Tumble Science Podcast for Kids

For Earth Day, we’re discovering how the tiny, adorable pika is helping scientists study climate change! Temperatures in their mountain habitat are getting warmer, and rain and snow isn’t as predictable as it used to be. Scientists have discovered that the number of pikas in certain areas are shrinking – or even disappearing. But some populations are doing just fine. A scientist named Pika Jo wants to find out why. An unexpected disaster leads her to a surprising discovery. To find out more about pikas and climate change, check out our blog at sciencepodcastforkids.com/blog! Has Tumble contributed something meaningful to your family? Please consider pledging to our Patreon campaign at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. It makes a huge difference in making it possible for us to do the show, and we’re planning even more awesome stuff for the future! Our Patrons are the first to know - and, you get access to all the educational materials in our teacher store! Pledge today. Want more Earth Day podcasts? Check out eco-themed episodes from our Kids Listen friends What If World, Ear Snacks, Cool Facts about Animals, Little Stories for Tiny People, and Wow in the World! Find them on the Kids Listen app at app.kidslisten.org.

What happens when a Brownie Troop goes to a weather balloon launch? One Brownie guesses that they’ll make contact with unicorns in the sky. Atmospheric scientist Gary Morris shows us what it takes to launch the biggest balloon you’ve ever seen to the very top of Earth’s atmosphere. Along the way, we’ll learn why weather balloons are the best way to find out about air pollution. And who knows? Maybe we’ll discover unicorns, too! This story came together when a Brownie troop leader emailed Tumble to see if we could do an activity with the girls. We’re always open to new experiences, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us at tumblepodcast@gmail.com. Do you love what we do, and want to make sure there’s more episodes of Tumble forevermore? Support us on Patreon at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Each pledge makes a HUGE difference to us, and we really appreciate it! Plus, you get sweet rewards - like access to our entire catalog of educational resources! To learn more about Tumble, visit our website at tumblepodcast.com. Or, you could swing by bestrobotever.com and find our podcast friends from Gen Z Media! They have great audio fiction like Mayan Crystal, The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian, and more.

This is #2 in a series on dinosaur coprolites, AKA fossilized feces! In the 1800’s, Mary Anning was known as the best fossil hunter in England. She made many great discoveries, including dinosaur poop. With help from our friend Kidosaurus and children’s science historian Melanie Keene, we dig into Mary Anning’s story and her place in the history of women in science. After you listen to this episode, check out our blog at sciencepodcastforkids.com/blog for books about Mary Anning and an amazing website where you can explore the stories of other pioneering female paleontologists. Find a new favorite and tell us why she’s awesome, at tumblepodcast@gmail.com! Make sure you listen to our first episode in the series, “Who Dung It?” featuring modern-day coprolite scientist Karen Chin. To hear more from Riley about dinosaurs, subscribe to Kidosaurus at kidosaurus.com. Or you could listen on the Kids Listen app and discover other great podcasts for kids as well! Want to support Tumble? Pledge to our Patreon campaign! It’s a huge part of how we keep the show going. Plus, you get awesome monthly rewards, like free access to everything in the teacher store when you pledge $5 a month! Go to patreon.com/tumblepodcast to pledge today.

Call it fossil feces, dinosaur dung, or preserved poo. This is the first of a two part series on dinosaur poop! We kick it off with the modern-day science of coprolites. Paleontologist Karen Chin shares how she cracked the case of a mysterious coprolite, and discovered a different dinosaur diet. STAY TUNED for the next episode in the series, about a pioneering female paleontologist and a very unusual family of scientists, who discovered that funny looking rocks were actually ancient dung. The Tumble Teacher Store is now open! Find curriculum packages, activities, graphic organizers, transcripts, and even music. Go to sciencepodcastforkids.com/materials to check it out. Want to support Tumble? Pledge to our Patreon campaign! It’s a huge part of how we keep the show going. Plus, you get awesome monthly rewards, like free access to everything in the teacher store when you pledge $5 a month! Go to patreon.com/tumblepodcast to pledge today. Oh, and here’s a new place you can find Tumble and three brand new podcasts for kids: bestrobotever.com Check out quiz show Pants on Fire, and fiction podcasts Six Minutes and The Mayan Crystal, from our partners at Gen Z!

Return of the mailbag! The Tumble inbox is filling up with questions, and Marshall scrambles to answer them while Lindsay relaxes with a glass of lemonade. We find out why rainbows don’t fall down, why naked mole rats are naked, whether you can sneeze with your eyes open, why we have dreams, and how scientists studied tickling with a tickle robot. Want to learn more (and see what naked mole rats look like)? Visit our blog at sciencepodcastforkids.com/blog. We’re on Instagram now! Follow us at @tumblepodcast for behind-the-scenes, cool science facts, and our travels in Europe. If you have questions you’d like us to answer, send them to tumblepodcast@gmail.com! Our podcast relies on your support. When you pledge $5 on Patreon, you’ll receive free access to all the materials on our teacher store, including activities, worksheets, transcripts, and ad-free episodes! Pledge now at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Thanks for listening, and stay tuned for more stories of science discovery.

