Get excited for school with Dodge

Starting school can be very challenging for little ones! Sing along with Dodge to learn about making friends, trying new things and problem solving on your own.

Starting school can be an overwhelming experience for little ones, no matter how confident they seem at home. From meeting lots of people and making new friends to learning different life skills, school is a huge milestone in any child’s life that can pose many challenges.

Despite being a nervous experience, school can also be a place when children learn to be responsible, develop their own personalities and find their passions.

Get excited for school with Dodge in these playful and friendly songs tackling different aspects of school life, including trying new things, learning to share, playing games and having fun. 

🎶 You can find all of the Dodge's Pup School songs on BBC iPlayer.

📚 CBeebies Parenting have a whole collection of articles to help you navigate this milestone too.

🏆 Empower your child to make decisions about their new school routine by playing this easy this or that quiz.

In this song, Dodge learns that sharing sausages with his friends makes him feel good. As children start school, they will meet lots of new people and potential friends, and learning to share is an essential part of building those relationships. This clip can help teach them that by sharing they show they care.

You can find more advice on building your child's ability to share before they start school by following Hey Duggee's The Making Friends Badge.

Listen to the To Show You Care song from Dodge and his school pals to learn all about sharing.

Dodge and his friends sing about their first day at school and starting something new. In this clip, the pup pals sing about the first day, including their anxieties and what they are excited about. 

Sending your child off to school for the first time can be a hugely daunting experience as a parent. Head to CBeebies Parenting to read what clinical psychologist Dr Martha Deiros Collado had to say about parents' worries as their child starts school.

Listen to the A Brand New Start song with Dodge and his school pup pals.

Starting school is a huge step towards your child getting their own independence. Alongside learning social skills and going to the toilet solo for the first time, school also means they have more choice around what food they want to eat.

🍴In this guide, children’s dietitian Angharad Banner talks to CBeebies Parenting about ways you can encourage your child to make healthy choices, and why eating healthily is so important for their development.

Watch the Why Don't We Try Something New? song and start the conversation with your child about different food.

Dodge can't decide whether to play inside or outside. This song can help to show your little one what fun they can have in and out of the classroom with their friends as well as practicing their own decision-making.

You can find top tips for helping your little one make choices on CBeebies Parenting.

Watch the clip and listen to the In Or Out song to see how Dodge navigates making a decision about where he wants to play.

This clip shows the power of friendships, helping each other feel good and standing by your friends when they need help. You can talk to your child about how they can be a good friend before they start school. There's more advice and handy tips on encouraging little ones to make friends from CBeebies Parenting.

Listen to the Friends Who Stick Together song.

For many children, starting school is their first experience of being away from family or close friends for a long period of time. It can be daunting not having that support and familiarity, but it also means being reunited with those they may not have seen since nursery, which can be a great reason to make them look forward to it.

In this song, Woofer sings about missing his mate Dodge when he's not at school.

Watch the clip of the I Really Miss Dodge the Dog, where Woofer sings about his feelings and encourage your child to do the same.

School can teach children to be tidy and make tidying up after themselves part of their daily routine, so they learn about responsibility and respect for other people and things. In this clip, Dodge sings about being the class' Tidy Monitor, making sure his friends are keeping their space tidy.

Listen to the Tidy Monitor song to help your little one organise their space.

School allows children to explore their own interests, develop their talents and learn new skills. Talking about their interests can lead to new friendships and develop their confidence.

In this song, Bertie sings about his love of gardening, growing vegetables and being outside in nature.

🌿 Get your little one excited about growing their own fruits and vegetables in this What's In Your Plant Pot quiz.

🥕 Read mental health expert Raoul Lindsay's tips on the benefits of gardening with kids.

Encourage your little one to get outside in nature and listen to the In The Garden song.

Establishing a morning routine can help you and your family stay on track with everything you need to do and make the early hours less stressful for everyone.

You can find lots of useful tips and advice on preparing for school with CBeebies Parenting.

Download and print out these colourful checklist activity sheets to get your child ready for school and the skills they'll need to enjoy the new term.

✏️ Skills for school: 30 day challenge

✏️ Skills for starting school: 10 things to practice together

Find games, activities and clips from Dodge's Pup School on the CBeebies website.

🎶 Sing along to the Dodge's Pup School theme song!

🧩 Solve the Dodge's Pup School jigsaw.

📺 Watch Dodge's Pup School on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer.