Elementary weekdays at 8am on WNED PBS beginning June 1st.
XAVIER RIDDLE AND THE SECRET MUSEUM | Weekdays at 11:30am on WNED PBS
PBS KIDS
Xavier Riddle and The Secret Museum | Sneak Peek
Harry Houdini shows the kids that to be a great performer, you have to practice a lot too!
Catch the new show that premiered November 2019. Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum is a comedy-driven animated adventure based on Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos' best-selling kids book series, Ordinary People Change The World.
Xavier Riddle
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Videos
PBS KIDS
Xavier Riddle and The Secret Museum | Sneak Peek
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Xavier Riddle - Personal Heroes with Creator Brad
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum 🧪 Sneak Peek
Brad Meltzer
Behind the Book: I Am Marie Curie | Brad Meltzer
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Based on the children’s book series Ordinary People Change the World by New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer and illustrator Christopher Eliopoulos, the series will introduce kids to inspiring historical figures and the character virtues that helped them succeed.
The series follows the adventures of Xavier Riddle, his sister Yadina and their friend Brad. In each episode, the three face a problem and must turn to the Secret Museum to help them solve it. The Secret Museum allows the three friends to travel back in time to meet real-life historical figures when they were kids.
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum takes a fresh and accessible approach to teaching kids ages 4-7 about important historical figures and the experiences that shaped their lives, while exploring social emotional concepts and character traits such as courage, resilience, and setting and accomplishing goals.
Weekdays at 11:30am on WNED PBS
Weekdays at 7pm and Weekends at 5:30pm on WNED PBS Kids
PBS Kids School Readiness
A national survey of parents with young children age 2-6 has found that media and technology are an essential part of preparing children to enter elementary school. Overwhelmingly, PBS KIDS stands out as the most trusted and relied upon media brand for this school readiness, ranking first in delivering on every measured skill.
PBS Parents
9 Picture Books About Brothers and Sisters
There’s nothing else like having a playful, imaginative, and supportive sibling at your side! In these stories, brothers and sisters bond over nature, art, adventure, and more.
PBS PARENTS
13 Children’s Books About Race and Diversity
To encourage conversations about race and diversity with your children, check out this list of children's books to read together as a family.
PBS Parents
Activities and Crafts
Find fun, educational activities and crafts for kids from PBS Parents.
PBS KIDS Apps
PBS KIDS Apps
Check out PBS KIDS apps! Download by favorite character or type of device.
APP | Daniel Tiger's Day & Night | PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS Super Vision
A new app that offers parents a real-time connection to their child's activity on pbskids.org.
Introducing Reach Out - Recognize Relationship Abuse
ReachOut - Recognize Relationship Abuse
1 in 3 teenagers report experiencing some form of abuse in their dating relationships. Only a third of those ever talk about it with someone. 82% of parents said they could recognize if their teen was in an abusive relationship, but more than half could not recognize warning signs. Use an approach that empowers your child to be in control of their decisions and learn about resources that are available for them, and for you.
Buffalo Toronto Public Media has partnered with the Family Justice Center of Erie County to bring you Reach Out - Recognize Relationship Abuse, online and on television to help give you the tools you need to start a conversation with someone you think might be in an abusive relationship.
WBFO Facebook live event
Cyberbullying: A Relentless Cycle
WBFO's Eileen Buckley lead a panel of experts discussing cyberbullying and how to tackle a 24/7 torment. Learn strategies students, teachers and parents can use to minimize it.
A Conversation with Dr. Kriner Cash
Watch our conversation with Buffalo School Superintendent Kriner Cash. WBFO Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley and Tiffany Lankes of The Buffalo News talked with Cash about many critical education issues and asked questions posed by our Facebook Live audience.
Videos
PBS NewsHour
Kate DiCamillo on the magic of reading aloud
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Kate DiCamillo on the magic of reading aloud
PBS Parents
Supermodels are Moms, Too!
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Super Model Emme's tips on single parenting and body image.
Sesame Street
Sesame Street: Butterfly Flapping Fun
Meet Julia, the newest friend on Sesame Street. Julia has autism, and when she’s excited, sometimes she flaps her arms. Abby flaps her wings when she’s excited.