“How do sea stars grip onto rocks?” That’s what listener Chloe wants to know. To find out, we take a trip to an aquarium to see sea stars’ tiny tube feet in action, and call up sea star expert Chris Mah. What we learn is a surprising story of how scientists made a big mistake when it came to studying to sea stars’ spectacular grip - and how they finally got it right. There’s some amazing science behind these starry creatures! What’s your favorite animal fact? Can you find out how scientists know it’s true? Let us know what you discover by sending us an email, drawing, or recording to tumblepodcast@gmail.com. Tumble’s Teacher Store is coming! We’re getting NGSS-aligned materials ready for your homes and classrooms! Science activities, graphic organizers, lessons, transcripts, and more will be available this month. Patrons who pledge $5 or more will have access for FREE! Pledge today at www.patreon.com/tumblepodcast, or www.sciencepodcastforkids.com/materials to visit the store. Thanks for listening!

“Do plants feel pain?” Jude’s question leads us to stunning discoveries about what plants feel, what they hear, and even what they talk about! Biologist Heidi Appel reveals how scientists learned about plants’ inner lives, and tells us the story of how she discovered “listening” plants. You’ll never look at plants the same way again. What can YOU observe about your houseplants? How do they react to changes in light, water, or other variables? Tell us -- and send in your science questions -- at tumblepodcast@gmail.com. Want to learn more about plant communication? Check out our blog at www.sciencepodcastforkids.com. Tumble is brought to you with help from our sponsor, GoGoSqueeZ! Find these yummy, healthy snacks in the applesauce aisle. Tumble’s Teacher Store is coming! We’re getting NGSS-aligned materials ready for your homes and classrooms! Science activities, graphic organizers, lessons, transcripts, and more will be available starting February 1st. Patrons who pledge $5 or more will have access for FREE! Pledge today at www.patreon.com/tumblepodcast, or www.sciencepodcastforkids.com/materials to visit the store. Thanks for listening!

Meet Envirobot, a robotic eel who slithers along the surface of the water, seeking the source of water pollution. The future is here, and it's full of swimming robots! We meet members of the team behind Envirobot, Bezhad Bayat and Alessandro Crespi. They tell us what it takes to turn a swimming animal into a robot - the twists, the turns, the technology, and the math. If you could design a robot based on a swimming animal, what would it be and why? What would it do? We want to hear your ideas, and see your designs! Email us at tumblepodcast@gmail.com. Check out a video of Envirobot and terrifying photos of lampreys on our blog, at sciencepodcastforkids.com! Looking for transcripts of our episodes? They're now available at http://www.sciencepodcastforkids.com/materials. They're 50% off through the New Year! Want to support Tumble and get access to ALL our educational materials, plus special opportunities to be on the show? Pledge to our Patreon campaign at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. Happy Holidays and have a great New Year to all our listeners!!

"How are minerals made?" "What makes rocks sparkly?" Mary Lou and Tilly are curious about minerals, the chemical compounds that make up rocks! Get ready for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Field Museum in Chicago! Collections manager Jim Holstein opens cabinets containing some of the most exceptional minerals in the world. Find out how scientists have classified minerals for hundreds of years, and why some minerals glow in the dark. Do you have a rock collection? Or any kind of collection? How do you organize, or "classify" it? Check out photos and videos from our tour on the blog at sciencepodcastforkids.com Want to support Tumble, and hear your name on the show? Pledge on our Patreon campaign at patreon.com/tumblepodcast! We LOVE our supporters.

“Could we ship Earth’s extra carbon dioxide to Mars?” Our listener Ilan has come up with a brilliant plan to stop climate change in its tracks, and make Mars a place we can live - AT THE SAME TIME. Your intrepid Tumble hosts attempt to lift his idea off the ground, with help from Czech environmental scientist Kristina Zackuciova, and NASA astrophysicist Scott Guzewich. Join us, to find out how a scientific journey starts - and whether Ilan has discovered how to save two worlds with one simple plan. Tumble is brought to you with help from Homer. Try Homer, the only learn to read method powered by your child’s interests and shown to increase early reading scores by 74%. As a Tumble fan, you’ll get two months free by visiting learnwithhomer.com/tumble. Wonderbly supports Tumble too! Get a preview of a book starring your child (great for gifts, too!) at www.wonderbly.com. Enter TUMBLE at checkout to get 15% off your order! Want to support Tumble yourself? Pledge at patreon.com/tumblepodcast. At the $5 level, we’ll shoutout your child on the show, and you’ll get access to our growing folder of educational resources - along with an AD-FREE version of the show! Are you using Apple Podcasts right now? Great news! It’s easier than ever to write a review of Tumble. Every positive reviews sends a rainbow directly into our hearts (don’t worry, it’s healthy). Check out resources on our website at sciencepodcastforkids.com, and email us YOUR questions at tumblepodcast@gmail.com