At the Fred Rogers Institute, we love the opportunity to share what we learn from the life and legacy of Fred Rogers. Our resources are developed from research into our Archive, and are created to ask new questions and continue to bring Fred’s work into our lives today with children. Take a look around, there is something for everyone!
October 2023: I recently talked with a teacher who was excited about a new learning center that she set up for the children. She called it the "Creation Station," and stocked it with recyclable "stuff" donated by families - boxes, egg cartons, packing material, plastic containers, and paper towel tubes.
September 2022: I don't know what this summer has been like in your neighborhood, but it's been raining a lot around here. I even caught myself singing, "Rain, rain go away.
June 2022: It was 1968 when Fred introduced us to his song, "What Do You Do with the Mad that You Feel." That was over fifty years ago, and the messages of that song are as needed today as ever. Fred knew how important it is to help children learn to deal with their angry feelings. But in his song he wasn't ...
November 2022: With all the emphasis on food at Thanksgiving, I thought you'd appreciate seeing the video below when Fred talked about nourishment. He began with a focus on food, but then he went on to talk about other kinds of nourishment that we all need.
January 2024: We live in a world where we've come to expect instant gratification. We expect immediate answers to our emails. We expect next-day deliveries for our online orders. We expect our microwaved food to be ready in seconds. No wonder we get upset when we have to wait.
March 2022: I've always thought of the March newsletter as special because March 20 was Fred's birthday. Over the years, we've even celebrated Fred's birthday on March 20 in a special way - by wearing a sweater - and doing something neighborly. Maybe you'd like to join in that tradition too.
November 2023: Around this time of year, a number of years ago, I received in the mail a drawing from my 3-year-old granddaughter. It was sent from her child care center. At the top was a note she dictated to her teacher, letting me know that the scribbles, lines and circles said "I love you, Grandma Hedda."
February 2023: Much as I don't like the cold February weather here in Pittsburgh, one evening I found myself looking at a wintry scene with new eyes, thanks to Fred Rogers. As I was walking to my car in the parking lot, I noticed that the snow was especially beautiful. It was sparkling like diamonds.
March 2023: March 20th would be Fred Rogers' 95th birthday, and I wanted to celebrate by sharing with you the tribute video that PBS produced shortly after his death in 2003.
June 2023: It's summertime, and that usually means more time outdoors. But in today's world, it seems that "outdoor time" has come to mean "playground time." I remember reading Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods, and being reminded that there is a difference between "outdoor time with nature" and ...
December 2023: This month the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is giving a special gift to our very own "Speedy Delivery," David Newell, whom we all know as "Mr. McFeely." We're proud to announce that David will be inducted into the National Academy's Gold Circle at the Emmy's Children and Family...
December 2022: In all the years that I worked with Fred, one of the things I came to appreciate is that he encouraged us to be "mindful" - and that was long before it was a part of our vocabulary.
April 2023: The other day I heard a child singing "Row, row, row your boat," and I couldn't help thinking of the delightful version of that song that Fred wrote for King Friday - Propel, propel, propel your craft... Gently down liquid solution. Ecstatically, ecstatically, ecstatically, ecstatically,
February 2024: The other day in the dentist's office, I found myself quoting a Fred song - "I like to be told." I was thanking the hygienist for letting me know what to expect, each step of the way. As Fred sang, "It helps me to get ready for all those things that are new...I trust you more and more..."
January 2023: A while ago, I was observing a group of preschoolers, and I was amazed at how long they stayed at a task. What was so engaging? They were making something rather ordinary and kind of "old-fashioned" -- paper chains.
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