Little Kids, Big Hearts

Fairness has played a pivotal role throughout history, with the pursuit of equality and justice helping to shape the world that we live in today. Fairness also plays out in our everyday lives and in the lives of children as they grapple with real-life moments that feel “unfair.” "Fairness" in the context of social and emotional development refers to a child's growing ability to treat others equitably and considering the needs and perspectives of others. The idea of “fairness” pops up in things like taking turns, sharing, and making decisions.

In this episode, three 6-8 year old children...

Last week, we joined with three kids — Roxy, Everly, and Charlie — who helped us explore the big idea of gratitude. 

Now, in this special new episode, our friend Benjamin Weiner, an educator and musician, shares the brand new song he created based on the words about gratitude that the children shared in "Gratitude PowerUp." 

Host Todd Loyd chats with Benjamin about his process and inspiration ... and then we hear the new song, "I'm Grateful." 

Benjamin taught young children in Brooklyn for a decade before becoming a full time writer and composer. Based in Brookly...

Gratitude can be a big, abstract idea for most young children — but it is important! Feeling grateful can help to foster emotional wellbeing and resilience; it can reduce stress and anxiety, improve relationships, and promote a sense of belonging.

Welcome to Season 4 of Little Kids, Big Hearts! We are SO excited to spend more time with you exploring important themes related to children's social and emotional development. 

In this new episode of Little Kids, Big Hearts, three children (Charlie, Roxy, and Everly) discuss gratitude and what gratitude feels like. They then journey to the Land of...

In this special interview episode, host Todd Loyd interviews another Todd — the legendary author/illustrator of more than 50 children's books TODD PARR. 

Todd Parr is a three-time New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of more than 50 books for children, including The Thankful Book, The Earth Book and The I LOVE YOU Book, as well as The Kindness Book and the recently released The Spring Book and The Activity Book, all from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 

He has inspired and empowered children around the world with simple, hopeful and powerful messages such as “be kin...

Stories are magical! They are gateways to new people, places, and ideas ... and they help children to build empathy and understanding — allowing them to see the world from different perspectives. As kids step into the roles of different characters, they gain insights into emotions, relationships, and the diverse experiences that make up our shared world. This helps them grow into compassionate and thoughtful individuals! Stories also have MANY other amazing powers — like helping children build language and literacy skills and helping to grow the bond between parents and children.

In this episode of Little Kids, Big Hearts — The Mag...

In this episode three children, Donovan, Layla, and Ruby, explore the idea of resilience — being able to move through the hard things we face and bounce back or recover afterward. They share times they have had to practice resilience, and then they help a Link-a-deedle friend, LaLeek, who lives in the Land of Qook-a-lackas, learn about resilience. 

The guest star in this episode is Marc Grapey, an actor, director, writer and producer, with credits on stage, as well as in movies and TV. Marc has been a fixture of the Chicago Theatre community for the last 25 years, oft...

During the most recent episode of Little Kids, Big Hearts, "Celebrating Learning Differences with Q. Smith," one of our kid guests, Oliver, mentioned how meaningful it was to him to see How to Dance in Ohio on Broadway. How to Dance in Ohio is a new musical based on a true story about Dr. Emilio Amigo helping a group of autistic high school students prepare for a formal end-of-year dance.

In this special interview, Oliver joins Little Kids, Big Hearts host Todd Loyd to interview Caesar Samayoa, who played the role of Dr. Amigo in the Broadway...

In the United States, about 15% of students receive special education or related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Learning differences aren’t all alike, but they can all affect how people process, store, and retrieve information — and they can have an impact on many parts of life, from learning to memory to how people express themselves and how people develop relationships with one another.

In this episode, Todd talks with four children — Reese, Willa-Kate, Oliver, and Alessio — all of whom have diagnosed learning differences. They share their experiences and feelings related to their learning differen...

Taking responsibility is an important part of social and emotional learning. When children take responsibility for their words and actions, acknowledge their mistakes, and help others in their community, they are building empathy, independence, and other important skills. 

