Today, 03.20.2020 is Mister Rogers Birthday. What would Mister Rogers, the voice of kindness, wisdom and reassurance have to say to us today about the pandemic in our world? I can hear his calming voice reassuring us –can you?

Mister Rogers would be 92 years old today. Fred Rogers hosted 895 episodes of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood over 31 seasons. The show debuted on Feb. 19, 1968, and its final episode aired on Aug. 31, 2001.

In this time of uncertainty, inviting Mister Rogers into our homes may be just what we need! Here are some multi-generational resources for our households as we huddle together and are possibly confined to our homes during COVID-19.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Home page. Five full episodes posted (Free!) every Monday! Or one can access episodes through familiar sources such as Amazon Prime, PBS Kids Prime Videos, Youtube -but not high quality and weird ads appear, or Apple TV/iTunes for $1.99 each, and your own favorite sources. 

Mister Rogers was a Presbyterian pastor. The PC(USA) created and published a four-session intergenerational curriculum based on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Applicable for households. Downloadable for FREE!

The movie, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers is available on many streaming options such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, GooglePlay etc. The Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church created a small group conversation guide to serve as a companion to the recent movie.

Peacemaking in the Family, created by Mister Rogers and Brenda Marsh in 1984, although not a beautiful layout by our current publishing standards, is still relevant today. Four chapters offer directed interaction for family members – in Mr Rogers style. Published by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and available for download. Chapters: Families and Feelings, Families and Hard Times, Living in Families, and Family Celebrations.

A NPR story summarizing the effect Mister Rogers had on our world (and still can!) Published Feb 18, 2018.

Faith Finder Fun Give Thanks For the Helper video created for households sheltered together during COVID-19 

 

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers–so many caring people in this world.” From The World According to of Mister Rogers, 2003

THANK YOU for being a helper this day!

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Linda