There are so many ways to understand our world, including the different states of matter! Are things around you a solid, liquid, gas, or plasma? How can you tell?? Listen in as T and Kara talk about molecules and matter, spilling drinks and popping balloons! By the end, you may even be inspired to do an experiment to try and change a state of matter! We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text message. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Tree House Together is an Elm Place production. It ...

Kara and T are huge fans of Bo Lu's debut picture book, Bao's Doll and we're honored to talk to her all about her work, creative process, and lifelong relationship with drawing. We also loved hearing from Bo's daughter Nora, who is herself a book creator! After moving to Kansas from Taipei, Taiwan when she was 7, drawing became a way for Bo to express her emotions and feel more at home. Her books are influenced by her life and experiences, a chance to tell her story. It was also fascina...

Isn't it incredible that people can fly through the sky? We think so! In this episode, T and Kara discuss the many animals that can fly and how human beings have figured out flight! We break down the forces that make an airplane able to fly, how an airplanes work, and other flying machines like helicopters, gliders, hot air balloons, kites, and blimps! Join us in celebrating these "ships in the sky" and marveling at the invention of flight. We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text me...

Come along with us on our field trip to Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington DC! Listen in as Kara, T, and her grandma Jean chat with Kaden Borseth, the Zoo's Manager of School and Teacher Learning. In this second of two episodes, we get to hear more about the animals – including what it's like for the animals to live at the zoo, Kaden's favorite animal, how they celebrate animals, which ones are silly, and all about the pandas! Kaden was so kind to share so much with us and they do...

We're so excited to take you along on a field trip to Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington DC! Listen in as Kara, T, and her grandma Jean chat with Kaden Borseth, the Zoo's Manager of School and Teacher Learning. In this first of two episodes, we get to ask all about how the zoo – including how it began, how they learn from and for the animals, and what kinds of jobs people can have there! Kaden was so kind to share so much with us and they do all kinds of fun, interesting in person...

Kindergarten is the first year of elementary school and it's a big deal! In this episode, we're joined by T, who recently finished kindergarten, and our friend Esme, who will start soon. We know that going to kindergarten can make kids feel excited, or nervous, or both! So we're here to talk about it out – how it works, what a classroom can be like, how it's part of a bigger elementary school, and all of the fun folks to meet! We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text message. * ...

Our next biome episode takes us to one of the most extreme places on Earth, the desert! Known for having very little precipitation, the plants and animals of the desert have had to adapt to living in such unique conditions. Join us as we celebrate the cacti and the camel, creatures that have found ways to thrive in the desert. And hear all about how it can be true that there are deserts on all of the continents! (Hint: polar deserts are a thing) We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text mess...

Are you going on a trip this summer? We recorded this episode right before heading out on one! Whether you're taking a day trip, a weekend trip, or a longer vacation, there's a lot to think about. We talk all about what to pack, how we can get to a new place, where we might stay, and what to do while you're there! And now new adventures can come with big feelings – along with excitement, it's ok to feel homesick or overwhelmed sometimes. Join us to get ready for your next big adventure. ...

Star Wars was a phenomenon when it first came out and continues to capture the hearts of kids in every generation. Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Obi Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader... Jedi and Storm Troopers and droids and light sabers! There are so many fascinating things to talk about in the Star Wars universe. In this episode, we get into the main characters and starting plot of George Lucas's science fiction masterpiece. We hear about how Luke must go on a quest and about ho...

Do you look forward to having popsicles in the warm summer or getting cozy in the cold winter? There's so much to celebrate about each season, which is what we'll be talking about on today's podcast! After getting into the big questions around why our Earth has seasons, T and Kara enjoy chatting about what happens during each one! The nature, the weather, the clothes we wear, and the fun things that people do during spring, summer, fall, and winter. We'd love to hear from you...

Join us to celebrate the talented, the beautiful, the hard-working singer and songwriter, the American treasure: Dolly Parton. Dolly is also the creator of T's first favorite song: 9 to 5! Dolly's life story, of growing up in Tennessee, learning music, getting into the business with her uncle's help, and finding her big break in Nashville is an amazing one. And once she became a star, she stayed true to herself and what was best for her! She's been super successful, while being kind and...

It's time for us to talk about T's first ever episode request: Time! There's a lot to discuss, and we start with what happens in a day. From there, we measure time in days and months, talk about calendars, and dive into clocks. We dive into digital and analyze analog clocks, including how the numbers and hands work, and how we tell understand the hours and minutes. Then it's AM vs PM, timers, and stopwatches, oh my! And finally T's little question of "How did time get made?" It's ...

Can you imagine living in a place where it is always cold? Where even in the summer, it would feel like winter temperatures to most of us? The tundra biome is a part of our planet Earth that is always cold! It's a place that's hard for plants to grow and for animals to thrive. Which means, the living things that do live there are fascinating! Join us to learn about the types of tundra biomes (Arctic and Alpine), where it exists, and the beings that make it their home. We'd love to hea...

It is incredible to be a human being and it's a lot to manage! We have these bodies to understand, a whole bunch of feelings, and personal information to learn. Each one of us is unique. Each person gets to learn what makes them feel best. So join us to talk about how people (of all ages) take care of ourselves! This is the second in our mini three-part series on Taking Care. Check out our first one is Season 1 about Taking Care with Others! And later on this year, we're loo...

For this 'built world' episode, we're talking all about... building! Have you ever built with magnatiles, or made a fort out of sticks, or seen a construction site in action? Join us to talk all about how people build – the materials we work with, the ways we create a strong structure, and the tools we use to get the job done. From castles made out of sand to huge buildings that look like sandcastles, building is a fascinating part of our world. We'd love to hear from ...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! T has only seen snow once, when she was a baby, and so we're especially fascinated by the mystery of snow. What exactly makes up a 'blanket' of snow? (Answer: Many, many tiny snowflakes, of course!) Did you know that each snowflake is different from any other? Why is that? And how did we come to learn that? Join us to talk all about what snow is, how we can enjoy our time in it, and how we can be inspired by this beautiful winter marvel. ...

Welcome to the new year! We're so excited to meet up again soon in the tree house, together, to start off Season 2! We've learned a lot over the past year and are excited to bring you episodes about every 2 weeks over the course of 2025. Episodes ideas for Season 2 include building, bugs, Star Wars, going hiking and camping, and much more. If you have any thoughts or suggestions on future topics, we'd love to hear about them! You're always welcome to reach out – our contact info is on our we...

Welcome to winter! On this year's winter solstice, we're talking all about why it's the shortest day of the year, what happens when the weather gets colder, winter holidays and traditions, and all of the fun things we can do to celebrate and stay cozy during these winter months. We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text message. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Tree House Together is an Elm Place production. It was created by Jean and Kara Brodgesell. Podcast episodes feature Kara along wit...

Jane Goodall is amazing. When she was just a kid she knew that she wanted to work with animals. And when she was in her 20s, she started to patiently observe chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, discovering new and important things about these great apes. She turned 90 in 2024, and has dedicated her life to understanding chimps and helping to take care of our planet. She's a trailblazer and quite a marvelous person in our wondrous world. We'd love to hear from you!...

Money money money! What exactly is this thing that makes the world go around? What do we do with it and how do we get it??? This week we're chatting all about dollar bills (or as T and every Bluey-loving kid says, "dollar bucks"), types of coins, spending, saving, working to get it, and most importantly, what T would put on her own currency! We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text message. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Tree House Together is an Elm Place production. It was created by ...