Little Kids, Big Hearts
Sparkler Learning
Little 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 social and emotional learning — from feelings to friendship to helping others. If you like using your imagination, 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 2-10 (and their grown-ups).
All episodes
Best episodes
Seasons
Top 10 Little Kids, Big Hearts Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Little Kids, Big Hearts episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Little Kids, Big Hearts for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Little Kids, Big Hearts episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
A Back to School Like No Other: Bonus Episode
Little Kids, Big Hearts
10/13/21 • 18 min
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!
Little Kids, Big Hearts
09/14/21 • 20 min
“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 Can You Do With Big Feelings?
Little Kids, Big Hearts
06/21/21 • 21 min
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.
Trying New Things (2023 Signal Awards Finalist)
Little Kids, Big Hearts
09/30/23 • 26 min
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 — please consider voting for us ASAP! Thank you!
***
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 they meet Crayton the Dragon, who's learning how to fly!
Please find more info and educational extension activities online at playsparkler.org/podcast. These extension activities will help you to support children (Pre-K to Grade 3) as they share their feelings about what it is like when they try new things and build persistence and resilience.
Two special guests join us in this episode, and we are so grateful to them:
Christine Pedi plays the role of Crayton the Dragon. She is a television and theater comedic actress, Drama Desk nominee for FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, Sirius XM radio personality "Lady of a Thousand Voices" and Award-Winning Cabaret Performer. On Broadway, she appeared in CHICAGO as Mama Morton, LITTLE ME with Martin Short and Faith Prince, directed by Rob Marshall, and in Eric Bogosian's TALK RADIO with Liev Schreiber, directed by Robert Falls.
The ukulele music and the original song "Try" are written and performed by Bill English. Bill is an actor, musician, and voiceover artist based in NYC who has appeared on Broadway in Twentieth Century starring Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche and Anything Goes with Sutton Foster and Joel Grey. TV credits include The Good Wife, Madam Secretary, Elementary, Cavemen, Family Guy, and more.
Find extras and educator resources at playsparkler.org/podcast.
Big Hearts in Tough Times: LA Kids Discuss the Fires
Little Kids, Big Hearts
02/07/25 • 35 min
Starting the second week of January 2025, Los Angeles, CA has been grappling with unprecedented wildfires, which roared through the city, powered by strong winds and dry conditions. Hundreds of thousands of people had to evacuate their homes as firefighters battled the wildfires.
In this special episode of Little Kids, Big Hearts, four LA Kids — Amicko, Kiaan, Kaveer, and Cleo — share their experiences and feelings related to the wildfires.
They travel with Little Kids, Big Hearts host Todd Loyd to the Land-of-Qook-a-lackas where they visit with a Link-a-doo friend, Linkala, who fled the Isle of Link-a-doo in the Great Link-a-Doo Flood. Linkala shares memories and feelings — as well as some useful ways to cope with disasters and get through hard times — and answers the kids' questions about surviving similar disasters.
Linkala is played by Dr. Cara Spitalewitz, a clinical psychologist who works with children and adolescents in New York City. Cara previously was a supervising psychologist at Bellevue Hospital Center and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine. She holds a B.A. from Columbia University, an Ed.M. in Human Development & Psychology from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University-Brooklyn. She completed an APA-accredited Clinical Internship at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine and her postdoctoral training at Bellevue Hospital Center.
Sound design and mixing is by Ryan Marth, and the ukulele music you hear is by actor and composer Bill English.
Please learn more about the episode online at playsparkler.org/hardtimes.
Do you know of a little kid, with a big heart who would be interested in being a guest on our podcast? Please learn more here: https://playsparkler.org/participate-on-our-podcast/
Little Kids, Big Hearts Trailer
Little Kids, Big Hearts
03/26/21 • 1 min
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).
Special Reimagined Episode: What Can You Do With Big Feelings?
Little Kids, Big Hearts
05/03/24 • 24 min
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 Ahmed Ashour. Thank you also to Ryan Allais for his original sound design of the episode in Season 1! The ukulele music you hear in the background is by Royer Bockus. Wow! It's been a LONG time!
Find more resources and activities to keep the learning going online at https://playsparkler.org/what-can-you-do-with-big-feelings.
Building Resilience with Marc Grapey
Little Kids, Big Hearts
07/12/24 • 32 min
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, often appearing at Victory Gardens, The Goodman, Steppenwolf, and Writer’s Theatre. He made his Broadway debut in 2005 opposite Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in the hit revival of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple. His numerous films include SuperBad, Adventureland, The Day Trippers, While You Were Sleeping, At Any Price, Keeping up with the Joneses, and the upcoming Steven Spielberg produced Captive State. He has made over 60 guest appearances on television.
The original song in the episode, "On With The Show," was written and performed by educator/composer Benjamin Weiner.
Sound design and mixing is by Ahmed Ashour, and the ukulele music you hear is by actor and composer Bill English.
Find more resources and activities to keep the learning going online at https://playsparkler.org/little-kids-big-hearts-resilience/.
Bonus: Interview About the Research & Guide that Inspired the "Celebrating Our Differences" Episode With Dr. Colleen Russo Johnson and Makeda Mays Green
Little Kids, Big Hearts
04/14/23 • 28 min
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. They also share the guide that resulted, "Discussing Race With Young Children: A Step-by-Step Activity Guide." And they reflect on what the kids share in the episode.
Parents, listen to this interview first before sharing with your little ones!
Learn more about the research and the guide online at www.BigHeartWorld.org/DiscussingRace.
Learn more about our podcast at www.PlaySparkler.org/podcast
How to Be a Global Citizen, Part II
Little Kids, Big Hearts
03/11/22 • 26 min
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 world together.
Show more best episodes
Show more best episodes
FAQ
How many episodes does Little Kids, Big Hearts have?
Little Kids, Big Hearts currently has 58 episodes available.
What topics does Little Kids, Big Hearts cover?
The podcast is about Education For Kids, Learning, Kids & Family, Heart, Podcasts, Education, Kids, Children and Emotions.
What is the most popular episode on Little Kids, Big Hearts?
The episode title 'Moving Time With Amir Arison' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Little Kids, Big Hearts?
The average episode length on Little Kids, Big Hearts is 24 minutes.
How often are episodes of Little Kids, Big Hearts released?
Episodes of Little Kids, Big Hearts are typically released every 21 days, 1 hour.
When was the first episode of Little Kids, Big Hearts?
The first episode of Little Kids, Big Hearts was released on Mar 26, 2021.
Show more FAQ
Show more FAQ