You probably know Sesame Street as a fun, fast-paced show full of talking puppets, like Elmo and Big Bird. But it actually started as a huge experiment to see if TV could change kids’ lives for the better! Join Joy and co-host Truman as tell the tale of how Sesame Street came to be. It’s a wild story full of big gambles, creative ideas, haters and doubters! Along the way, they’ll help a very eager actor get ready for a big audition. Plus, a new First Things First featuring three iconic Sesame Street characters! 

This episode brought to you by Wondery. Follow 'Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast and unlock weekly Christmas mystery bonus content and listen to every episode ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

It’s the holiday season, which for Forever Ago host Joy Dolo means one thing: DEALS!  Help her check off her holiday shopping list with a game of First Things First, where she and co-host Petra guess the order three classic toys were invented in.

Black Friday is a huge shopping holiday in the U.S. that happens the day after Thanksgiving. There are tons of sales and sometimes people even wait for hours outside of stores to get the best deals! But where did this mega shopping day even come from? And what’s in it for the stores?

Forever Ago and Million Bazillion have teamed up to investigate! Join Joy Dolo and co-host Petra as they travel back in time to find out how Black Friday started. Then, join Million Bazillion’s hosts Bridget Bodnar and Ryan Perez at the mall to learn how stores come up with deals and what to watch out for when you’re shopping for holiday gifts. It’s an epic crossover episode you won’t want to miss!

This episode was sponsored by:
Greenlight - Help your kids learn to earn, save, spend wisely, and invest with Greenlight, the debit card and money app for teens. Visit Greenlight.com/inclined.

Gladiators were professional fighters who lived thousands of years ago in ancient Rome. But they weren't just fighters, they were also influencers who helped sell products and were hugely popular with fans.

Join Joy and co-host Juliette as they explore the history of these athletes – and learn how some of them tried to escape their lives of constant battle. They’ll hear the story of one of the most famous gladiators of all time, Spartacus, and the revolution he led. Plus, a sporty new First Things First!

Featured Expert:
Dr. Fiona Radford is a historian who specializes in ancient Rome. She also co-hosts The Partial Historians podcast.

This episode was sponsored by:
Greenlight - Help your kids learn to earn, save, spend wisely, and invest with Greenlight, the debit card and money app for teens. Visit Greenlight.com/inclined.

Goodie Witch Books - Combine the spirit of Halloween with the magic of giving with Goodie Witch!: Spreading the Magic of Kindness, available at Amazon.

Wild Interest: Let your kids' imaginations run wild and check out the new podcast Wild Interest wherever you get your podcasts. wildinterest.com

Tune in for a super special election day episode from our friends at The Ten News!

🗳️ It’s Election Day and Pamela is driving Ryan to the polls

🎙️Ten’ers Tupelo and Everrett have taken over the studio!

🤯 Get caught up on the key things to remember about today.

⁉️ Ten’er Alonso has an important question

🌐 And let’s not forget about the rest of the world. Ten News Correspondent Jamie looks at elections around the world.

About The Ten News:
The Ten News releases weekly 10 Things You Need to Know episodes on Thursdays and monthly Deep Dives. The episodes are packed full of news, stories, and fun for kids and their families.

Follow The Ten News wherever you listen to podcasts, and visit us online at www.thetennews.com to check out past episodes, sign up for news updates, and dive deeper into the world around you!

Happy April Fool’s Day! Just kidding, we know it’s October. But that doesn’t stop Joy from celebrating April Fool’s Day all year round — especially with lots of banana peels and whoopee cushions! Join Joy and co-host Michalea as they explore how the prankiest day of the year might’ve started. They’ll hear about some of the most epic pranks throughout history, from hot dog-flavored fizzy drinks to spaghetti-growing trees. Plus, Brains On! host Molly Bloom drops by to talk about how posting fake information online is bad news. And last but not least, another mischievous game of First Things First!

This episode was sponsored by:
Greenlight-Help your kids learn to earn, save, spend wisely, and invest with Greenlight, the debit card and money app for teens. Visit Greenlight.com/inclined.

Usually, bonus episodes like this are exclusively for Smarty Pass subscribers but this month we’re sharing them with all our listeners. If you like this bonus episode and want to hear fun games every month, plus ad-free episodes, sign up for Smarty Pass!

Forever Ago host Joy Dolo is producing the greatest film ever made: her life story! The only problem is her friend and script editor Molly Bloom has a few questions about Joy’s story. When did Joy graduate from college? When did she get glasses? When did she start performing improv? There’s only one real way to get to the answers Molly needs and that’s with a game of First Things First!

To get more bonus episodes like this every month, sign up for Smarty Pass at SmartyPass.org.

2024 is an election year, where Americans will vote for a new president. Join Joy and co-host to Em as they learn all about what it takes to be President, and hear about Shirley Chisholm, a trailblazer who was the first Black woman ever to run for the office. Plus, a brand new game of First Things First!

This episode was sponsored by:
Greenlight - Help your kids learn to earn, save, spend wisely, and invest with Greenlight, the debit card and money app for teens. Visit Greenlight.com/inclined.

Goodie Witch Books - Combine the spirit of Halloween with the magic of giving with Goodie Witch!: Spreading the Magic of Kindness, available at Amazon.

Joy’s ready for some Halloweeny fun, but her jack-o’-lantern pal Lionel wants to skip the whole thing. He doesn’t understand why carving pumpkins is such an important Halloween tradition! Why don’t we just paint faces on bananas and call it a day?Lucky for Lionel, Joy and co-host Baron are ready to explain the twisty history of jack-o’-lanterns! First, they’ll wade into the history of ignus fatuus, a mysterious blue light seen in bogs at night and the creepy myth it inspired! Then they’ll explore pumpkin pranks in early America and learn how carving pumpkins came to be associated with Halloween. All that, plus a sweet new First Things First featuring Halloween candy!

This episode was sponsored by:
Greenlight-Help your kids learn to earn, save, spend wisely, and invest with Greenlight, the debit card and money app for teens. Visit Greenlight.com/inclined.

Wild Interest-Let your kids' imaginations run wild and check out the new podcast Wild Interest wherever you get your podcasts. wildinterest.com.

Goodie Witch Books-Combine the spirit of Halloween with the magic of giving with Goodie Witch!: Spreading the Magic of Kindness, available at Amazon.

Joy has a top secret message to deliver. There’s just one problem– she’s locked outside without her computer or phone! How will she send her VERY important message?

Join Joy and co-host Cassandra as they explore the different ways people sent messages in the past, from smoke signals to trained pigeons. Plus, how the U.S. Postal Service started as a secret way to smack talk the British during the American Revolution. Signed, sealed, delivered, with a fresh round of First Things First!

Educators - Lesson Plan for Forever Ago - How did we send messages before cell phones? (Right Click to Download)

Today’s episode is sponsored by:

• Wild Interest - Let your kids' imaginations run wild and check out the new podcast Wild Interest wherever you get your podcasts. wildinterest.com
• Goodie Witch!: Spreading the Magic of Kindness - Combine the spirit of Halloween with the magic of giving with Goodie Witch!: Spreading the Magic of Kindness, available at Amazon.