Little Kids, Big Hearts

Little Kids, Big Hearts has been nominated for Signal Awards in two categories: Culture, Belonging & Inclusion and Kids Episodes. There's a Listener's Choice vote now (until Thursday 10/15/26), and we are hoping that our loyal listeners could take a minute to show your ❤️podcast love❤️ by voting! 

The nominated episode is called "Who's in My Family?" Three kids (Georgia, Jaden, and Carmine) join host Todd Loyd to talk about family and help a Qook-a-lacka friend (played by the amazing Ryann Redmond) recognize what makes their Qook-a-lacka family uniquely amazing. 

Thank you to our amazing team and to all of our listeners across the US and globally — and to the small but mighty team who creates Little Kids, Big Hearts: host Todd Loyd, sound guru Ryan Marth, and the whole team at Sparkler Learning — the nonprofit organization that produces Little Kids, Big Hearts. 

Please take a moment to vote in the Listener's choice, once in each category! And share with others who love high-quality content for kids and families! Here are the links:

Kids Individual Episode: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/individual-episodes/genre/kids

Culture Belonging and Inclusion: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/individual-episodes/genre/culture-belonging-inclusion

You need to confirm your email address in order for your vote to count! 

THANK YOU! And let's keep growing those big hearts ❤️🥰 together!

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for our third Mixtape mashup!

Last week, Todd took us back to the beginning with songs from the first three seasons of the show, revisiting songs about siblings, identity, trying new things, pets, belonging, anger, and imagination. Now we're continuing that musical journey with seven more songs, each one connected to real conversations with kids and adventures in the Land of Qook-a-lackas.

This time, we're dreaming about the future, finding hope during big changes, discovering our own superpowers, setting boundaries, welcoming a new year, spreading kindness through our communities, and even helping a very wet cat get dry as we explored the magic of stories.

We'll travel from Dream Fest in the Land of Qook-a-lackas to conversations about moving and learning differences. We'll explore hopes and dreams, practice saying no when something doesn't feel right, discover how one small act of kindness can grow throughout an entire community, and finish with the story of Buttercup the cat.

These songs are little snapshots of the conversations we've had with so many incredible young people over the years, and together these two mixtape episodes celebrate the big ideas at the heart of Little Kids, Big Hearts: curiosity, kindness, empathy, imagination, connection, and the freedom to be exactly who you are.

Perfect for kids ages 3-11 and for listening together as a family.

Songs in This Episode:

🎶 "Dreamland" by Bill English from the Dreams and Nightmares episode

🎶 "A Little Bit Better" by Benjamin Weiner from the Moving Time episode (you'll hear Benjamin in the song, along with guest star Amir Arison, and the guest kids on the episode, Aurelia, Cris, and Henry)

🎶 "Super Super Power" by Benjamin Weiner, performed by Q. Smith — from the Learning Differences episode

🎶 "Under the New Moon" by Benjamin Weiner, performed by Jolly Abraham — from the Hopes and Dreams episode

🎶 "I've Got Boundaries" by Benjamin Weiner, performed by Michael Cruz Kayne from the Boundaries episode

🎶 "Spread the Love" by Bill English from the Cultivating Sweet Kindness episode

🎶 "The Cat Gets Wet" by Benjamin Weiner, performed by LKBH host Todd Loyd from the Magic of Stories episode

About Little Kids, Big Hearts:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is a social and emotional learning podcast where kids lead the conversation ❤️. Through real discussions, imaginative stories, songs, and Kidventures, children explore feelings, relationships, kindness, and what it means to care for others.

Subscribe, Rate, and Share:
If this episode resonated with your family, please subscribe, rate, and share the show. It helps other families discover Little Kids, Big Hearts.

🎧 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@littlekidsbighearts
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@littlekidsbighearts
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little_kids_big_hearts_podcast
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleKidsBigHeartsPodcast

Credits:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is hosted by Todd Loyd. It's produced by Julia Levy at Sparkler Learning, with support from Meaghan Penrod and Adrianna Arocho. Sound design and mixing by Ryan Marth. Special thanks to Noggin for their support and the song “Like Nobody Else” from the Big Heart Beats album.

🌈 Visit The Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast website:
https://playsparkler.org/podcast

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for Mixtape Vol. 2 of Little Kids, Big Hearts. 💕 🎶

After releasing our first musical mixtape featuring songs from the most recent seasons, Todd is now going all the way back to the beginning, digging into the songs from the first three seasons of the show. These are the songs that started it all: written specifically for the podcast and born from real conversations that kids had about siblings, identity, trying new things, pets, belonging, big feelings, and the power of imagination.

