Ear Snacks Podcast for Kids

Episoder

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  Lights! (Explaining Hanukkah & How Candles Work) 11.12.2025 20min

  Andrew & Polly think about winter festivals with kids around the world, interview PJ Library about Hanukkah, and sing a holiday song!
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  The Neuroscience of Bad Guys & Superheroes! 12.11.2025 19min

  Andrew & Polly's Bad Guy game continues! When they can't figure out WHY they are having fun scaring fish and serving them their least favorite foods, they call up a "Bad Doctor" to find out! Dr. Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas from UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center tells us about what brains have to do with Bad Guys & Superheroes. We're looking for more friends to share what they know! To find out more or be on the show, visit earsnacks.org - and thanks for listening! 
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  Playing Bad Guys! 04.11.2025 16min

  What's a "bad guy?" Is it fun to pretend to be one? (When is it not fun?) Andrew & Polly model conflict in play, learn how to talk like a villain from voice actor Morla Gorrondona, and ask kids what they know about "bad guys!" To learn more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org - and thanks for listening!
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  Disguises! (Halloween!) 08.10.2025 31min

  What's a disguises? (How is it different from a costume?) Andrew & Polly solve a mystery for forlorn giraffes Kevin & Lousie, learn how to disguise their voices with voice actor Greg Chun, and explore the link between evolution and animal disguises (crypsis &  camouflage) with CalAcademy's Rebecca Johnson! And as always, we ask our friends what they know about...DISGUISES! To learn more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org - thanks for listening! 
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  What's a Muppet? (Happy Birthday, Jim Henson!) 24.09.2025 5min

  We got a whole lot of chickens. Andrew & Polly celebrate the birthday of one of their heroes by asking their friends one of life's eternal questions: what's a muppet? To learn more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org - and thanks for listening!
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  Pirates! (Talk Like a Pirate Day!) 17.09.2025 19min

  Ahoy, matey! How cold are yer timbers? Andrew & Polly ask some friends about the steps to talking like a pirate, sprinkled in with some historical pirate factoids and Andrew's dad shares buccaneer tales from Post Office Bay in the Galapagos Islands. To learn more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org - and thanks for listening!
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  Treats! 27.08.2025 27min

  What's the best treat of all-time?   From the food science of sugar rushes to the bellies of hungry musicians, Andrew & Polly ask their friends what makes a good treat. Sensory scientist Dr. Sara Yang explains how people evolved to think about food, why we like what we like, and how we make our decisions. Then Koo Koo's Brian and Neil expound on the virtues of sheet cake, old-fashioned donuts and ice cold lemonade. Thanks to our friends Elias, Bodin, Madelyn and Monk for sharing what they know about treats! To learn more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org - and thanks for listening!
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  Keys! 20.08.2025 21min

  What do la clave, the difference between public and private, and two giraffes have in common? In this sneaky episode of Ear Snacks, Andrew & Polly learn about the rhythms of Cuban music with Martina Castro (producer of The Vivo Songbook), and then explore the ideas behind artist Paul Ramirez Jonas' project Key to the City (involving 24,000 keys!) Oh - and Kevin & Louise try to crack Andrew & Polly's gate code to leave them some peppermint. To learn more about Ear Snacks or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org - thanks for listening!
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  Cartoons! 06.08.2025 21min

  Meep meep! What's a cartoon? New Yorker cartoonist Tom Toro (Home Free, Back to School Backpack) talks cartoons of all shapes and sizes on this episode of  Ear Snacks! Andrew & Polly avoid anvils, consider political cartoons, think about how it feels to STOP watching your favorite stories, and sing a brand new song by Eilis Cahill. Thanks for listening! A big thank you to Leo, Solomon, Hannah, Seamus, Leon, Waylan and Izzy — and their parents — for sharing what they know about cartoons. To learn more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org
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  Soap & Thought Bubbles! 23.07.2025 18min

  Make some soap! Make some thought bubbles! Think thoughts about making soap! Andrew & Polly bubble up some summery crafts & imagination activities in this episode of Ear Snacks.
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  Bells & Blindness! 16.07.2025 28min

  Ding dong! For Disability Pride Month, Andrew & Polly wax poetic about bells and blindness with Country of the Blind author Andrew Leland and visit an enormous percussion warehouse with LAPR’s Abby Savell.
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  Happy Birthday, Ear Snacks! 09.07.2025 23min