In this episode, three children (Leo, Edie, and Aiden) talk about responsibility and then help Quazzilyn (a Qook-a-lacka friend) to rally the Qook-a-lackas to take responsibility and save their gummy bear crops!

The guest star in this episode is Natalie Gold, an actress who has appeared in film, television, and stage productions. She's currently playing Rachael in A...

What do you do when you're feeling angry or sad, or when you're facing something new and scary? In this special episode — which is reimagined and reworked from a Season 1 episode of Little Kids, Big Hearts — Todd and his puppet friend Rainbow join four kids (Anaya, Eleanor, Raffaele, and Wilder) to explore big feelings, where they come from, and what to do with them. 

At the end of the episode, dance along to "Dance Your Feelings," an original song written and performed by educator/composer/performer extraordinaire Benjamin Weiner. 

The new sound design and mixing is by A...

Grandparents, or older friends and family members, can play pivotal roles in children's lives, acting as caregivers, mentors, and friends. Whether grandparents live in a child’s neighborhood or far away, the love and emotional support they provide can significantly contribute to the healthy social and emotional growth of their grandchildren.

In this episode, Todd interviews his own 96-year-old grandmother, as well as his sister and niece about their family memories and relationships. He then chats with two other grandparent-grandkid duos: Brenda and her granddaughter Kailah, followed by Marvin and his granddaughter Melanie. 

Sound design and...

Last week, we released an episode about BOUNDARIES — the limits and rules we set for ourselves within relationships. Today, we're excited to release a bonus interview with the guest stars of the episode, Ana Cruz Kayne and Michael Cruz Kayne. Ana and Michael are siblings in real life ... so they know A LOT about the topic of boundaries. 

Ana is an actress and writer, known for her performances in Barbie (2023), Little Women (2019), Jerry & Marge Go Large (2022), Painkiller (TV 2023), and Another Earth (2011). Michael is a Peabody and WGA Award winner, and a four-time Emmy nominee. He is currently a w...

Helping children establish boundaries is important for developing friendships and maintaining positive social interactions. Boundaries help people set limits for themselves and honor limits set by others.

In "Boundaries," three eight- and nine-year-old kids (Olivia, Izzy, and Wynter) define and discuss boundaries and help Qook-a-leekie and Link-a-deedle friends learn the importance of boundaries. They discover that understanding someone else’s boundaries requires empathy, the ability to recognize others’ feelings...and that takes practice. 

The role of  Qwee-vee the Qook-a-leekie is played by Ana Cruz Kayne and the role of Lexton the Link-a-deedle is played by Michae...

In "Hopes & Dreams," three kids (Levi, Christine, and Ariel) reflect on the new things we have learned, the friendships we have formed, and the challenges we have faced in the past year — and what we are excited to learn and do in the year ahead. The children also discuss the concept of "letting go" of the feelings and experiences that we don't wish to carry with us into the new year.

The kids and host Todd Loyd travel on giant snowflakes to the Land of Qook-a-lackas where they meet Todd's Qook-a-lacka friend Qweston, played by Jolly Abraham, an...

On last week's episode, we explored "Belonging" — being who you are and being accepted and embraced for who you are.

In this special bonus interview, we continue to explore this idea. Little Kids, Big Hearts host Todd Loyd interviews hip-hop pioneer Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, an American rapper and founding member of Run DMC. In addition to winning many awards and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2009), Darryl recently wrote a children's book, "Darryl's Dream" (2022) about his experience as a third grader, embracing his creativity and confidence and finding his voice. It's all about th...

Belonging — being who you are and being accepted and embraced for who you are — is important for children and for all people.

In this episode four kids (Providence, River, Valencia, and Yonatan) discuss what it means to belong — and how to grow feelings of belonging. The kids and Todd then go on an imaginary journey to the Land of Qook-a-lackas, where they meet with a Qook-a-lacka named Quinnie, who needs help figuring out how to help the Link-a-doos, who are coming to the Land as refugees after a superstorm hit their Island. 

On this episode, the rol...

On last week's episode, "Imagination Time!," we flexed our imagination muscles with three kids — Shaelan, Sameia and Hunter. After recording, our host — Todd Loyd — was lucky to explore the power of imagination with Antoinette Portis, the award winning author/illustrator of "Not a Box" and many other modern classics in children's picture books. 