This is the first of two episodes covering those early seasons. Todd takes us from a flying station wagon full of siblings to a journey with Crayton the Dragon, who was learning how to fly. From puzzle pieces and eight billion ways to be, to furry friends who mean everything, to the feeling of finally belonging just as you are, to the reminder that feelings, all of them, are okay.

More mixtape fun is coming soon, with songs about dreams, moving, learning differences, community, and the magic of stories.

Perfect for kids ages 3-11 and for listening together as a family.

Songs in This Episode:

• "I'm Such a Lucky One" — Bill English — from the Let's Talk Siblings episode
• "Puzzle Pieces" — Benjamin Weiner — from the Celebrating Our Differences episode
• "Try" — Bill English — from the Trying New Things episode
• "Furry Friend" — Bill English — from the Everything Pets episode
• "Just As You Are" — Benjamin Weiner — from the We Belong episode
• "Feelings Are OK" — Bill English — from the Feeling Angry episode
• "You Can Use Your Imagination" — Benjamin Weiner, performed by Nadiyah Dorsey — from the Imagination Time episode

About Little Kids, Big Hearts:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is a social and emotional learning podcast where kids lead the conversation. Through real discussions, imaginative stories, songs, and Kidventures, children explore feelings, relationships, kindness, and what it means to care for others.

Subscribe, Rate, and Share:
If this episode resonated with your family, please subscribe, rate, and share the show. It helps other families discover Little Kids, Big Hearts.

🎧 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@littlekidsbighearts
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@littlekidsbighearts
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little_kids_big_hearts_podcast
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleKidsBigHeartsPodcast

Credits:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is hosted by Todd Loyd. Produced by Julia Levy at Sparkler Learning, with support from Meaghan Penrod and Adrianna Arocho. Sound design and mixing by Ryan Marth. Special thanks to Noggin for their support and the song “Like Nobody Else” from the Big Heart Beats album.

🌈 Visit The Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast website:
 https://playsparkler.org/podcast

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for the fourth episode in our mashup series, and maybe the most special one yet.

Over five seasons of Little Kids, Big Hearts, Todd and his kid guests have made their way to the Land of Qook-a-lackas in so many different ways! Todd has many favorites: A hot air balloon. A submarine. A rainbow flying bike. A 1984 Oldsmobile flying station wagon. The Qook-a-lacka Express train. A fleet of magical dolphins. A jump straight into the sky. A giant water slide. A magical fluffy cloud. A mountain climb. A science experiment that turns your whole body into particles. And finally, the light that lives inside of your chest.

In this "mindful moment mashup," Todd revisits each of his favorite journeys, one after another, all the deep breaths and the gummy bears, all the moments of arriving to a place that is a little magical. And when the final journey ends, Todd closes with a reflection on what all of it has really been about: the light that every child carries inside them, their curiosity, their imagination, their kindness, and their ability to see possibilities that grown-ups sometimes miss.

Perfect for kids ages 3-11 and for a quiet, cozy listening moment together as a family.

In This Episode, Listeners Will:

• Take fourteen journeys to the Land of Qook-a-lackas across five seasons
• Revisit some of their favorite mindful travel moments from the show
• Experience a calming, breath-centered listening episode from start to finish
• Hear Todd's closing reflection on what makes every child's light worth celebrating
• Be reminded that the light we carry inside us travels with us wherever we go

Grown-Ups, You Can Extend the Listening By:

• Asking your child: "Which journey would you most want to take to the land?"
• Trying a short breathing exercise together inspired by any journey in the episode
• Talking about what the light inside them looks like and what color they imagine it to be
• Going back to listen to a full Kidventure episode that features one of these journeys

About Little Kids, Big Hearts:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is a social and emotional learning podcast where kids lead the conversation. Through real discussions, imaginative stories, songs, and Kidventures, children explore feelings, relationships, kindness, and what it means to care for others.

Subscribe, Rate, and Share:
 If this episode resonated with your family, please subscribe, rate, and share the show. It helps other families discover Little Kids, Big Hearts.

🎧 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@littlekidsbighearts
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@littlekidsbighearts
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little_kids_big_hearts_podcast
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleKidsBigHeartsPodcast

Credits:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is hosted by Todd Loyd. It's produced by Julia Levy at Sparkler Learning, with support from Meaghan Penrod and Adrianna Arocho. Sound design and mixing by Ryan Marth. Special thanks to Noggin for their support and the song “Like Nobody Else” from the Big Heart Beats albu.

🌈 Visit The Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast website:
 https://playsparkler.org/podcast

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for something a little different on Little Kids, Big Hearts.

Today, Todd is taking us on a musical adventure through past seasons of original songs, every one of them inspired by the real conversations, feelings, and ideas that kids brought to this show. There is a song about family in all its forms. A song about making room at the table for everyone. A siblings song that started with kids talking honestly about towers and patience. A song written for a boy named Jack whose dad is far away. A song about playing together, a song about starting a new day fresh, a song about standing up when something feels unfair, and a song about gratitude.

Todd calls it a mixtape, which is exactly what it is. Whether you want to sing along, dance around, or just listen with your superpowered listening ears, there is something here for you. And if you hear a song you love, all the details are right here in the show notes.

Perfect for kids ages 3-11 and for listening together as a family.

Songs in This Episode:

• "I've Got My Family" — by Benjamin Weiner, which was first released on the episode "Song: "I've Got My Family" with Benjamin Weiner"
• "Room for You at the Table" — by Benjamin Weiner and Suzi Shelton, which is from the album "We're Friends Now," which was shared on the Little Kids, Big Hearts episode, "SONGS: Friendship Songs That’ll Make You Dance!"
• "That's What Big Brothers Are For" — by Christopher Burkholder, which was first released in the episode "Song 🎶: A Real Songwriter Talks & Sings About Siblings!"
• "I'll See You Then" — by Christopher Burkholder, which was first released in the episode "Interview: A Song About Missing Someone You Love!"
• "Together" — by Lance Horne, which was first released in the episode "Song & Interview: "Together" With Lance Horne"
• "Make the Morning Bright" — by Benjamin Weiner, which was first released in the episode "Operation Help Out Mission and Song" and was inspired by the episode "Big Hearts in Tough Times: LA Kids Discuss the Fires." 
• "When Something's Unfair" — by Benjamin Weiner and performed with Benjamin and Vella Lovell. It was first released in the episode "The Fairness Quest Mission & Song"
• "I'm Grateful" — by Benjamin Weiner, which was first released in the episode "Song & Interview: I’m Grateful by Benjamin Weiner"

About the Songwriters: 

🎵 Benjamin Weiner is a New York-based kids TV writer and composer whose work includes Dora, Dora: Say Hola to Adventure!, Bossy Bear, and Face's Music Party. A former classroom teacher, he brings both musicality and deep knowledge of how kids learn to everything he writes.

🎵 Christopher Burkholder is a singer-songwriter whose music is rooted in folk, jazz, and blues. He works alongside his family in their coffee business, Twin Valley Coffee, and has been writing and releasing music for over two decades.

🎵 Lance Horne is an Emmy Award-winning composer, pianist, singer, and music director who has collaborated with Alan Cumming, Rufus Wainwright, Kylie Minogue, the von Trapps, Ben Folds, Neil Gaiman, and Sesame Street, among many others. He has performed for President Obama and Queen Elizabeth and received the Jonathan Larsen Award in 2006.

About Little Kids, Big Hearts:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is a social and emotional learning podcast where kids lead the conversation. Through real discussions, imaginative stories, songs, and Kidventures, children explore feelings, relationships, kindness, and what it means to care for others.

Subscribe, Rate, and Share:
 If this episode resonated with your family, please subscribe, rate, and share the show. It helps other families discover Little Kids, Big Hearts.

🎧 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@littlekidsbighearts
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@littlekidsbighearts
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little_kids_big_hearts_podcast
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleKidsBigHeartsPodcast

Credits:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is hosted by Todd Loyd. It's produced by Julia Levy at Sparkler Learning, with support from Meaghan Penrod and Adrianna Arocho. Sound design and mixing by Ryan Marth. Special thanks to Noggin for their support and the song “Like Nobody Else” from the Big Heart Beats album.

🌈 Visit The Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast website:
 https://playsparkler.org/podcast

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for another special mashup episode of Little Kids, Big Hearts.

More than five years ago, the very first episode of this podcast was called What's in Your Heart? It was all about feelings, and one of the kids on that episode said something that has stayed with Todd ever since: "My heart feels all the feelings right now." Over the years, that idea has come up again and again, in Kidventures, in Missions, in Interviews, and in Storytimes. And in this episode, Todd strings those moments together into one warm, wide-ranging celebration of what it means to feel things.

