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Kevin & Louise Giraffe attempt to pack for a camping trip while Andrew & Polly ask kids what they know about tents. Miry's List founder Miry Whitehill helps kids and families imagine what makes a home feel safe and cozy and helps us think about ways we can welcome refugee families resettling in our neighborhoods. We're figuring out what to pack for our July mini-tour in Colorado! Visit andrewandpolly.com to find out more or reach out to us directly -- we'd love to connect with you IRL! To offer us any feedback on this episode or if your kid wants to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org - thanks for listening!

In this episode of Ear Snacks we celebrate Juneteenth by sharing songs from "All One Tribe," a compilation celebrating the rich culture and diversity that Black voices bring to family music. All One Tribe / Juneteenth Mixtape For All by The Wise Channel Family Reunion by Fyütch (feat. Divinity Roxx) I Believe by Shine & the Moonbeams Clap Your Hands by The Magic Jones Shine (Melanin Remix) by Alphabet Rockers Nothing Wrong With The Black Crayon by DJ Willy Wow! |  We All Live by Melanie DeMore Mtoto Mzuri by Jabali Afrika (feat. Ahadi) Beautiful Brown Babies by Kymberly Stewart Learn more about each of these 24 Black family music artists across the country and on social media via #allonetribe #1tribecollective. Support the project by buying the album and sharing the music! Special thanks to Aaron Nigel Smith and Family Music Forward for facilitating this mixtape. 100% of ad revenue from this episode will go to supporting 1 Tribe Collective. Thanks to Shopify for supporting Ear Snacks. Go to Shopify.com/earsnacks for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features.

What is a hat!?!? Andrew & Polly are determined to find out. Thanks for listening! Ear Snacks is centered around children’s voices & ideas. To support the work we’re doing or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org or become a supporter on Patreon. Need more snacks? Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or TikTok! Thanks to NOVO for supporting Ear Snacks. Go to Novo.co/EARSNACKS and get your FREE business banking account

H-E-L-L-O! What's a letter? How old is the invention of type? How does a ballpoint pen work? Andrew & Polly investigate. Ana Gomez-Bernaus explains the art of typography and designing your own letters, and The Pen Addict's Brad Dowdy muses on drawing miniature cities and writing letters to baseball players to get their autographs. We first published this episode in 2017 with an incorrect mention that Gutenberg's printing press was the first development in moveable type in 1400. The episode you just heard is a revision as of 5/11/2022. We want to thank listener, typographer and mom Steph Rue for alerting us to the many many years of developments in typography in Asia that predate the printing press. Our previous release reinforced a western perspective, which is incorrect and as part of our ongoing work to dismantle racism we have decided to release a new version and our hope is to share that with you as transparently as possible. Thank you to Steph for noticing this, bringing it to us, educating us and allowing us a chance to do this work. Parts of this episode were recorded live at the Strathmore Performing Arts Center in North Bethesda, MD. For more information, check out: Ana Gomez-Bernaus's lettering art, The Pen Addict and Strathmore Performing Arts Center. Thanks to Shopify for supporting Ear Snacks. Go to Shopify.com/earsnacks for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features.

We are so excited to be back on stage this weekend at the LA Times Festival of Books *and* the grand opening of CAMP West LA! But first we have to get ready. What do *you* do to get ready before you leave home? Hint hint - this episode, full of fun-facts all about teeth, will give you a clue! Join us this weekend in LA! We'll be emceeing the kids stage at the LATimes Festival of Books on Saturday and Sunday 4/23 & 4/24, introducing some of your favorite authors, some friends and even some legends - and sharing wiggles and giggles and tunes, too. And Sunday before we head there we'll be singing from 10:30-11:30 at CAMP, a new family experience space in the Century City Mall. Can't wait to see some of you there! To be on the show or to find out more, visit earsnacks.org. Thanks to NOVO for supporting Ear Snacks. Go to Novo.co/EARSNACKS and get your FREE business banking account