This conversation with Antoinette will help parents and caregivers learn more about where imagination and inspiration come from. It will help them think about how to learn FROM kids about using their imaginations to change the world. 

This season, in addition to our regu...

Using our imaginations might seem like a basic part of childhood, but imagination plays an important role in childhood and in life: it builds creativity and independence, social and problem-solving skills, teamwork and empathy. 

In this episode — the first in Season 3! — three kids (Shaelan, Sameia and Hunter) discuss the power of imagination with host Todd Loyd. Then they journey together to the Land of Qook-a-lackas at the invitation of the Qook-a-lacka Mayor, who needs help imagining a new playground for the Qook-a-leekies. 

On this episode, the role of the Mayor is played by Nadiyah Dorsey, a vete...

In honor of World Mental Health Day, we wanted to share the visualization and song that Quinlan shared in the Land of Qook-a-lackas during our August episode, "The Key to Calming Down." Research shows that techniques like what we practiced in the Land help to promote mental health, and we wanted to share this special visualization so that your family can use it to feel calm, safe, and peaceful. 

The role of Quinlan is played by Rebecca Naomi Jones, an American actress and singer best known for her performances in the Broadway rock musicals Passing S...

Little Kids, Big Hearts just became a finalist in the Signal Awards! Before Oct. 5, you — OUR LISTENERS — can do us a BIG (and big hearted ❤️) favor by voting for us in the Signal Listener's Choice Awards. It's easy: Just click here and vote for Little Kids, Big Hearts. We're honored to be picked from 1000s of podcasts to be a finalist — and to be in such amazing company!

The episode that was selected by the Signal jury as a finalist was our episode about trying new things. Have a listen...and then — if you love it as much as we do...

In "The Key to Calming Down," three kids (Charlie, Katrina, and Sienna) join Todd to share tips and tricks they use to calm down — which come in handy when they're experiencing big feelings. The kids and Todd then take a journey to the Land of Qook-a-lakcas to visit Todd's friend Quinlan who invited the group to become the first humans ever to attend Camp Quinder-Calm!

The role of Quinlan is played by Rebecca Naomi Jones, an American actress and singer best known for her performances in the Broadway rock musicals Passing Strange, American Idiot, and Hedwig and th...

In "Moving Time," three kids with significant experience moving from country to country and home to home — Aurelia, Cris, and Henry — join host Todd Loyd to discuss their moves and to share some of the feelings they had before, during, and after moving. The kids and Todd then go on a journey to the Land of Qook-a-lackas to help a Qook-a-lacka friend, Kahmar, who's worried about how their Qook-a-leekies will cope with a big upcoming move. 

The role of Kahmar is played by Amir Arison, an American actor, director, and producer, best known for his work as FBI t...

In "Winning & Losing," three kids who know a lot about winning and losing — Aiden (a chess player), Eliza (a soccer player), and Willa (a gymnast) — join host Todd Loyd to discuss winning and losing and to go on a journey to the Land of Qook-a-lackas to help a qook-a-leekie, Quinby, rethink a recent run of quibble losses. 

The role of Quinby is played by Bridget Regan, an actor and producer.  Her film credits include John Wick with Keanu Reeves, Devil’s Gate opposite Milo Ventimiglia, HBO’s The Leisure Class, The Best and the Brightest alongside Neal Patrick Ha...

In this episode, four seven- and eight-year-old kids ( Evelyn, Ella, Chelsea, and Eliot) join Todd to discuss their best fur-riends: their pets! How do we care for our pets? How do pets make us feel? What do we learn from our pets? They then go on a journey to the Land of Qook-a-lackas, where they help a Qook-a-leekie, Quillion, who has lost their pet Quigley. 

The role of Quillion is played by Ashlie Atkinson, an American actress who works in movies, television, and theater.  She has a LONG list of credits including Peaches in the Netflix film Ju...