There is anger that sounds like a tuba, heavy and hard to carry, rumbling through your whole body. There is the feeling of being happy and tired at the same time. There are kids feeling mad and sad when a sibling knocks over a Lego build, and kids feeling nervous and excited about dancing. There is Georgia feeling hungry and happy. There is Layla talking about the day she found out her dad had brain cancer and all the mixed emotions that came with it. And there is a very worried Qook-a-lacka named Quaslin, dealing with a gummy bear crop emergency.

Because feelings are simply a part of life. And they are part of what makes us who we are.

Perfect for kids ages 3-11 and for listening together as a family.

In This Episode, Listeners Will:

• Hear kids from across five seasons talk honestly about their feelings
• Discover that having more than one feeling at the same time is completely normal
• Learn what anger sounds like as a tuba, a drum, and a lion all at once
• Be reminded of some of their favorite Little Kids, Big Hearts moments
• Hear Todd's own popsicle stick jar activity from his nursery school classroom

Grown-Ups, You Can Extend the Listening By:

• Asking your child: "What feeling are you carrying around right now?"
• Trying the popsicle stick jar activity at home with jars labeled with different feelings
• Talking about a time you had two feelings at the exact same time and what that was like
• Reminding your child that feelings do not have to take turns, and that is okay

About Little Kids, Big Hearts:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is a social and emotional learning podcast where kids lead the conversation. Through real discussions, imaginative stories, songs, and Kidventures, children explore feelings, relationships, kindness, and what it means to care for others.

Subscribe, Rate, and Share:

If this episode resonated with your family, please subscribe, rate, and share the show. It helps other families discover Little Kids, Big Hearts.

🎧 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@littlekidsbighearts
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@littlekidsbighearts
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little_kids_big_hearts_podcast
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleKidsBigHeartsPodcast

Credits:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is hosted by Todd Loyd. It's produced by Julia Levy at Sparkler Learning, with support from Meaghan Penrod and Adrianna Arocho. Sound design and mixing by Ryan Marth. Special thanks to Noggin for their support and the song “Like Nobody Else” from the Big Heart Beats album.

🌈 Visit The Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast website:
 https://playsparkler.org/podcast

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for something a little different on Little Kids, Big Hearts.

As we bridge into a new season, Todd is pulling back the curtain on one of the most magical parts of every Kidventure and Storytime episode: the moment kids describe what the Qook-a-lackas and Qook-a-leekies looked like to them.

In the Land of Qook-a-lackas, the creatures there look different to every child who visits. Some have fur and spikes. Some have scales. Some change color depending on how they are feeling. And what each kid sees is shaped entirely by their own imagination. Over the past five seasons of the show, Todd has asked kids this question again and again, and the answers have been endlessly surprising. A panda. A hedgehog. A ginormous unicorn. A lavender dragon. A tiny purple troll from the movie Trolls. The bird on the Fruit Loops box. A creature with tie-dye fur, spikes, and an English flag printed on it.

This episode strings many of these moments together, with Todd reflecting on what it means that no two kids ever see quite the same thing: Because the way we view the world shapes what we see everywhere, not just in the land of Qook-a-lackas.

Perfect for kids ages 3-11 and for listening together as a family.

In This Episode, Listeners Will:

• Hear kids describe the Qook-a-lackas in their own words
• Discover just how wildly different two kids can imagine the same creature
• Be reminded that imagination is personal, specific, and worth paying attention to
• Catch up on some of their favorite moments from past episodes
• Be inspired to draw their own version of a Qook-a-lacka or Qook-a-leekie

Grown-Ups, You Can Extend the Listening By:

• Asking your child: "If you visited the Land of Qook-a-lackas, what do you think a Qook-a-lacka would look like to you?"
• Listening to a kidventure episode together, drawing the featured Qook-a-lacka, and comparing your versions
• Talking about how two people can experience the same thing differently and both be right
• Going back to listen to a full Kidventure or Storytime episode together and open up your imaginations!

About Little Kids, Big Hearts:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is a social and emotional learning podcast where kids lead the conversation. Through real discussions, imaginative stories, songs, and Kidventures, children explore feelings, relationships, kindness, and what it means to care for others.

Subscribe, Rate, and Share:
If this episode resonated with your family, please subscribe, rate, and share the show. It helps other families discover Little Kids, Big Hearts.

