Explore the absurdity and wonder of every day when kids talk about music, art, science and culture - one topic at a time. Packed with earworms and made with heart. - New York Times - One of the best podcasts for kids. - Common Sense Media
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Light the lights! 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? Ear Snacks is a free podcast centered around children’s voices & ideas. Please support us by subscribing, leaving a 5-star review, and sharing with…
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…
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!
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…
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!
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!
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…
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 &…
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,…
Is your family feeling as mid-summer-y as ours? On this 'Bubbles!' episode of Ear Snacks, e've got some amazing crafting & imagination activities for lazy days and long rides alike! First, Claudia Zanes shares her love of (and the science behind) soap-making. Gather some materials to try the basics at home, and learn more about her handmade soaps and incredible family folk music! Then we invent…
Ding dong! 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. Happy Disability Pride Month! Andrew & Polly are proud members of RAMPD , Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities. July is a great month to open conversations with people of all ages about different…
Many happy returns! How should we celebrate Ear Snacks’ 10th birthday? Should we make an Ear Snacks: Songs from the Podcast Vol. 2?!? Today we’re sharing some of the original songs we’ve written for these episodes since Ear Snacks: Songs from the Podcast Vol. 1 came out in 2016, and we thought it’s kind of a magical time capsule of these episodes inspired by the ideas of children. From the absurd…
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…
Whale hello there! What's your favorite quarium? Andrew & Polly are getting ready for a big July -- the 10th year of Ear Snacks! Wolftrap on July 11th ! -- but we can't leave June without celebrating Aquarium Appreciation Month! Nate from The Show About Science talks about Luna the Otter at the Shed Aquarium in Chicago, Rebecca Johnson from the California Academy of Science talks about nudibranch…
Today on Ear Snacks we're celebrating Juneteenth (Freedom Day! Jubilee Day! Emancipation Day!) with songs from the GRAMMY-nominated family music album "All One Tribe" - we hope your family will find, support, and share their work! On this episode you'll hear: For All by The Wise Channel Family Reunion by Fyütch feat. Divinity Roxx What Do You Believe? by Shine and the Moonbeams Clap Your Hands by…
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…
We mustache you a question -- What exactly IS a mustache? And WHO can have one? Celebrate Pride month with Andrew & Polly by wondering about all the different types of hairs that can grow on a face! Filmamker Sally Rubin joins us to talk about her family's mustaches and her animated short film "Mama Has a Mustache" a conversation starter for families and educators thinking about gender (that we…
(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…
(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,…
(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…
(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!) Celebrate the winter solstice by exploring the darkest depths of the ocean with marine biologist and self-proclaimed Mermaid Danni Washington ! Check out her amazing book, Bold Women in Science , and her podcast for kids, Genius…
(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 think about how to stay warm in the winter with some of our favorite family holiday tunes. For more great episodes on the holidays, check out these episodes about Hanukkah , Kwanzaa , our most favoritest family holiday…
Hey Texas! Andrew & Polly are SUPER-excited to finally perform in you! We're taking the stage at Austin City Limits / Austin Kiddie Limits this Friday and Saturday, October 4th & 5th, at 12:30p. Awesome band? GRAMMY-nominated music? Double check. Enough shakers, stickers & bubbles to share? Check, check, check! The good people of ACL are bringing some amazing live acts for all ages along with…
Kick off your summer with new bops and classic tunes about translucent spectra! Here’s just a taste of the songs you’ll discover on our Spotify playlist, Songs About Rainbows 🌈 : Sing a Rainbow by Peggy Lee Cry a Rainbow by Pierce Freelon & Nnenna Freelon Rainbowland by Miley Cyrus & Dolly Parton Rainbow Seekers by Ants on a Log Rainbow Shoppe by Andrew & Polly feat. Lucy Kalantari Rainbow World…
Metamorphic caterpillars! Fungus farming ants! Digital bees? Oh my! -- how can these all be bugs? In this episode, Avery talks about bugs in computer code and how she built a pollination video game with a Raspberry Pi. Izaiah updates us about the worms in the compost pile on his farm. And our friends at Valle de Niños in San Francisco take us on a tour of the life cycle of caterpillars.…
What IS a CRITTER? Andrew & Polly ask some friends around the world about the different critters that live in their neighborhoods. 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. Thanks for listening! Need more…
An interview with a mermaid scientist!!! This Earth Week remix 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…
Happy Earth Week! What has 3 trillion trees and one kid named after a birch tree? Andrew & Polly's family tree has (at least!) 3 tree experts who give us just the tiniest glimpse into the wonder of all things arboreal. Thanks to Bay Area-based Plant Stars and Oakland Aesthetics for sharing what they love! To learn more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org - and thanks for listening!
