Reading Rainbow meets Dance Dance Revolution.
Welcome to Mondays with Mé, an online kids show created and hosted by actor, teaching artist, author, filmmaker, and choreographer Mélissa Smith, in collaboration with producer and director Armistead Booker. Mondays is distributed by Arts for All, an arts education nonprofit supporting under-resourced schools in New York City.
Each episode is filled with groovy music and inspiring books from award-winning kids indie artists and authors, silly dance breaks, and mindfulness moments. Think Reading Rainbow meets Dance Dance Revolution!
Your host, “Miss Mé,” is Levar Burton, Jane Fonda, and Fred Rogers all rolled into one joyful human... so this show is as much for kids as it is for kids at heart.
Mondays with Mé is building a culture where everyone belongs. That’s what sparks innovative learning for kids of all ages.
5K+ views
on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram
183% increase
in viewership compared to the previous year
150 schools
in grades K–2 participating across New York City
275+ minutes
of literacy and mindfulness moments
60 activities
for supplemental educator and home learning
Only $3K
to produce, edit, and release the entire season
Together we can create a kinder world.
Mondays with Mé incorporates the five core values of Arts for All — building self-confidence, self-expression, teamwork, creativity, and resilience into every child. Here’s what you can expect in each 20–30 minute episode:
Warm-Up: an invitation for students to get up (as they are physically able) and stretch and move their bodies in safe, fun, and engaging ways.
Let’s Read Together: an interactive reading of a thematically-relevant, beautifully-illustrated children’s book, asking students questions and prompting them to participate throughout the story.
60 Second Dance Break: an opportunity to get the wiggles out, featuring a new kids indie artist to fill your classroom or home with award-winning music.
Cool Down: a low-key mindfulness moment, inviting students to take deep, focused breaths together and listen to a positive affirmation about ourselves.
Something For Later: at the end of each episode, three ideas are presented to try after the video, typically a writing prompt, a drawing activity, and a hands-on craft.
Featured
Making magic through stories and mindfulness.
After two seasons of live social-media broadcasts in 2020–21, the production team for Mondays with Mé completely reimagined Season Three in 2022–23 as a deeply-inclusive, on-demand reading and movement experience for early elementary students.
With the help of editors Gillian Fritzsche and Ryan Fritzsche, each episode of Mondays took on a life of its own, weaving together themes, costumes, animations, and sound effects. The selection of featured music and books was also a heartfelt endeavor — seeking out partnerships from a diverse cohort of artists and authors (including Grammy and Caldecott award winners) to fold their inspiring works into the series.
Mondays with Mé uses laughter, learning, and kindness to enrich young minds and bring families closer together. Remember to stay curious!