🎧 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@littlekidsbighearts
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@littlekidsbighearts
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little_kids_big_hearts_podcast
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleKidsBigHeartsPodcast

Credits:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is hosted by Todd Loyd. It's produced by Julia Levy at Sparkler Learning, with support from Meaghan Penrod and Adrianna Arocho. Sound design and mixing by Ryan Marth. Special thanks to Noggin for their support and the song “Like Nobody Else” from the Big Heart Beats album.

🌈 Visit The Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast website:
 https://playsparkler.org/podcast

Welcome friends! In this Interview episode, Todd is joined by pediatrician Dr. Zach Kircher and returning guest Carson, age seven, for a conversation all about what it's really like to go to the doctor.

Carson comes prepared with some great questions for Dr. Zach, including what a pediatrician does, why he wanted to become a doctor, how many years it takes to become one, and what he loves most about his job. Together, they talk about what happens during a regular checkup, why doctors want kids to ask questions, and how getting to know your doctor can help you feel more comfortable.

Dr. Zach also shares some helpful strategies for kids who feel nervous about going to the doctor, especially when it comes to shots and vaccines. From bringing a favorite stuffed animal or fidget toy to using distractions, asking questions, and making choices about where and when a shot happens, kids learn that they can have a voice in their own doctor's visits.

Perfect for kids ages 3 to 11 and for listening together as a family.

In This Episode, Kids Will:

• Learn what a pediatrician does and how they care for kids
• Discover what happens during a regular doctor's checkup
• Learn why it's important to ask questions about your body and health
• Discover ways to feel more comfortable when visiting the doctor
• Learn strategies for handling nerves around shots and vaccines
• Be reminded that it's okay to tell a doctor when you're feeling scared or worried
• Hear why being brave can mean asking questions and taking things one step at a time

Grown-Ups, You Can Extend the Listening By:

• Asking your child: "What is something you would want to know before going to the doctor?"
• Talking about what usually happens during your child's checkups so they know what to expect
• Asking your child what they would like to bring with them to help them feel comfortable
• Practicing telling a doctor or nurse, "I'm feeling nervous," or "Can you tell me what you're going to do?"
• Reminding your child that asking questions is always okay when they don't understand something about their health

Dr. Zach Kircher is a pediatrician who works in Hartford, Connecticut. He knew he wanted to become a "baby doctor" when he was just four years old, inspired in part by his mother, a preschool teacher, and by his own relationship with his pediatrician. He loves getting to know his patients and families, watching kids grow up, and helping children feel better when they're sick.

About Little Kids, Big Hearts:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is a social and emotional learning podcast where kids lead the conversation. Through real discussions, imaginative stories, songs, and Kidventures, children explore feelings, relationships, kindness, and what it means to care for others.

Subscribe, Rate, and Share:
 If this episode resonated with your family, please subscribe, rate, and share the show. It helps other families discover Little Kids, Big Hearts.

🎧 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@littlekidsbighearts
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@littlekidsbighearts
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little_kids_big_hearts_podcast
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleKidsBigHeartsPodcast

Credits:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is hosted by Todd Loyd. Its produced by Julia Levy at Sparkler Learning, with support from Meaghan Penrod and Adrianna Arocho. Sound design and mixing by Ryan Marth. Special thanks to Noggin for their support and the song “Like Nobody Else” from The Big Heart Beats album.

🌈 Visit The Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast website:
 https://playsparkler.org/podcast

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for a brand new Storytime episode of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast, continuing this month's theme all about doctors.

In this episode, Todd, Vivien, and Orli bring an original story to life set in the Land of Qook-a-lackas.

The story follows Quarin, a young Qook-a-leekie who loves collecting interesting things: pebbles that look like smiling quiddleberries, feathers shaped like question marks, heart-shaped leaves. One afternoon while exploring a quiet new part of the land, Quarin steps on something near a patch of glowing moss. One quick poke, nothing visible, so Quarin shrugs and carries on. But the foot keeps hurting, and the next morning it is time to visit the Land's Healer.

Quarin's imagination gets immediately and dramatically busy. Giant tweezers. A super villain cape. A very bad time.

What actually happens is something different. The Land's Healer asks questions, listens carefully, uses a magnifying leaf and a listening shell, and treats the whole thing like a mystery to solve. By the end, Quarin has a new word for what healers do: they are detectives.

Featuring returning kid guest Vivien who is 7 years old and plays Quarin, and Orli, an educator who is Todd’s teaching partner in New York City playing the roles of Quorley and the Land’s Healer.