What do you see during an eclipse? What does it feel like? What does it sound like? In 2017, we asked kids and families living in the path of totality to record their experience of the Great American Eclipse. If you're getting ready for the total solar eclipse on April 8th, 2024 that will stretch from Texas to Maine, check this out! More awesome eclipse- and science-related listening goodness,…
Why ARE there so many songs about rainbows? Because there's SO MUCH TO SAY about them! Happy Holi! Andrew & Polly act as the prism for some awesome tangential concepts connected to ROY G BIV. Jazz piansit Charu Suri shares the connection between raga (Sanskrit for "color" or "dye") and the aura of music, as well as her love of the mischievously vibrant paint-throwing Festival of Colors, Holi ! And…
WHAT IS PIE? What about pi? Can I have 3.1415 pieces, please? Pre-heat your International Pi Day festivities! Andrew & Polly get granular with Molly Birnbaum from America’s Test Kitchen Kids who does all kinds of fascinating kitchen experiments and games on her new kids podcast, Mystery Recipe. Find more at ATKkids.com/mysteryrecipe and earsnacks.org — we hope family time can be filled with fun…
Do you ever make things in your house? Do you ever use YARN? Unwind the knotty world of knitting, coziness, and monster design with our friends Lilah, Gertie, Dot, and Andy Ferguson a.k.a. musician & puppeteer, Red Yarn! Andy shares a paper bag craft, using pantomime to create new puppetry characters, and how crafting can contribute to protest movements. Our pal Angela Diveglia shares about her…
Do all hearts beat the same? We don’t know…unless we listen to them. With the help of four well-informed hummingbirds and renowned muralist Ruben Rojas, Andrew & Polly explore what they know about hearts – biological and metaphorical! Our friends Maya, Anders, Jackson, and Emmet share about how their hearts feel when they give and receive Valentines. And Polly shares about the little robot in her…
Guest host extraordinaire Carly Ciarrocchi introduces you to the GRAMMY®-nominated artists for Best Children's Music Album in 2024: DJ Willy Wow! for HIP-HOPE FOR KIDS! 123 Andrés for WE GROW TOGETHER: PRESCHOOL SONGS Andrew & Polly for AHHHHH! Uncle Jumbo for TASTE THE SKY Pierce Freelon and Nnenna Freelon for ANCESTARS Congratulations to all the nominees for the 66th GRAMMY Awards! We hope…
Ding ding! Andrew & Polly explore a world of bell sounds and sensations guided by blind author Andrew Leland and percussionist Abby Savell. Kora, Nora, Hazel, Max, Fortney and Berlin think about the use of bells in mindfulness and meditation, around the necks of cats and cows, and the language of fairies. Topics include the physics of sound, the spectrum of blindness, the British punk band Wire,…
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…
Fun and funny songs to inspire the next generation of scientists! On this episode, we're sharing the growing-things (biology) part of our Spotify playlist Science Class Soundtrack featuring these radically thoughtful artists: The Scientific Method by Andrew & Polly feat. Mista Cookie Jar The Dichotomous Key by Billy Kelly & Molly Ledford Trees by Ozomatli Presents Ozokids Micro Biome by Formidable…
Wheeeee! How do slides work? What makes something slippery? And what happens when one person wants to go down a slide and another person wants to go up? Andrew & Polly think about the physics of playgrounds, sledding, trombones, and outer space. Our friends Oscar, Alexis, Calvin, Monroe, Tenney, Ainsley, and aerospace engineer Frankie help us make friends with gravity and friction. Plus we turn a…
On this episode of Ear Snacks, Andrew & Polly play some of their favorite songs from family music artists about BIG feelings -- and how it's okay to notice them and be with them for a while. This is just a small selection of the great music made for kids we're curating on Spotify playlists, so check 'em out! On this episode of Ear Snacks, you'll hear: Tiger in a Hammock by You and Us Wild Thing by…
When you need a little pep talk, these songs will reassure you - you can do it! We're celebrating our new album “ AHHHHH! ” by playing our new songs along with awesome songs from some other amazing family music artists – all about positive self-talk. Worthy Mantra by Tiptoe Giants Soy Yo by Bomba Estereo Powerful, Wonderful by Andrew & Polly (feat. Raye Zaragoza) Smardi Gras by Secret Agent 23…
Today on Ear Snacks we're celebrating our new album “ AHHHHH! ” by playing our new songs along with awesome songs from some other amazing family music artists – all about joy and resilience. Resilience is that thing kids need to help them get through tough stuff, and allowing joyfulness is one of the ways we can fill our tanks when we're feeling on empty. So get ready to bounce - and practice how…
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…
Sloths on motorcycles. Stereo sound. Ball bearings left over from WWII. We're talking about Moves, people. Independent ride operator Bruce Perlman talks about how he got into the carnival industry, how his friend Sergio designs gigantic moving attractions, and how boats and 22-wheelers move these carnival rides from place to place. Ramona, Hank, Willa, Colin, Bella, Desmond, and Charlie also make…
Math and art intersect in this super-fun episode of Ear Snacks ! Andrew & Polly invent awesome shape games with author illustrator Carter Higgins , who shares about her awesome book Circle Under Berry and our friends Emmet, Milena, Phoenix and Gertie dish on things with more than three sides. For more information or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org .
Put these hot beats in your hot feets! Ear Snacks is back and Andrew & Polly are sharing some of the sunniest, most funniest tunes for your family to enjoy. Feast your ears on: Ear Snacks Summer Mixtape 2023 “Rainbow Shoppe” by Andrew & Polly feat. Lucy Kalantari “Be You You You” by Uncle Jumbo “Start the Discussion” by Esther Crow feat. Strawbitty Yops “Beautiful You” by Mista Cookie Jar feat.…
Are you human? Meet the 90 trillion non-human friends that each one of us carries around every day (plus a couple of goats) with one of our new music friends from down under, Formidable Vegetable's Charlie Mgee. Charlie's music and ideas take us on a journey to consider our relationship to the environment and think about how to be a good friend to the whole world. 100 trillion thanks to Charlie…
GRAMMY-Award-Winning Artists, Alphabet Rockers , join us in a heart-centering conversation about feeling alone. Along with friends Harlow, Alex, Miles, Maya, Jacob & Isabel we think a more about friendship and the vocabulary around sharing and noticing alone feelings. Many many thanks to Kaitlin McGaw and Tommy Shepherd of Alphabet Rockers . On this episode you heard two of their songs - "You are…
Get to know some of the family music artists nominated for a 2023 GRAMMY Award for Best Children’s Album: Divinity Roxx from NYC ( @diviroxx and @diviroxxkids ) plays bass for Beyoncé, writes children’s books, and loves mini-kayaking adventures. She shared “Be Yourself” from her GRAMMY-nominated album “Ready, Set, Go!” Justin Roberts from Evanston, IL ( @justiroberts ) plays pinball, complex…
Who are your friends? How do people become friends? Can *we* be friends? On this episode of Ear Snacks, Andrew & Polly and their friends contemplate the nature of friendship. We also squawk on our parrot phone to call children’s author Helena Ku Rhee (The Paper Kingdom) about her experience making friends as she grew up in a multilingual apartment complex in Los Angeles, the basis of her 2022…
Andrew & Polly think about how to stay warm in the winter with some of our favorite family holiday tunes. For more great episodes on the holidays, check out these episodes about Hanukkah , Kwanzaa , our most favoritest family holiday music playlist and lights in the ocean! Thanks to Sara Louise Callaway from The Music Box and the one and only Mista Cookie Jar . Thanks to Arlo, Molly, Poppy, Opal,…
