Little Kids, Big Hearts

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