  Happy 10th Birthday, Ear Snacks! To celebrate, should we release Song from the Podcast Vol. 2??? In this musical mixtape, Andrew & Polly share some unreleased songs written for the podcast over the decade.
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  Fruit! 02.07.2025 18min

  Happy Birthday, Ear Snacks!  10 years ago this July, we started this bonkers idea. Our music had started reaching kids all over the world , but with our growing family, we didn't get to sing with them very often...but what if we could make a show *with* them? This is that show. So today on Ear Snacks, we want to share our very first episode "Fruit!"  - it's still one of the grapes ! Whether you've been listening from the beginning or are hearing this for the very first time, we hope you find it delicious.
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  Aquairums! 25.06.2025 21min

  Otters! Nudibranchs! Seahorses! Oh my! Andrew & Polly celebrate Aquarium Appreciation Month with kids, scientists and enthusiasts alike.
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  Juneteenth! 18.06.2025 33min

  Celebrate Juneteenth with GRAMMY-nominated family music from All One Tribe!
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  Fiddle Around! 11.06.2025 21min

  Polly goes to Fiddle Camp, violinist Katie Buckbee and her son Archer expound on their love of bluegrass, and our pal Eddie Berman introduce us to his 5-string banjo. A bit of ear training on Ear Snacks! (And we use "fiddling" as a model for ways of learning by doing.) We're getting ready for the 10th year of Ear Snacks, and we can't make this show without you! Parents around the world have shared their children's voices & ideas with us, and we love building inspirational, educational, fun shows centered around them. To find out more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org - and thanks for listening!
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  What's a Mustache? 04.06.2025 19min

  Mustaches! Gender! Silliness! Andrew & Polly, young children, and director of ”Mama Has a Mustache” Sally Rubin wonder about the funny hairs that can grow out of faces.
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  Comfort & Joy Playlist! (Winter Break remix) 27.12.2024 28min

  (Hello! We're excited to make more music and podcasts for & with you in 2025! Meanwhile, enjoy these holiday-themed episode remixes -- and thanks for listening!) Happy Happy Holidays! Let these completely original family-music tunes light up your holidays, road trips and 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 Ear Snacks is a free interactive experience centered around children’s voices & ideas. To support the work we’re doing for your kids (and all kids), become a supporter on Patreon or through Apple Podcasts Premium Subscription feature. OR you can always leave us a 5-star rating & review for free. Or just tell a friend about this great show your family likes? Thanks for listening! Need more snacks? Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok!
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  Boxing Day! (Winter Break remix) 26.12.2024 19min

  (Hello! We're excited to make more music and podcasts for & with you in 2025! Meanwhile, enjoy these holiday-themed episode remixes -- and thanks for listening!) Andrew & Polly talk about BOXES in a special interview with Antoinette Portis, author of Not a Box. This episode also highlights The Box Project with Eliza Gregory - and, of course, thanks to our kid experts: Ruslan, Gavin, Manny, Charlie, Penny, Ainsley, Liliana, Lane, Guy, Grey, Sadie & William. Oh - and this episode was the first time we released our modern holiday-adjacent classic, Thank You for the Box! Ear Snacks is a free interactive experience centered around children’s voices & ideas. To support the work we’re doing for your kids (and all kids), become a supporter on Patreon or through Apple Podcasts Premium Subscription feature. OR you can always leave us a 5-star rating & review for free. Or just tell a friend about this great show your family likes? Thanks for listening! Need more snacks? Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok!
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  Hanukkah & How Candles Work (Winter Break remix) 25.12.2024 20min

  (Hello! We're excited to make more music and podcasts for & with you in 2025! Meanwhile, enjoy these holiday-themed episode remixes -- and thanks for listening!) 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. To be on the show or to find out more, visit earsnacks.org Ear Snacks is a free interactive experience centered around children’s voices & ideas. To support the work we’re doing for your kids (and all kids), become a supporter on Patreon or through Apple Podcasts Premium Subscription feature. OR you can always leave us a 5-star rating & review for free. Or just tell a friend about this great show your family likes? Thanks for listening! Need more snacks? Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok!