Hey listeners! You’re probably wondering where we’ve been. We had to end our summer season a little early because Sloane and I both got really sick—two weeks without a voice (that’s called laryngitis!) plus high fevers making us feel terrible plus a bad cough that just wouldn't go away meant no recording.

But don’t worry—those last two planned episodes will be back in Season 3! 🎉 New episodes start September 19 with fun topics like bones, lots of listener questions, and the much-requested Crazy Stories from the Emergency Room!

In the meantime, follow us on Instagram and Facebook @whatshappeninginsideme, visit our website HERE for free activity pages, and send us your questions about what’s happening inside YOU—we just might feature them in an episode.

Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you September 19!

This week, we’re diving even deeper into the ear! In this second part of our ear adventure, Audra and Sloane explore ear infections—and what happens when you get those little ear tubes some kids need to help!

We’ll talk about:
👂 Swimmer’s ear vs. middle ear infections
🦠 What causes all that pressure and pain
🧫 How doctors figure out what’s going on
🧴 How medicine or ear drops help
🔊 And of course—ear tubes! What they are, why some kids get them, and how they help keep ears healthy and clear.

If your child has had ear infections (or ear tubes!), this episode will help them understand what’s happening inside—and take some of the fear or mystery out of it.

✨ Perfect for curious kids ages 4–12
🎒 Great resource for school nurses and pediatric offices
🎨 Free coloring pages and activity sheets at WHIMpodcast.com
📱 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.
🔍 Just search: What’s Happening Inside Me?

🎧 No New Episode This Week — But Come See Us in Person!

Stay in touch on our website HERE

We’re taking a short break from new episodes this week, but for a good reason — we’re getting ready for TWO fun family events happening this Saturday, July 19th in the Pittsburgh area!

🎉 Come meet us, spin the prize wheel, enter a raffle to be on the show, and grab some free WHIM podcast goodies!

🕛 Event #1: Macaroni Kid’s Party Palooza
📍 Dave & Buster’s, The Waterfront
⏰ 12–3 PM
🎈 Stop by our table and say hi!

🎂 Event #2: Birthday Toy Drive Party
📍 Trace Brewing, Bloomfield
⏰ 2–4 PM
🍦 Free to attend! Includes ice cream, mini golf, music, photo ops & more!

We'll be back next week with the next part of our Ear series — including why we get ear infections and what’s happening inside your ear when one strikes. 👂🦠 Until then… stay curious, and keep wondering What’s Happening Inside Me? 💡

Click HERE for free downloadable pages to go with this episode

🎧 Episode Title: How Do Ears Work? A Journey Into Hearing! 

🧠 Episode Summary:
In this episode of What’s Happening Inside Me?, Sloane has a big question after dealing with an ear infection: What’s actually going on inside our ears? Why do kids get ear infections? What is an eardrum? How do we hear sounds? Join us for a fun, kid-friendly adventure into the science of hearing, the anatomy of the ear, and the journey sound waves take from your ears to your brain.

👂 We'll explore:

• The external ear, ear canal, and tympanic membrane
• The middle ear and its ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes)
• How the cochlea and auditory nerve help us hear
• What those funny words like Eustachian tube, cartilage, and sound waves really mean
• Plus, the surprising way your brain “reads” sound like a text message!

Perfect for curious kids, classroom listening, or road-trip learning — with lots of laughs and surprising facts that’ll make kids say “What?!” 

📌 Free Learning Pages
Download free activity pages and coloring sheets that go along with this episode at WHIMpodcast.com 🎙️ Listen now on your favorite podcast app — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or anywhere you get your podcasts! 🧡 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share with your favorite little learners!

Got questions? We’ve got answers! In this special “Questions from Listeners” episode, Sloane and Audra tackle some curious questions sent in by real kids just like you! 🩸 How much blood is actually in our bodies?

🟥 Why is blood red?
🔵 And wait… if blood is red, why do veins look blue??

We’ll talk about the science of blood, a little light magic (aka optics!), and why your skin plays a trick on your eyes when you look at your veins. As always, it’s silly, smart, and packed with kid-friendly facts! Perfect for curious kids ages 4–12

💡 Fun science
😂 Kid questions
❤️ New here? Don’t forget to check out our free printables at WHIMpodcast.com!

Get ready to go on a potty-powered adventure! In this episode of What’s Happening Inside Me?, we’re flushing out all the facts about pee (urine) — what it is, why we make it, and how it leaves the body! 💦

Join Audra and Sloane as they explore your body’s amazing urinary system, following the journey from your blood to the bathroom! You’ll learn about:
🧽 How your kidneys act like filters, cleaning your blood
🌊 How pee travels through ureters, into your bladder, and out through the urethra
⚗️ What pee is made of (hint: it’s more than just water!)

Whether your kid is curious about the bathroom or just loves learning how their body works, this episode makes understanding the science of pee silly, smart, and super fun!
💡 Perfect for curious kids ages 4-12, parents, teachers, and school nurses looking to teach basic biology in a way that makes kids laugh and learn.

✨ Be sure to grab your FREE printable activity pages for this episode at WHIMpodcast.com — great for coloring and learning along with the show!

In this episode, your child will discover:
✅ What pee is made of
✅ How kidneys clean the blood
✅ What the bladder does
✅ How the urinary system keeps your body balanced 

What’s Happening Inside Me podcast Links & Resources:
🎨 Free printable activity pages: WHIMpodcast.com
📱 Follow us on Instagram: @whatshappeninginsideme
💌 Sign up to get freebies and new episodes delivered to your inbox!

Love this episode?
Subscribe and leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review — it helps more curious kids (and their grown-ups) discover the magic of how their bodies work!

CLICK HERE to join our mailing list for free printables and activites to go along with the episode 

Get ready to keep the blood adventure going in this brand-new episode of What’s Happening Inside Me?! 

🩸 This time, Audra and Sloane are diving into the amazing highways and roads of the body — your blood vessels! Find out how blood travels to every tiny part of your body and what happens when you get a cut, scrape, or bruise!

You'll learn about:
🔴 Arteries — the big blood highways that carry fresh, oxygen-filled blood from your heart 🚗❤️
🔵 Veins — the return routes that bring blood back to the heart 🚙💙
🟡 Capillaries — the tiny, twisty roads where the real action happens — these are the places where oxygen, nutrients, and waste are exchanged!

🌟 But what happens when you fall down, get a scrape, or bump your knee?

We explain:
🩸 Why you bleed when you get a cut — and where that blood is coming from
💥 What’s really going on under your skin when you get a bruise (spoiler: it’s blood escaping into the tissues!)
🤯 Why bruises change color as they heal over time

By the end of this episode, your kids will know:
✅ The different types of blood vessels and their jobs
✅ What capillaries do (and why they’re SO important!)
✅ Why we bleed from cuts and how bruises form under the skin

💡 Perfect for curious kids ages 4-12, parents, teachers, homeschoolers, and school nurses who want to make human body science fun and easy to understand!

✨ Don’t forget to grab your FREE activity pages for this episode at WHIMpodcast.com — print, color, and learn along with us! 

Fun science podcast for kids Links & Resources:
🎨 Free printable activity pages: WHIMpodcast.com
📱 Follow us on Instagram: @whatshappeninginsideme
💌 Sign up for freebies and new episode alerts!

Love what you learned?
Make sure to subscribe and leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review — so more curious kids can join the fun and learn what’s happening inside them!

CLICK HERE for fun freebies and activities that go along with the episode

Welcome back to What’s Happening Inside Me? — the fun, kid-friendly podcast where we explore the amazing human body! Season 2 kicks off with a spooktacular episode all about blood — and what better way to learn than by making a pretend bowl of “Vampire Soup”? 🧛‍♂️🍲

In this episode, Audra and Sloane mix up a silly (but super scientific) soup to teach kids the important components of blood — including:
🔴 Red blood cells (carrying oxygen to your body!)
⚪ White blood cells (the brave defenders that fight germs!)
💧 Plasma (the liquid that keeps everything flowing!)
🩹 Platelets (the helpers that stop bleeding!)

By the end, your little scientists will understand why blood is so important and what makes up this incredible "vampire soup" inside us all.
💡 Perfect for curious kids ages 4-12, parents, teachers, and school nurses looking for fun and educational ways to explain the body!
✨ Don’t forget to download the FREE activity pages that go along with this episode at WHIMpodcast.com — your kids can color, learn, and explore as they listen!

In this episode, your kids will learn:
✅ What blood is made of
✅ Why blood is so important
✅ How each part of blood has a special job
✅ Fun facts that make science exciting and easy to understand 

 Resources:
🎨 Free printable activity pages: WHIMpodcast.com
📱 Follow us on Instagram: @WhatsHappeningInsideMe

Love learning about the body with us? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review to help other families discover the What’s Happening Inside Me? podcast!