What does a seed need to grow? A kid? An idea? Andrew & Polly ask many different people about growing many different things. How does bird poop bring the world together? With peppers, of course! Uncle Fred tells us about germination, the first World's Hottest Pepper (Bhut Jolokia), and... BIRD POOP. If you aren't a dragon and like spicy stuff, you can check out the Sparkling River Pepper Company's smoke dried peppers, sauces and spice blends at sparking-river.com Our neighbor Miriam takes us to visit the Peace Garden, an urban garden space at Peace4Kids in South Central Los Angeles for youth in the foster care system. Zaid started the garden, Alex tends it, and a blue-bellied lizard named Tom visits it. Miriam, Alex, and Zaid talk about the garden, their work with youth in foster care through the non-profit Peace4Kids, what nature means to them, and what seeds - and ideas - need to grow. You can learn more and support their work at peace4kids.org and see Miriam's artwork at miriamcortez.com. Many thanks to Fred Gray, Miriam Cortez, Alex Zalder, Zaid Gayle, and our friends Amelia, Bennett, Charlie, Sam and Kalinga for talking to us about growing all kinds of things.  To be on the show or to find out more, visit earsnacks.org. Thanks to Shopify for supporting Ear Snacks. Go to Shopify.com/earsnacks for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features.

What's a prank? What makes a *good* prank? And how do you know when you're over The Line? Andrew & his kids contemplate the nature of surprises, the intention behind jokes, and scheme up some wholesome pranks on their walk to school. Thanks to musical guests Story Pirates for their song “Cat Sit on You” & New Zealand’s Captain Fectus McBoyle for his new single “Just Breathe” – and “Mom’s Name” by us and the hilarious and gregarious Mike Phirman (performing a rare live show in Colorado this weekend!) You can find more tomfoolery and improv storytelling opportunities at Story Pirates April Fools Camp!  To learn more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org – and thanks for listening!

When we see someone new in our neighborhood, how can we make them feel safe and loved and important? We visit again with Miry’s List founder Miry Whitehill and co-author Jennifer Jackson about their new book Our World is a Family. We learn new words of welcome, think about ways to talk to children about migration and refugees, and even inspire Louise Giraffe to undertake a creative welcoming project. With so much in the news about war and migration, this episode and amazing book can be a resource for families and educators who are taking a proactive approach to supporting children’s understanding of complicated events as well as a lifelong process of cultivation of empathy. Plus, easy activities that we can do to support children who have had to leave their homes. Find Our World is a Family wherever you get your books. Find free resources and activities at miryslist.org/learn – and thank you. (Also, here’s a WBUR interview about how Miry’s List is preparing to welcome families from Ukraine ) Thanks to NOVO for supporting Ear Snacks. Go to Novo.co/EARSNACKS and get your FREE business banking account

Do you wish you could wake up on a bed of delicious toast? Do restaurants in your neighborhood sound like song lyrics? Our friend Katara from Brooklyn, NY, shares two ways our episode about Pajamas (with Wow in the World’s Mindy Thomas!) connects with her life. Let’s get cozy! In Pajamas II, we explore: Pajama Day! The Science of Sleep (why our bodies need rest) The idea of the “Sleepunder” (instead of sleepover) Trippy Dreams How different families say goodnight Thanks to Shopify for supporting Ear Snacks. Go to Shopify.com/earsnacks for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features. What's your kiddo's favorite episode of Ear Snacks? For a chance to be featured on the show, let us know at earsnacks.org! Interview: Your Favorite Ear Snacks Moment! Please record kids’ answers via voice memo, give them time to answer, skip/expand on these questions as needed, and don’t forget -- have fun! E-mail recordings to earsnacks@andrewandpolly.com Say: Hi, Andrew & Polly and Ear Snacks Listeners! Who are you? (What's your first name? How old are you? Where do you live? For this one, it's especially helpful if they answer in full sentences - "My name is ______ or I am _______.") When and where do you listen to Ear Snacks? Who do you listen with? What's your favorite episode of Ear Snacks? What's your favorite thing that has happened on Ear Snacks? Why do you like to listen to that part so much? Have you ever been inspired to explore something, make something or have a family joke or something you say to each other because of something on Ear Snacks? What is it? Anything else you want to share with Andrew & Polly? What do you call kids who listen to Ear Snacks? (Ear Snackers? Ear Snacks friends? Ear Snacks people?) Tell us to play your favorite part in your own words, or say one of these: - Cue the tape! - Will you play it now? - Let's listen to it! I love this part! - Let's just play it already! - Remember that time on Ear Snacks when... Say: Bye, Andrew & Polly! E-mail your voice memo to earsnacks@andrewandpolly.com