In our episode "Celebrating Our Differences," Todd joined with Makeda Mays Green to chat about identity, belonging, and race with four big-hearted kids.  After the episode recording, Makeda and her colleague Dr. Colleen Russo Johnson stuck around to talk about their research and the resulting guide for families that inspired the episode.

In this bonus episode interview, Makeda (SVP, Digital and Cultural Insights at Nickelodeon) and Colleen (VP, Digital and Cultural Consumer Insights at Nickelodeon) talk about what they learned when they surveyed more than 15,000 families and conducted detailed parent-child interviews with more than 50 families. T...

In this episode, six- and seven-year-old kids of different races/ethnicities (Elliott, Finley, Landon, and Sky) join Todd and a special friend, Makeda Mays Green, to discuss identity, belonging, race, and racism. They share their observations and experiences — and then go on a journey to the Land of Qook-a-lackas, where they advise a Qook-a-leekie, Qwee-co, whose friends have been excluded from a Moon Day party because of their queckles.

The role of Qwee-co is played by Krys Marshall, an actress who is currently playing the role of Danielle Poole, a NASA engineer and the agency's first African-American as...

In this episode, three kids (Lauren, Esther, and Sam) join Todd to explore the feeling of anger — what it is, how it makes us feel, and what we can do about it! They share their experiences with anger and go on a journey to the Land of Qook-a-lackas where they advise a Qook-a-leekie, Kainaz, who is feeling very ... ANGRY.

The roles of Kainaz is played by Marjan Neshat, an Iranian-born, American actress, who's well known for her roles on stage, and in film & TV. (Please also listen to our special bonus interview with Marjan about how she's tr...

There’s a good chance that a sibling relationship will last longer than most other relationships in life. Many times, siblings can help children to define what they value and look for in other relationships. Siblings can also help each other to develop self-regulation and emotional understanding as they grow up together. All relationships will have some conflict, and this can promote growth ... but it can be tough, especially when you live together, or even share a bunk bed!

In this episode, Todd talks with two groups of siblings (Eloise, Oliver, and Theo & Kettner and Reece) about wh...

This weekend, Little Kids, Big Hearts recorded a new episode about one feeling that ALL of us have — anger! The guest Qook-a-leekie in our episode was played by a friend, Marjan Neshat, an amazing actress who has recently been channeling her own anger by amplifying the voices of people in her home country of  Iran. After recording the episode, Marjan stayed on for a one-on-one conversation about her recent experiences and advocacy related to what’s happening in Iran. We wanted to release it today because it’s about current events and seemed like a perfect discussion to share on Dr...

In this special fictional episode we learn how one small act of kindness can spread through a whole community. The story is the origin story of gummy bears in the Land of Qook-a-Lackas. But it is also about community and inclusiveness! Every single person in a community plays an important role and has the power to help others.

In this episode, LKBH Host, Todd Loyd, reads the parts of Kenley (a parent Qook-a-Lacka) and Qwintin (a neighbor Qook-a-Lacka). We were excited to be joined by real-life friends, who bring this special fictional episode to life. You'll hear...

When was the last time you tried something new? Was it hard? Was it scary? Was it fun? Trying new things can take us outside of our comfort zones and into places of uncertainty, which can be a bit scary ... for kids AND grown-ups. Trying new things requires a certain level of confidence that most people are not born with — we have to work at it! 

In this episode of Little Kids, Big Hearts, Todd talks with River, Taylor, and Leo about trying new things. They go on an imaginary journey to the Land of Qook-a-Lackas where the...

We all have dreams and nightmares, but they remain mysterious to most of us: Where do they come from? Why do we have them? How do they make us feel? How do we cope with the bad ones? In this episode, three of our friends — Isla, James, and Riya — share their dreams and nightmares, and then we meet up to go on an adventure to the Land of Qook-a-Lackas to visit DreamFest (a special Qook-a-Lacka dream ritual) to learn more about dreams.

Two special guests join us in this episode, and we are so grateful to them:
...

As we put together season two of the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast, we're looking for kids who have big questions and big ideas about the topics we KNOW are on little kids’ minds. If you have a child — aged 4 to 10 — who has a lot to say about trying new things, sibling relationships, family traditions, or experiencing loss, we’d LOVE to connect! Please email us: podcast@playsparkler.org to get the ball rolling! 