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We're excited to be partnering with Macaroni Kid Pittsburgh!  Meet with the coolest party and kid-related vendors and food trucks in Pittsburgh to help you plan the perfect birthday party or celebration for your kids, no matter their age or interest. You will find everything you need at this one-stop shop to book your next celebration, including exclusive savings and amazing giveaways! Bring the whole family to Dave & Buster's Homestead; located at 180 E Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA on July 19th, 2025 from 12-3 pm. Check out Southhills.macaronikid.com for more information!

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We are now partnering with Birthday Toy Drive!  Join the Birthday Toy Drive in making a difference! Since 2016, the Birthday Toy Drive has collected over 1,550 toys, books, and art supplies for children and families, while also raising funds for The Children's Home of Pittsburgh. The 8th Annual Birthday Toy Drive runs from May 1st to July 19th, culminating in a celebration at Trace Brewing in Bloomfield on July 19th at 2 PM. Enjoy FREE ice cream, music, activities, and more! Bring the family, give back, and be part of something special. Learn more at BirthdayToyDrive.Fun!

🎉 Season Wrap-Up! What’s Next for What’s Happening Inside Me? 🎉We did it! In this special episode, we're wrapping up our very first mini season of What’s Happening Inside Me?—and what a ride it’s been! With 6 amazing core episodes, a bonus guest interview, and a super fun Q&A episode with questions from YOU, we’re celebrating everything we learned, laughed about, and loved. 💛✨ Here’s what’s inside this episode:

• A HUGE thank you for supporting our first season 🙌
• A sneak peek at what’s coming in Season 2 (hint: blood! ears! bones! pee!) 🩸👂🦴💦
• A teaser for our upcoming “Crazy Stories from the ER” episode 😱
• Info on our shiny new website (launching soon at WHIMpodcast.com)
• Details on how YOU can send us your questions—now and anytime!
• Where to follow us so you don’t miss a beat 📱

🎧 New episodes return June 13, so mark your calendar and get ready for even more fun, fascinating, and gross (in the best way) adventures inside the human body!💌 Got a question you’re bursting to ask? Email us at [email protected] or submit it soon on our website!🖍️ Don’t forget—WHIMpodcast.com will also have coloring pages, vocab practice, word searches, and other fun freebies to keep the learning going even during our break!🔗 Follow along:
 📘 Facebook: What’s Happening Inside Me?
📸 Instagram: @emergencymedicinemamaThanks for being part of our amazing first season—we’ll see you June 13th! 💥

🎙️ NEW EPISODE: Autism Acceptance Month Special — Meet Our First Guest!

In this special episode of What's Happening Inside Me?, we're celebrating Autism Acceptance Month with our very first guest interview!Join us as we chat with Jill Calkins, a first-grade teacher and proud mom of an autistic son, who helps us understand what autism is and how we can be great friends to people whose brains work a little differently.Perfect for kids ages 4–12 (and their grown-ups!), this episode explores:

• What autism means in a kid-friendly way
• How to be kind, inclusive, and curious
• Real questions from real kids—answered!

If you're a parent, teacher, school nurse, or caregiver looking for resources to talk to children about autism, this episode is a great place to start.👂 Tune in and learn how curiosity and kindness can help us build a more accepting world—one question at a time!💙 Be sure to like, follow, and subscribe so you never miss an episode—and if you loved this one, share it with a friend or family member who has an autistic child or knows someone who does (which is probably just about everyone!). The more we share, the more kindness we spread.

Jill Calkins, a married mother of two, resides in Upper St. Clair, PA. For the past fifteen years, Jill has been a first-grade teacher in the South Hills of Pittsburgh.  Before her teaching career, Jill worked at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in various roles including researcher, therapist, and case manager.  Jill's 8-year-old son, Benny, is autistic, and Jill serves on the board of the Autism Caring Center, a local organization focused on enhancing the lives of autistic individuals and their families. She is dedicated to fostering a kinder, more inclusive, and more accepting world for autistic people.

We are excited to be partnering with the Birthday Toy Drive!  Join the Birthday Toy Drive in making a difference! Since 2016, the Birthday Toy Drive has collected over 1,550 toys, books, and art supplies for children and families, while also raising funds for The Children's Home of Pittsburgh. The 8th Annual Birthday Toy Drive runs from May 1st to July 19th, culminating in a celebration at Trace Brewing in Bloomfield on July 19th at 2 PM. Enjoy FREE ice cream, music, activities, and more! Bring the family, give back, and be part of something special. Learn more at BirthdayToyDrive.Fun!