Perfect for kids ages 3-11, especially any kid with a checkup or appointment coming up soon.

In This Episode, Kids Will:

• Travel to the Land of Qook-a-lackas for an original story about visiting the healer
• Meet Quarin, whose imagination turns tiny tweezers into a giant super villain
• Discover that healers ask questions and gather clues, just like detectives
• Learn that sometimes our worries grow much bigger than the thing we are actually worried about
• Hear a story that makes doctor visits feel a little more familiar and a lot less scary

Grown-Ups, You Can Extend the Storytime By:

• Asking your child: "What do you think doctors are trying to figure out when they ask you questions?"
• Talking through what tools a doctor might use before an upcoming visit
• Acknowledging that it is completely normal for imaginations to make things scarier than they are
• Reminding your child that it is always okay to ask questions and to hold someone's hand

About Little Kids, Big Hearts:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is a social and emotional learning podcast where kids lead the conversation. Through real discussions, imaginative stories, songs, and Kidventures, children explore feelings, relationships, kindness, and what it means to care for others.

Subscribe, Rate, and Share:
 If this episode resonated with your family, please subscribe, rate, and share the show. It helps other families discover Little Kids, Big Hearts.

🎧 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@littlekidsbighearts
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@littlekidsbighearts
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little_kids_big_hearts_podcast
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleKidsBigHeartsPodcast

Credits:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is hosted by Todd Loyd. It's produced by Julia Levy at Sparkler Learning, with support from Meaghan Penrod and Adrianna Arocho. Sound design and mixing by Ryan Marth. Special thanks to Noggin for their support and the song “Like Nobody Else” from the Big Heart Beats album.

🌈 Visit The Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast website:
 https://playsparkler.org/podcast

Welcome friends! We're so glad you're joining us for a brand new Mission episode of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast, continuing this month's theme all about going to the doctor.

In this episode, Todd is joined by co-host Georgia, fresh from a visit to Florida and about to head to Portugal, for a warm and honest conversation about going to the doctor. Georgia talks about getting her blood drawn and watching the whole thing because she was too curious not to, about shots and how the memory can feel worse than the actual thing, and about the time she went down the biggest water slide at a water park even though she was scared, because being brave does not mean you are never scared.

They also check in on some ideas from Carson in the Kidventure episode, share their own strategies for taking the worry off, and Georgia adds a second mission of her own.

This month kids get two missions: create your Doctor Superpower Plan with three or four things that help you feel brave and calm at the doctor's office, and then Georgia's mission: find a kid who has a big appointment coming up and help them feel less nervous.

Perfect for kids ages 3-11 and for listening together as a family.

In This Episode, Kids Will:

• Hear Georgia talk honestly about getting blood drawn, shots, and feeling nervous before appointments
• Learn that the memory of something scary can feel bigger than the thing itself
• Discover that bravery means doing something even when you feel scared, not waiting until you feel ready
• Collect ideas for their own Doctor Superpower Plan including stuffies, fidget spinners, deep breaths, and holding a hand
• Get two missions: one for themselves and one to help someone else

Grown-Ups, You Can Extend the Mission By:

• Asking your child: "What would go in your Doctor Superpower Plan?"
• Talking about an upcoming appointment before you go in honest, age-appropriate language
• Asking your child if there is a friend they could help feel brave 
• Sharing a time you felt scared but did something anyway, just like Georgia on the water slide
• Reminding your child that questions are always okay to ask at the doctor's office

About Little Kids, Big Hearts:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is a social and emotional learning podcast where kids lead the conversation. Through real discussions, imaginative stories, songs, and Kidventures, children explore feelings, relationships, kindness, and what it means to care for others.

Subscribe, Rate, and Share:
If this episode resonated with your family, please subscribe, rate, and share the show. It helps other families discover Little Kids, Big Hearts.

🎧 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@littlekidsbighearts
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@littlekidsbighearts
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little_kids_big_hearts_podcast
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleKidsBigHeartsPodcast

Credits:
Little Kids, Big Hearts is hosted by Todd Loyd. It's produced by Julia Levy at Sparkler Learning, with support from Meaghan Penrod and Adrianna Arocho. Sound design and mixing by Ryan Marth. Special thanks to Noggin for their support and the song “Like Nobody Else” from the Big Heart Beats Album.

🌈 Visit The Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast website:
 https://playsparkler.org/podcast