Little Kids, Big Hearts
39 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 59 ratingsLittle Kids, Big Hearts helps kids and their grown-ups grow social and emotional skills, a.k.a. Big Hearts, 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 and explore big ideas in SEL — from feelings to friendship to helping others — together. If you like using your imagination, hanging out with puppets, going on mindfulness journeys to magical worlds, and eating gummy bears that grow on trees, then you're in the right place! Recommended for big-hearted kids ages 3-8 (and their grown-ups).
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Episodes
Grandparent Relationships
March 01, 2024 13:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MBGrandparents, 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 the...
Bonus: Boundaries Interview with Ana Cruz Kayne and Michael Cruz Kayne
February 09, 2024 13:00 - 12 minutes - 8.89 MBLast 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 An...
Boundaries with Michael Cruz Kayne and Ana Cruz Kayne
February 02, 2024 12:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MBHelping 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 rec...
Hopes & Dreams
January 05, 2024 14:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBIn "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 ...
Bonus: Belonging Interview with Hip-Hop Pioneer Darryl "DMC" McDaniels
December 08, 2023 11:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBOn 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 h...
We Belong — With Alexis Michelle
December 01, 2023 13:00 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MBBelonging — 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 ...
Bonus: Imagination Interview with "Not a Box" Author/Illustrator, Antoinette Portis
November 10, 2023 12:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MBOn 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 ...
Imagination Time!
November 03, 2023 10:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBUsing 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 n...
Calm Down at Camp Quinder-Calm (World Mental Health Day)
October 10, 2023 13:00 - 5 minutes - 3.75 MBIn 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 ...
Trying New Things (2023 Signal Awards Finalist)
September 30, 2023 17:00 - 26 minutes - 18.4 MBLittle 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......
The Key to Calming Down
August 04, 2023 14:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBIn "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...
Moving Time
July 07, 2023 12:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBIn "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 Amer...
Winning & Losing
June 02, 2023 12:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBIn "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...
Everything PETS!
May 08, 2023 17:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBIn 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 LON...
Bonus: Interview About the Research & Guide that Inspired the "Celebrating Our Differences" Episode
April 14, 2023 16:00 - 28 minutes - 19.3 MBIn 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 Nic...
Celebrating Our Differences
April 05, 2023 12:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MBIn 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 ac...
Feeling Angry!
March 03, 2023 13:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MBIn 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 sp...
Let's Talk Siblings
February 03, 2023 12:00 - 33 minutes - 22.7 MBThere’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...
Bonus: Interview About Transforming Anger Into Advocacy with Marjan Neshat
January 16, 2023 13:00 - 14 minutes - 10 MBThis 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 ...
Cultivating Sweet Kindness
January 13, 2023 13:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBIn 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-l...
Trying New Things
November 04, 2022 15:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBWhen 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...
Dreams & Nightmares
October 07, 2022 12:00 - 26 minutes - 17.9 MBWe 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 s...
Seeking Little Kids With Big Hearts
August 07, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1010 KBAs 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: [email protected] to get the ball rolling! And if your family loves the Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast, please subscri...
Bonus Episode: The Dragon Among Us
July 22, 2022 18:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBThe 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 stic...
How to Be a Global Citizen, Part II
March 11, 2022 17:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBEach 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...
How to be a Global Citizen, Part I
February 25, 2022 22:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MBSome 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.
How to Stand Up
December 18, 2021 15:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBWhat 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
November 04, 2021 16:00 - 26 minutes - 18.4 MB"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.
A Back to School Like No Other
October 13, 2021 12:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBKids 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.
A Back to School Like No Other: Bonus Episode
October 13, 2021 12:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBKids 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!
September 14, 2021 11:00 - 20 minutes - 14.3 MB“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.
What IS empathy?
August 19, 2021 15:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBHave 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.
What Makes a Good Friend?
July 19, 2021 14:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBHave 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 Can You Do With Big Feelings?
June 21, 2021 12:00 - 21 minutes - 14.8 MBWhat 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.
What Makes YOU Special?
May 18, 2021 12:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBLittle 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!
What Makes YOU Special?
May 18, 2021 12:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBLittle 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!
What's in Your Heart?
April 14, 2021 16:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBLittle 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.
What's in Your Heart?
April 14, 2021 16:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBLittle 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.
Little Kids, Big Hearts Trailer
March 26, 2021 01:00 - 1 minute - 975 KBWelcome 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).