Ear Snacks Podcast for Kids

Smaller than Small: The Discovery of Quarks with Dr. Martin Breidenbach

What is the smallest thing you can think of? What’s smaller than that? For World Quark Day, experimental physicist Dr. Martin Breidenbach takes Andrew & Polly on a trip through the 70’s into subatomic space to recount his use of a gigantic device to discover how small the universe can get. Innovations such as radiation oncology and the World Wide Web can trace their origins to the pioneering experiments of physicists like Marty asking the same questions we ask on Ear Snacks – What’s that made of? How can we learn more about it? And what’s next?Giga thanks to Marty for walking us through the fundamental nature of matter and SLAC NAtional Accelerator Laboratory’s Manuel Gnida for arranging the interview. To support the work that we do and get bonus content and personalized birthday messages, visit patreon.com/earsnacks -- thanks for listening!

Play this Great Grammy-Nominated Music for Kids!

New Year, New Tunes! Feast your ears on 5 delicious tracks representing the work of 30+ incredible family music artists nominated for Best Children’s Album in the 64th GRAMMY Awards!
Ven Conmigo a Jugar from Actívate by 123 Andrés feat. Juan Miguel and YoelKeys
Rainbow from A Colorful World by Falu
Another Day from Crayon Kids by Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
Family Reunion from All One Tribe by Fyütch feat. Divinity Roxx
Attitude of Gratitude from Black to the Future by Pierce Freelon feat. Kelly Kale
Immense gratitude for the music these talented Grammy-nominated artists made and shared with us today: We hope you’ll look these artists up – and share their work so other friends can discover some new music for their new year.We are looking for some NEW ideas for Ear Snacks + NEW friends who want to be on the show – to be on the show, have your grownup tell us what you’re super into by visiting earnsacks.orgThanks so much to Shopify for making this episode of Ear Snacks possible. Go to Shopify.com/earsnacks for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features.

How Marine Animals Communicate with Lights

An interview with a mermaid scientist!!! This episode of Ear Snacks features the bright light of science communicator and mermaid, Danni Washington. Check out her amazing book, Bold Women in Science, and her podcast for kids, Genius Generation.Thanks again to our friends Arlo, Molly, Poppy, Opal, Sam, and Thiri (and their parents) for sharing what they know about lights! And thank you to all our listeners for your beautiful inner lights and for using them to help others see something new.Please consider supporting our work this holiday season at patreon.com/earsnacks (and receive a cameo-style personalized video!) To learn more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org – thanks for listening!

Light Up Your Holidays with this Holiday Mixtape!

Happy Happy Holidays! Let these completely original family-music tunes light up your holidays and upcoming home days. Thanks to these incredibly talented and generous musicians who fill our ears and hearts all year long - a great way to support their work is by sharing their music, adding their songs to your playlists and following them on social media!
Happy Happy Holidays by Aaron Nigel Smith
All I Want for Christmas is Used by Formidable Vegetable
Coniferous Trees by Molly Ledford & Billy Kelly
Zat You Santa Claus by Jazzy Ash
Kwanzaa Slide by Culture Queen & Fyütch
Bright Winter Day by Little Miss Ann
Esta Lucesita by Elizabeth Mitchell & Suni Paz
So Freaking Ready for a New Year by those jokers Andrew & Polly

Songs of Light + Celebrating Kwanzaa with Fyütch!

What do the bright lights of Time Square, the dancing lights of Nashville’s Opryland Hotel, and the seven candles of Kwanzaa have in common? Ask social justice artist Fyütch! This episode of Ear Snacks features Fyütch’s love of various lights, his family’s new tradition of celebrating Kwanzaa, and his song This Kwanzaa (feat. Pierce Freelon) from his album Family Tree (Songs about Black history, culture & love). We encourage families to do the work of learning about Kwanzaa and talking about its origins.   Thanks again to our friends Arlo, Molly, Poppy, Opal, Sam, and Thiri (and their parents) for sharing what they know about lights and how their families use lights to celebrate. Coming up next in the Ear Snacks Celebration of Lights - bioluminescence and more original holiday tunes for the whole family. Stay cozy out there!Please consider supporting our work this holiday season at patreon.com/earsnacks (and receive a cameo-style personalized video for your kiddo's birthday!) To learn more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org – thanks for listening! And connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok!Thanks to this episode's sponsors:
Thanks, Candlewick Press! Get the Ada and the Galaxies, We Are One: How the World Adds Up,  Interrupting Chicken: Cookies for Breakfast and Ear Worm wherever books are sold.
Thanks iD Tech Pro. To save up to $200 across all iD Tech programs, including summer tech camps, online private tutoring and small-group classes and certifications, go to idtech.com/EARSNACKS.