And if your family loves the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast, please subscribe so that you get the new episodes of season 2 this coming fa...

The team at Little Kids, Big Hearts wrote this special fictional story, The Dragon Among Us, for our friends at Stories Podcast. They initially published it on their podcast feed, and we're sharing it here on our feed with their permission. 

In The Dragon Among Us, we visit the Land of Qook-a-Lackas and meet some of the magical creatures who live there. We'll follow along as Crayton (a dragon) and Kaze (a Qook-a-Leekie) learn important lessons about being kind to friends and family and sticking up for others in need. 

Draw a picture of what yo...

Each neighborhood, family, and child is unique, but there is so much that we share — and so much that kids across the world can do together to connect across oceans and borders! In Part II of our global citizenship episode, Marcus from Japan, Gaurav from India, Ella from Australia, Nils Jr. from Norway/USA, Eva from Venezuela, Sophia from England, and Lucy and Emaline from Scotland take an imaginary adventure to the Land of Qook-a-Lackas, where they continue sharing their own experiences and perspectives and exploring the big idea of "global citizenship" and what it means to share one, big...

Some kids eat quesadillas for breakfast, some eat iddli, and some eat cereal — but there is SO MUCH that kids around the globe share in common! Meet Marcus from Japan, Gaurav from India, Ella from Australia, Nils Jr. from Norway/USA, Eva from Venezuela, Sophia from England, and Lucy and Emaline from Scotland to explore the idea of "global citizenship" and what it means to share one, big world. This is Part I of the Little Kids, Big Hearts episode about global citizenship. 

What would YOU do if someone was picking on a friend?  Join Todd, Cora, Riya, and Simon to explore what you can do to become an upstander in your school and community.  We all have the power to use our voices for good and to stand up for ourselves and others! 

"How to Help" highlights Orion, Zohaib, and Katelynn — three kids who are dong BIG things to help in their communities. Everyone, even little kids, can make a big difference. Listen to get inspired: Imagine ways YOU can be a helper in your family, school, and community. 

Kids around the world had a BIG transition back to school this year, filled with big feelings! The last school year was challenging and disrupted due to COVID-19. As we dive into a new school year, Todd chats with four big hearted kids from past episodes — before and after the first day — to discuss the return to school for the 2021-22 school year.

“Let’s Work it Out” is about interpersonal problems — and how to solve them together! Todd and three kids (all big siblings with lots of problem-solving know-how) draw on their experience and problem-solving skills to help Mango and the Qook-a-Lackas to resolve interpersonal conflicts. 

Have you ever looked for clues to find out how someone else is feeling? Todd, Roxy, and three empathetic children discuss how they notice and share others' feelings and how they show that they care.  

Have you ever made a new friend on Zoom or tried to stay connected to a friend who moved far away? In this episode, Todd, Ringo, and four insightful children discuss the magic of friendship. They explore how to make new friends and maintain friendships — plus how to be a good friend to others. 

What do you do when you're feeling angry or sad, or when you're facing something new and scary like COVID-19? In this episode, Todd, Rainbow, and four kids discuss big feelings, where they come from, and what to do with with them.

Little Kids, Big Hearts is a social and emotional learning podcast that helps parents, caregivers, and educators explore "heart skills" with their children. In this episode, our host, Todd, and his four- and five-year-old guests discuss the qualities and skills that make them special and uniquely themselves!

Little Kids, Big Hearts is a social and emotional learning podcast that helps parents, caregivers and educators explore "heart skills" with their children. In the first episode, Todd and four kids discuss what it means to have a "big heart" and what it feels like to be brave, sad, angry, happy, and silly. 

Welcome to Little Kids, Big Hearts, a new podcast that helps kids and their grown-ups explore what it means to have a BIG HEART with a little help from the show's host, Todd Loyd, a longtime early childhood educator. It’s a space where kids LEAD the discussion. If you like using your imagination, hanging out with puppets, and eating gummy bears then you’ve found the right place! Recommended for big-hearted kids ages 3-8 (and their grown-ups).