Themed episodes from fan-favorite series and back-to-school resources set kids up for a successful school year
As another school year quickly approaches, PBS KIDS’ popular series DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD is premiering new episodes to help kids gear up for the fall. On September 5th, the Emmy Award-nominated preschool show from The Fred Rogers Company kicks off a week of new episodes that focus specifically on school-readiness strategies.
“Research shows that DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD helps to teach kids social skills that are important for school readiness and are good predictors of success in kindergarten and beyond,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Children’s Media and Education, PBS. “PBS KIDS is committed to using the power of media to help all children learn and grow, and supporting them, their parents and educators in the important transition into a new school year.”
A recent study showed that kids who watched DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD had higher levels of empathy, were better at recognizing emotions and were more confident in social situations. This was especially true for low-income children and kids ages four and younger.
New digital content from DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD will include “Classroom Helpers,” an online game that encourages kids to help Daniel Tiger and friends with preschool-friendly activities such as putting away toys, watering plants and caring for the class pet. The game will be available the week of September 5th on pbskids.org and on the free PBS KIDS Games app.
And in time for back-to-school, PBS Parents is launching a new tool on pbsparents.org that allows parents to search for activities, games, tips and more that aid in building kids’ social- emotional skills. These can be found here. PBS Parents has also provided encouraging tips for parents who may be anxious about their kids heading off to school for the first time or once again. The back-to-school tips for parents include information such as strategies for making the new school year a success, helping preschoolers cope with separation anxiety, helping young children learn to make friends and more.
For teachers, PBS Education will welcome the back-to-school season with an exciting, year-long celebration in honor of educators around the country. The initiative kicks off in September with the launch of the new PBS Teachers’ Lounge, a creative digital space where teachers can share ideas, learn from peers, find daily inspiration and access the tools and resources they need to enhance their work in the classroom. Visit pbslearningmedia.org to explore thousands of free resources for the classroom and to access the PBS Teachers’ Lounge when it launches this fall.
Episode information and air dates for DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD are listed below.
Program Descriptions and Air Dates (check local listings)
DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD: Back to School with Daniel
New episodes air September 5-9
“No Red Sweater for Daniel/Teacher Harriet’s New Hairdo” – premieres Monday, September 5
“No Red Sweater for Daniel” -- Daniel is getting ready for the day and can’t find his red sweater anywhere! Mom tells Daniel that it’s in the wash, so he’ll just have to find something else to wear. Daniel puts on a blue sweater and is concerned that he looks so different; how does he know he’s still HIM? Mom assures him that no matter what you wear or how different you appear, you’re always still YOU on the inside.
“Teacher Harriet’s New Hairdo” -- Daniel goes to school and finds that something is different: his teacher! But wait…it IS Teacher Harriet, only with a different hairstyle. Daniel is hesitant at first, but soon comes to understand that even though we can all change how we look on the outside, we’re still the same on the inside.
“Sharing at the Library/Daniel Shares with Margaret” – premieres Tuesday, September 6
“Sharing at the Library” -- Daniel is at the library to check out a new book. Just as he spots the book he wants, O the Owl reaches for the same one! Who knew that sharing a book with a friend could be even more fun than reading it alone?
“Daniel Shares with Margaret” -- Daniel gets a special sticker book from Grandpere, but Margaret wants to play with the stickers, too. Daniel learns that while sharing can make things more fun, there are also some things you don’t have to share.
“Daniel’s Allergy/Allergies at School” – premieres Wednesday, September 7
“Daniel’s Allergy” -- When Daniel tries a peach for the first time, he learns he is allergic to the fruit. Dad and Doctor Anna take care of him, and Doctor Anna tells Daniel how he can take care of himself, too.
“Allergies at School” -- Daniel is celebrating the 100th day at school. He tells Teacher Harriet and his friends that he is allergic to peaches. Teacher Harriet, Katerina, Miss Elaina, O the Owl and Prince Wednesday take care of Daniel by helping him avoid peaches. They all take care of each other in different ways throughout the school day.
“Daniel Makes a Noise Maker/Daniel Makes the Neighborhood” – premieres Thursday, September 8
“Daniel Makes a Noise Maker”--Daniel and Katerina are playing “super hero helpers.” They use Baby Margaret’s rattle as their super-duper noise maker to make sure everyone knows that help is on the way. When Baby Margaret wants her rattle back, Katerina and Daniel create their own super-duper noise makers and continue saving the day!
“Daniel Makes the Neighborhood” --Daniel and Prince Wednesday are at the Museum-Go-Round playing with Miss Elaina. The three friends take their stuffed toys for a trolley ride around a pretend neighborhood and create miniature models of their homes from items they find in the “Make It Box.”
“The Neighborhood Fall Festival/Field Day at School” – premieres Friday, September 9
“The Neighborhood Fall Festival” -- The neighbors are busy decorating for the big Fall Festival when a gust of wind knocks down Music Man Stan’s hard work. Daniel and his friends help rebuild the scene and learn that everyone’s abilities are different – what’s important is that you do your best.
“Field Day at School” -- Teacher Harriet has set up a Fall Field Day outside at school today. While trying new games, Daniel and his friends struggle to play the games the way they want to. They learn a lesson about the importance of doing your best.
About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, digital platforms and community-based programs. Kidscreen- and Webby Award-winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including digital games and streaming video. PBS KIDS also offers mobile apps to help support young children’s learning. The PBS KIDS Video app is available on a variety of mobile devices and on platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Xbox One and Chromecast. For more information on specific PBS KIDS content supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit pbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.
About The Fred Rogers Company
The Company was founded by Fred Rogers in 1971 as the non-profit producer of MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD for PBS. In the years that followed, it not only created hundreds of episodes of this much-loved program, but also extended Fred’s values and approach to other efforts in promoting children’s social, emotional and behavioral health and supporting parents, caregivers, teachers and other professionals in their work with children. The Fred Rogers Company continues to build on Fred’s legacy in innovative ways through a wide variety of media, and engaging new generations of children and families with his timeless wisdom. The company’s highly-rated children’s TV series include DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, PEG + CAT, and ODD SQUAD. For more information, visit www.fredrogers.org.
Contacts
Lubna Abuulbah, PBS; 703.739.8463; labuulbah@pbs.org
Allison Salzberg, 360 Public Relations, 617.585.5793, asalzberg@360pr.com
