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Make Going Back-To-School a Breeze With Tips & Activities for All Ages

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by Logan Brody • Published on • Last modified on
Education

The new school year is right around the corner and that means big changes and new routines for families and educators alike. Mountain Lake PBS is here to make going back to school a breeze. Check out some of our favorite back-to-school resources below to help learners of all ages succeed. 

Discover collections from PBS LearningMedia and PBS KIDS for Parents to support good study habits, set & continue new routines, manage emotions, and build friendships. Materials include resources to assist educators as they integrate PBS and PBS KIDS content into their classrooms. And don’t miss curated resources on PBS LearningMedia featuring Mountain Lake PBS documentaries—including videos, activities, and teaching tips—exploring the people and history of the Adirondacks, Champlain Valley, and beyond.

Inspire your child’s curiosity and love of learning in and out of school with our Learn & Play newsletter. Get locally curated learning tips, activities, and family-friendly events from across the region direct to your inbox each week!

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New School Year Success
Back to School Resources
Activities, Games & More

Tips for New School Year Success

Grade Pre K

Helping Preschoolers Cope With Separation Anxiety

As you prepare to drop your child off at preschool, try these strategies to help your child cope with separation anxiety.

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Grades pre k-3

How to Get Involved in Your Child’s Learning at School

Students are better capable of flourishing in school when they have the support and encouragement of their parents. Here are a few ways that parents can be involved to help their children be engaged and positive with their learning.

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Grades Pre K-3

Setting Goals for a New School Year

A new school year is a great time to set new goals, just like a new year! Here are some easy ideas for creating new school year resolutions and ways to make them stick.

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Grades k-3

How to Prepare Your Child for a New School

Whether your child is changing schools, getting a new teacher, or simply switching from a summer routine to a school year routine, school changes can bring out a lot of emotions for both of you!

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Grades pre k-3

Three Ways to Help Your Child Build Better Friendships

From modeling friendships to helping children understand how to invite and include others, parents play an essential role in helping children to build relationships with others.

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Back to School Resource Hubs & Collections

Grade pre k-3

Going Back to School Collection | PBS KIDS for Parents

School is back in session! Explore different topics, such as coping with back-to-school anxieties and emotions, creating daily routines, and tackling common situations that arise with the start of school. Ease the transition with some fun lunch box or after school snacks and downtime activities.

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Grades 3-12

Mountain Lake PBS Collections | PBS LearningMedia

Explore curated collections from Mountain Lake PBS that connect video clips from local documentaries, like “Return to Auschwitz” and “A Wild Idea,” to classroom-ready activities, teaching tips, and more. Discover the people, culture, and environment of the Adirondacks, Champlain Valley, and beyond with additional resources from our award-winning magazine series, Mountain Lake Journal.

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Grades pre k-5

Back to School Collection | PBS LearningMedia

Get ready for the start of school with some of our favorite back-to-school resources! This collection features activities and video resources to help students get to know each other and their new school routines, and lesson plans to help you get your new class off to a great start.

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Grades 3-12

MASTERPIECE: Literary Drama Collection | PBS LearningMedia

Can watching literature on screen change the way students understand a story? Use this MASTERPIECE collection featuring video clips, essays, and teaching tips to help students access, analyze, and engage with classic literature through film adaptations.

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Grades K-12

NOVA Collection | PBS LearningMedia

Bring STEM to life with NOVA’s 50+ years of science storytelling! Explore digital videos, excerpts from NOVA broadcast films, original games and interactives that connect big discoveries to students’ everyday lives and the world around them.

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Grades 6-12

Ken Burns in the Classroom Collection | PBS LearningMedia

Ken Burns and his collaborators have been creating historical documentary films for more than forty years. Known for a signature style that brings primary source documents, images, and archival video footage to life on screen, these films present the opportunity to pose thought-provoking questions for students and introduce new ideas and perspectives. Browse this collection by era, theme, or film to discover engaging videos, activities, and lesson plans that bring history to life.

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Activities, Games & More

Grades pre k-k

School Readiness | Sesame Street in Communities

Children’s lives are packed with first-time experiences. By using everyday moments for learning, you’re building their brains—and a strong foundation of early school readiness for success in school and in life. Using these resources, take a peek into another child’s day in the video “A Day in the Life of a Kindergartner,” get Parent-Teacher Communication Tips, and draw a Family Portrait.

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Grades pre k-5

Easy After School Snacks

When kids get home after a big day at school, they often want a snack to fuel them until dinnertime. Here are some easy snack ideas to make quickly in the moment or to make ahead.

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Grades pre k-2

Back-to-School Planner and Checklist | PBS KIDS

Get ready to go back to school with PBS KIDS! Help kids plan their first week of school, identify new routines, and prepare for the year ahead with these printables.

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Grades pre k-5

Back to School Games | PBS KIDS

Let's get ready for the first day of school! Play back-to-school games with your PBS KIDS favorites like Arthur, Daniel Tiger, Alma's Way, Odd Squad, Work It Out Wombats, and more.

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Grades pre k-5

Teachers are Terrific | Booklist

Teachers must be brave, patient, creative and downright stalwart people. Celebrate going back to school with these books about extraordinary teachers and the children they teach!

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Grades pre k-5

Make a Back to School Time Capsule

Encourage your child to create a time capsule of artifacts and goals for the new school year.

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Don’t miss locally curated learning tips, activities, and family-friendly events from across the region—direct to your inbox each week—by signing up for the Learn & Play newsletter.