Our friend Monk from Oakland, CA loves when Andrew tries to scare Polly in our episode about Bad Guys! So we’re replaying it here – play along with us! We explore: What are the parts of a story? How can you play “bad guys” and keep everyone safe? How to sound “like a bad guy” with voice actress Morla Gorondona! To Play or Not To Play: Making Agreements! Wondering why we don't have any pretend jails in this episode (or our house)? Check out and donate to the non-profit The Sentencing Project. Black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons across the country at nearly five times the rate of whites, and Latinx people are 1.3 times as likely to be incarcerated than non-Latinx whites. We highly discourage play that involves police, jails, and prisons and encourage age-appropriate discourse with young children around those topics instead. If you are parent or educator who is worried about bad guy and superhero play, check out this episode for parents: "Pretend gun Play and Actual Bad Guys with Jane Lindholm." For anyone who wants to go even deeper, check out this documentation of "bad guy" play published in Early Childhood Research and Practice. So - what's your kiddo's favorite episode of Ear Snacks? We'd love them to introduce it - Here are the details of how to participate: Interview: Your Favorite Ear Snacks Moment! Please record kids’ answers via voice memo, give them time to answer, skip/expand on these questions as needed, and don’t forget -- have fun! E-mail recordings to earsnacks@andrewandpolly.com Say: Hi, Andrew & Polly and Ear Snacks Listeners! Who are you? (What's your first name? How old are you? Where do you live? For this one, it's especially helpful if they answer in full sentences - "My name is ______ or I am _______.") When and where do you listen to Ear Snacks? Who do you listen with? What's your favorite episode of Ear Snacks? What's your favorite thing that has happened on Ear Snacks? Why do you like to listen to that part so much? Have you ever been inspired to explore something, make something or have a family joke or something you say to each other because of something on Ear Snacks? What is it? Anything else you want to share with Andrew & Polly? What do you call kids who listen to Ear Snacks? (Ear Snackers? Ear Snacks friends? Ear Snacks people?) Tell us to play your favorite part in your own words, or say one of these: - Cue the tape! - Will you play it now? - Let's listen to it! I love this part! - Let's just play it already! - Remember that time on Ear Snacks when... Say: Bye, Andrew & Polly! E-mail your voice memo to earsnacks@andrewandpolly.com

If you haven’t heard the very first episode of Ear Snacks, our friend Maeve from Madison, WI super-duper loves it. So she's sharing about it here – AND we're talking about one of Polly’s favorite fruit books: Grapefruit by Yoko Ono. In this episode, you'll hear Polly read: PAINTING FOR THE WIND (1961, summer) PAINTING TO SEE THE ROOM (1961, autumn) PAINTING TO ENLARGE AND SEE (1961, summer) TUNAFISH SANDWICH PIECE (1964, spring) So - what's your kiddo's favorite episode of Ear Snacks? We'd love them to introduce it - Here are the details of how to participate: Interview: Your Favorite Ear Snacks Moment! Please record kids’ answers via voice memo, give them time to answer, skip/expand on these questions as needed, and don’t forget -- have fun! E-mail recordings to earsnacks@andrewandpolly.com Say: Hi, Andrew & Polly and Ear Snacks Listeners! Who are you? (What's your first name? How old are you? Where do you live? For this one, it's especially helpful if they answer in full sentences - "My name is ______ or I am _______.") When and where do you listen to Ear Snacks? Who do you listen with? What's your favorite episode of Ear Snacks? What's your favorite thing that has happened on Ear Snacks? Why do you like to listen to that part so much? Have you ever been inspired to explore something, make something or have a family joke or something you say to each other because of something on Ear Snacks? What is it? Anything else you want to share with Andrew & Polly? What do you call kids who listen to Ear Snacks? (Ear Snackers? Ear Snacks friends? Ear Snacks people?) Tell us to play your favorite part in your own words, or say one of these: - Cue the tape! - Will you play it now? - Let's listen to it! I love this part! - Let's just play it already! - Remember that time on Ear Snacks when... Say: Bye, Andrew & Polly! E-mail your voice memo to earsnacks@andrewandpolly.com

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!

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.org Thanks 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.

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!

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

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.

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

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.org Annnnnd 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!

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.org Will 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

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.