Kids on the Square®

Today we journey back to 1849, when there were over 3 million slaves living in the United States. Thousands of runaway slaves traveled the Underground Railroad to find their way to freedom. Along the way, many would find themselves at the home of William Still - an abolitionist in Philadelphia and and conductor of the Underground Railroad who helped over 600 slaves on their journey to freedom. His records were published in a book called The Underground Railroad Records, and this episode contains many direct quotes from this primary source document along with the stories of some of the slaves he met along the way. If you'd like to learn more and access free coloring pages, fun recipes, and other educational materials, please visit kidsonthesquare.com and check out the Resources for this episode. And if you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend!

On this special installment of "The Book Nook," we sit down to chat with Laura Joy Pewitt - author of the children's books Wally the Wayward Sea Turtle and Elsie Saves the Day!  In Wally the Wayward Sea Turtle, Wally has just hatched and must make his way to the ocean. The light of the moon on the water should guide his path straigh home. He becomes distracted by a light coming from the street.  Will he ever make it to his beautiful home in the ocean? In Elsie Saves the Day, we meet a family of birds that lives high in a tree.  Bo is very boastful, spending much of his time dreaming and bragging about the great flier he will become. In contrast, Elsie, a humble bird, practices her singing without fanfare.  One day, Bo's curiosity and daring get him into trouble, and he needs Elsie's help! To order your own copies of Wally the Wayward Sea Turtle and Elsie Saves the Day, visit laurajoypewitt.com!

With the end of summer approaching and school for many of us either back in session or about to start back up, we wanted to take a moment and look back and share one of the highlights of our summer! Enjoy these fun excerpts from our big Declaration 250 event at the American Mission® Center, along with some "woman-on-the-street" interviews with people at the event! We also have an interview with a couple of very cool kids who are working to get a bill known as the Butterfly Bill passed in their state legislature. To find out more about the Butterfly Bill and how you can help, click here!  If you'd like to watch the video of the Declaration 250 event in its entirety, you can find it here on The Public Square®'s YouTube page! If you'd like to learn more and access free coloring pages, fun recipes, and other educational materials, please visit kidsonthesquare.com and check out the Resources for this episode. And if you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend!

Happy Fourth of July! It's time for Alyssa is ready to give her opening speech for the 4th of July on the Square celebration, and Jake is ready to eat way too much pie during this year's pie eating contest. But while they enjoy all that their town's celebration has to offer, let's hope they take a minute to remember why they're celebrating in the first place! Join Alyssa and Jake as they return to some old friends from colonial America and meet another icon of American history - John Hancock! If you'd like to learn more and access free coloring pages, fun recipes, and other educational materials, please visit kidsonthesquare.com and check out the Resources for this episode. And if you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend!

Alyssa is working hard on her opening speech for the 4th of July on the Square celebration, but Jake isn't convinced that America's 250th is that big of a deal. It looks like it's time for Alyssa to bust out her notecards and show Jake just how cool the fight for independence really was! Join Alyssa and Jake as they experience colonial Philadelphia and meet the man who printed the first copies of the Declaration of Independence - John Dunlap! If you'd like to learn more and access free coloring pages, fun recipes, and other educational materials, please visit kidsonthesquare.com and check out the Resources for this episode. And if you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend!

On this special episode of Kids on the Square®, we are presenting part two of our new audiobook version of Sherry Eyssen's The Upside Down Forest!  All the animals of the forest find joy in doing what they do best. Their contentment is a blessing… until something turns everything upside-down! In this allegorical tale of the Gospel, Sherry Eyssen presents the message of hope to the young and young-at-heart. To order your own copy of The Upside Down Forest, visit thepublicsquare.com

On this special episode of Kids on the Square®, we are presenting part one of our new audiobook version of Sherry Eyssen's The Upside Down Forest!  All the animals of the forest find joy in doing what they do best. Their contentment is a blessing… until something turns everything upside-down! In this allegorical tale of the Gospel, Sherry Eyssen presents the message of hope to the young and young-at-heart. To order your own copy of The Upside Down Forest, visit thepublicsquare.com

G-Pa's story sbout the Wright Brothers continues as the family boards their plane for vacation! When we last left off, Orville and Wilbur Wright had just faced a crushing defeat with the crash of their glider at Kitty Hawk. Join Micah and Lexi as they find out how the Wright Brothers were able to overcome big challenges to achieve their dream of flight!  This episode also features a Book Nook interview with the late David McCullough, historian and two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Wright Brothers!  If you'd like to learn more and access free coloring pages, fun recipes, and other educational materials, please visit kidsonthesquare.com and check out the Resources for this episode. And if you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend!

There's nothing like flying to a family vacation... but you've got to make it through the airport first! Micah is feeling bored at the airport after being told to put his devices away, but can G-Pa keep the boredom at bay with a story about how the airplane was invented? Join Micah and his little sister Lexi as they learn about the pioneers of modern aviation - the Wright Brothers!  This episode also features a Book Nook interview with the late David McCullough, historian and two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Wright Brothers!  If you'd like to learn more and access free coloring pages, fun recipes, and other educational materials, please visit kidsonthesquare.com and check out the Resources for this episode. And if you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend!

Mrs. Sodecky's music class is preparing for the big Christmas concert. There's only one problem: her students do not know the song "Silent Night!" Let's all gather 'round to learn more about the history of this Christmas carol and the truth it holds.  If you'd like to learn more and access free coloring pages, fun recipes, and other educational materials, please visit kidsonthesquare.com and check out the Resources for this episode. And if you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend! And don't forget to listen to Part I and Part II of Christmas in America 1837, available now on The Public Square®!