Listen On: Fun! Fun! Fun!
Curated by: Rion Nakaya of The Kid Should See This.
Playlist runtime: 12 episodes (in 9 downloads): 2 hours, 1 minute (241 minutes) + 9 videos
Ear Snacks
Episode: “Hand-Clapping Games with Jazzy Ash”
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Radio Public
Length: 14 minutes
In this Ear Snacks Snacktivity, Andrew and Polly play clapping games and songs with New Orleans singer Jazzy Ash. As Polly states so perfectly: "When you're playing these games, you don't need anything else. You don't need a toy. You don't need a playground. You can be indoors. You can be outdoors. All you need are your hands and maybe somebody else you're playing with."
Noodle Loaf
Episode: “Tickle Me Yeezy”
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Radio Public
Length: 11 minutes
Sing, clap, beatbox, and play along with this bonus summer episode of Noodle Loaf, a music education podcast for ages 3-9. Finish the pattern, sing a super silly echo song, jam along, and try some guided doodling. Every episode is fun and interactive for the whole family.
Buttons & Figs
Episode: “Punny Puns”
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Radio Public
Length: 15 mins
This funny, punny, groan-worthy episode of Buttons & Figs is chock full of humorous word play, and lots of jokes to share with your friends and family. Pun champion Southpaw Jones lets us in on some smart tips, tricks, and secrets that can help you play with language and up your pun game.
But Why?
Episode: “Why do we laugh?”
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Radio Public
Length: 26 minutes
Why do babies laugh? Why does tickling tickle? And why might a fish get stuck to your back on April 1st? Host Jane Lindholm talks with Professor Gina Mireault about why we laugh and how humor develops. This episode of But Why? is filled with jokes and smart information about the secrets of humor.
Wow in the World
Episode: “Back to School: Recess 101”
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Radio Public
Length: 21 minutes
We know that playing at recess is fun, but it also has essential benefits for our mental and emotional development. Research has shown that taking breaks for freeplay throughout the day -- moving our bodies, inventing games and stories with our friends, daydreaming, and the like -- can help us focus and learn when we get back to class. In this Wow in the World, Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas explore the science of why recess makes us smarter.
Smash Boom Best
Episode: “Super Speed vs Super Strength”
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Radio Public
Length: 32 minutes
If you could had superpowers, which would you pick: super speed or super strength? Which is more fun? Which is more useful in a dangerous situation? Which skill might we already have? The debate is on with this fun superhuman Smash Boom Best showdown. Which team will guest judge Daisy pick? And will you agree?
Pants on Fire
Episode: “Superheroes”
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Radio Public
Length: 22 minutes
Sharpen your superhero knowledge and your inner lie-detector with this imagination-packed episode of Pants on Fire, the podcast series where kids quiz two grown-ups on a subject they're supposed to be experts in. But one is lying! What questions will help you determine who's real and who's the fake? This fun episode will test your skills, especially if you love superhero comic books, movies, and TV shows.
What If World
Episode: “What if crabs could dance and superheroes lost their powers?”
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Radio Public
Length: 16 minutes
On this What If World stories podcast inspired by kids' "What if?" questions, Coco asks, "What if crabs could dance?" and Logan asks, "What if superheroes lost their powers and animals got them?" This super silly superpower, dance, and tickle-filled episode reminds us that "you don't have to be the best at something to have fun doing it" and that "some people have natural talents, but most of us have to work hard to get good at anything."
Circle Round
Episode: “Casting a Spell, a 90-minute road trip reel”
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Radio Public
Length: 1 hour 24 minutes
Four stories about magic are collected together in this extended episode of Circle Round. In The Hat, The Horn, and the Purse, magical objects help young Luca solve a few problems and decide what he wants to do in the world. In the Japanese folktale The Rice Cakes and The Oni, a magic spoon and the magic of a joke help a woman and her son. Then listen to The Magic Cloth, a quiet yet riveting story about following your dreams, family, and finding some magic along the way. And in The Barber's Secret, a prince learns how to trade teasing with being kind thanks to an echo, three magical fairies, and a barber.
BONUS VIDEOS
In this smart animated series from The Toy Association, adults (and kids) are reminded about the vital developmental benefits that come when kids have unstructured playtime: creativity, collaboration, communication, discovery and exploration, empathy, emotional expression and regulation, playing by the rules, problem solving skills, and so much more.
Celebrate being a kid (or an adult) on a playground swing with this short but sweet animation by Tom Yaniv, an ode to daydreaming and imagination.
Watch how artist and Little Inventors founder Dominic Wilcox remixes his world through play to discover fun new ideas. This wonder-filled mini-documentary captures how he thinks up his surprising and imaginative projects.
The roller skating scene from Modern Times
In this playful moment from the 1936 silent film Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin's Tramp character and his friend played by Paulette Goddard goof off inside a store's closed toy department at night. Their attempt at fun and play creates a classic comedy scene for all ages.
Make 'Em Laugh from Singin' In the Rain
The phenomenal Donald O'Connor literally tears up the scenery in this clip from the 1952 classic Singin' in the Rain, a fun, energy-filled physical comedy performance.
Rip It Up from Don't Knock the Rock
In this swinging clip from the 1950s movie Don't Knock the Rock, a room full of swing dancers and lindy-hoppers spin, flip, kick, dip, jump, laugh, dance, and have fun to a musical performance by Bill Haley and the Comets.
Jazz and scat singing legends Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Tormé improvise a brilliant definition for jazz in this clip from the 1976 Grammys. The performance has been known to disappear from the internet. Watch it while you can!
This memorable music video features 27 kids on a playground lip-syncing a sound effect-filled Boston Bun club track. It was created for France's L'institut Imagine to help promote a 2015 charity auction in support of their work, and captures the passion and energy of personal expression, play, and teamwork.
How do you stop yourself from being ticklish?
Why do we feel ticklish and why does it make us want to laugh? Dr. Emily Grossman explains what's going on in our brains when we get tickled, when we try to tickle ourselves, and the science behind how not to laugh the next time someone is tickling you.
