What's a Muppet? (Happy Birthday, Jim Henson!)

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! 

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 on the show, visit earsnacks.org - thanks for listening! 

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 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!

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!

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

Calling all voices! High or low, fast or slow, pool party-ing or quiet afternoon book nook-ing, we have the songs for you! Every so often, we like to step back and shine the spotlight on the amazing creators we know making incredible art for families. Here are the handful of lovely tunes we could squeeze into a podcast episode, but please find out Midsummer Mixtape on Spotify for more upbeat & chilled out summer music recommendations: Party by Heather Feather feat. Itty Bitty Beats, Preschool Rockstars, and Esther Crow A New Cinderella by Megan Piphus  Fam Bam Boogie by Mista Cookie Jar feat. Father Goose, Divinity Roxx, Pierce Freelon, Lucy Kalantari, Aaron Nigel Smith, Snooknuk, Jabali Afrika, and 1 Tribe Collective Harmony by Fyütch and Aura V feat. Divinity Roxx I Run with My Heart (Fatuma’s Song) by Flor Bromley feat. Jabali Afrika Tiny (Chiquito) by Teacher Peter Families Belong by Noodle Loaf (Dan Saks) Why Do People Go? by Mega Ran feat. Kimya Dawson What My Body Needs by Sara Rogers Fly, Shine, Soar by 123 Andrés feat. Little Miss Ann Please support these generous, talented musicians by following them and sharing what you love! To lear more or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org - thanks for listening!

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 some imagination games with Mags DeRoma and Christine Peck (who cannot see your thoughts inside your head), authors of Too Many Bubbles: A Story About Mindfulness.  To learn more about Ear snacks or to be on the show, visit earsnacks.org -- and thanks for listening!