Fireflies, Glow-sticks & The Lights of Hanukkah

Sundown, lights up! Andrew & Polly ask their friends about sources of illumination, human-made and natural. Lori Hoch Stiefel from PJ Library shares her Hanukkah story and we begin to wonder...why do candlelight and winter celebrations go hand-in-hand? Thanks to Arlo, Molly, Poppy, Opal, Sam, and Thiri (and their parents) for sharing what they know about lights and how their families use lights to celebrate. As the nights get longer, we’ll dive deeper into how lights work, bioluminescence, and how our inner light can shine to help others see something new. To be on the show or to find out more, visit earsnacks.org

24,000 Keys: The Music of ”Vivo” from Lin-Manuel Miranda and Sony Pictures Animation + the art of Paul Ramirez Jonas

Kevin & Louise Giraffe continue cracking gate codes, Andrew & Polly think more about why things are locked, and two special guests share about 24,001 special keys!Martina Castro (Adonde Media founder and host of The Vivo Songbook, the podcast about that awesome Lin-Mauel Miranda / Sony Pictures Animation movie) shares what she learned from Buena Vista Social Club’s Juan de Marcos about the key to Cuban music -- la Clave! Renowned sculptor and social practice artist Paul Ramirez Jonas opens conversations about public spaces and access with the 24,000 keys hey made as part of the Key to the City project.Last but not least, many thanks to the kids on this episode -- Lev, Wilder, Gertie and Jack! If your family is interested in being on the show, visit earsnacks.orgAnnnnnd thanks to our awesome supporters at patreon.com/earsnacks -- just $2/month unlocks special bonus content and personalized birthday videos from us. Connect with us there or on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok!

Keys: Unlocking What Makes Us Who We Are

Andrew & Polly explore keys -- the jingly kind and the genetic. Meanwhile, sneaky gift-giving giraffes Kevin & Louise have to crack Andrew & Polly’s new gate code to deliver some leftover Halloween candy.Our friend Jack shares about his brother’s very unique chromosomes and how he thinks genetic codes and kindness go together. And we get another house call from pediatric surgeon Dr. Willie Moses who explains more of the science behind genetic codes and how learning to focus as a choirboy unlocked his potential as a lifelong learner.Thanks to our awesome supporters at patreon.com/earsnacks -- just $2/month unlocks special bonus content and personalized birthday videos from us! Last but not least, many thanks to the kids on this episode -- Lev, Wilder, Gertie and Jack! If your family is interested in participating, visit earsnacks.orgWill Kevin & Louise ever figure out the code to Andrew & Polly’s new front gate? What other kinds of special keys are there? Monkeys? Kiwis? Keanu Reeves? Find out next week in another episode of this podcast which is apparently hosted by giraffes now.Thanks to this episode's sponsors:
Thank you to MIT Kids Press and  Candlewick Press! Get Ada and the Galaxies and We are One:  How The World Ads Up wherever books are sold.
Thanks  StoryWorth.  Get $10 off your first purchase at http://StoryWorth.com/EARSNACKS

When Kids Have to Get Shots - For Parents & Caregivers

Andrew & Polly have a frank conversation for parents about getting kids ready for the COVID-19 vaccine as well as routine pediatric vaccinations. We share some interesting stuff that didn't make the episode for kids, why Polly doesn't like to use the word "shots," our own parenting practice around pediatric vaccination appointments and the extended interview with Child Life Specialist Rose Tandeta with tips and tricks for making these appointments go as smoothly as possible.This is a companion to this episode of Ear Snacks for kids in which Andrew & Polly explore what kids know (and don’t know) about the COVID-19 vaccine now available in the U.S. for children age 5-11. Thanks to our friends Twyla, Dash, Ani, Izzy, Eliana, Quinn, Cora, and Jane and their parents for sharing! Thanks also to Tumble Science Podcast for Kids! Listen to their show and subscribe wherever you like to get your ear stuff.

Getting Kids Ready for the COVID-19 Vaccine

In this special episode of Ear Snacks, Andrew & Polly explore what kids know (and don’t know) about the Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine now available in the U.S. for children age 5-11. We prepare for the experience of getting a shot with Child Life Specialist Rose Tandeta (UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland) and explain how an mRNA vaccine works by sharing a hilarious pie analogy from Laurel Bristow (​​MSc, Control of Infectious Diseases).Here at Ear Snacks we love learning and sharing, and we hope all of our immune systems can learn how to keep our bodies healthy and not share crazy pies with our neighbors! Thanks to our friends Twyla, Dash, Ani, Izzy, Eliana, Quinn, Cora, and Jane and their parents for being on Ear Snacks. To be on the show visit http://earsnacks.org and please support the work we do by joining us at patreon.com/earsnacks .