Forget weather apps -- by looking and listening outside, how can you tell if it's going to rain? Perfect for staring out of car windows or finding a cozy space to draw, Andrew & Polly ask their friends from New Zealand to Arkansas all about the weather where they live. We learn about how the water cycle works by imagining ourselves as rain drops with Carie Fallwell from the Glazer Children's Museum in Tampa, Florida. We compose a storm of voices by sampling our incredible audience. We think about glaciers and droughts with hydrologist Dr. Jess Driscoll. And we put a tune to an age-old ques ..read more

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 ..read more

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 Ste ..read more

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 A ..read more

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 under ..read more

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 S ..read more

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 sha ..read more

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 D ..read more

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 ..read more

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 t ..read more