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Tumble Science Podcast for Kids

Tumble Science Podcast for Kids

Tumble Media 289 episodes Latest May 29, 2026

Tumble Science Podcast for Kids is a family-friendly science podcast that explores stories of scientific discovery. Hosted by science journalist Lindsay Patterson and teacher Marshall Escamilla, it aims to make science accessible and engaging for children and their families. The podcast has received a Common Sense Selection award and offers educational content on its website.

Episodes

Could a Peacock and Platypus Be Friends? Mailbag + Joke-ha-thon! May 29, 2026 1522 You asked, we answered! In this mailbag episode, we're tackling three big kid questions: why does the ground keep spinning after you stop? Do magnets work in space? And could a peacock and a platypus ever be BFFs? We get answers from real experts, as well as reading your reviews and comments! Also, the Joke-ha-thon is coming up on June 3rd! Go here to donate and pick your champion, and also win
Pluto and the Planetary Pandemonium - Encore May 15, 2026 1442 This is a rebroadcast of one of our favorite episodes from the past! It’s a scientific controversy of planetary proportions! Is Pluto a planet, or not? You decide, after we present two sides of an epic astronomy argument. Back in 2006, the International Astronomer’s Union voted on a definition of the word “planet” that excluded Pluto and other newly dubbed “dwarf planets” from planethood status.
Who Works Harder: Ants or Bees? May 1, 2026 1638 Both ants and bees work hard. So which one works harder? That’s what our listener Hadi wants to know! So we’re pitting insect against insect in a battle of industriousness. Ants or bees: Who will win?! Tune in as we attempt to crown the Hardest Working Insect! To help, we’ve recruited Dr. Sammy Ramsey, an entomologist, National Geographic Explorer, and host and producer of the Disney+ documentary
Are Animals Ticklish? (Mailbag + New song!) Apr 17, 2026 1252 A special “tickle attack” Mailbag edition of Tumble! We’re tackling your questions about whether animals can be tickled, and why we laugh when we’re tickled. David Leavens, a professor of psychology, helps us break down the not-so-silly science of tickling. Plus, a brand NEW SONG from Marshall based on a listener request!  Want to be on a future mailbag episode? With an adult, leave a review on A
Do Trees Think? Apr 3, 2026 1466 Do trees think? That’s what our listener Alden wants to know. He has an idea that scientists might study mushroom roots to find out if trees are sending messages. Is that true? And if so, what do trees have to say?!We travel deep into the forest with a young soil scientist named Natalia Mondi from the Mother Tree Project, to find out how and why trees communicate through the ecosystem. Along the w
What's Dark Matter? Mar 20, 2026 1514 What is dark matter? Why do scientists think it exists? How are they searching for it, and why are they doing it in an underground lab?! Join us on the search for dark matter with Alvaro Chavarria, a physicist running a dark matter detector underneath a mountain in the French Alps. We’ll take you inside the lab to visit the detector, and find out why everything we think we know about dark matter…
Who Invented the Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich? (with The Past and the Curious) Mar 6, 2026 2284 Who invented the peanut butter and jelly sandwich? And how did it become one of the most famous lunches in America? In this episode, a question from listener Leila sends us on a trip through history to find out how peanut butter, jelly, and sliced bread came together to make the classic PB&J. Along the way, we learn about the first written recipe for the sandwich in 1901, how peanut butter went f
Can Axolotls Teach Us to Grow New Hands? Feb 20, 2026 1386 Why do humans usually have five fingers on each hand? And what if one day, we could grow a new finger if we lost one? In this episode, a question from six-year-old listener Ayla sends us on a journey from tiny developing embryos to one of the most amazing animals on Earth: the axolotl.  We talk with Dr. Jessica Whited, a Harvard-based biologist who studies how axolotls regrow their limbs - and w
Do Animals Have Friends? Feb 6, 2026 1626 In this episode, we talk to two scientists who study animal friendships, in different animals, and in different ways. We’ll hear from Karen Bales, who studies titi monkeys (AKA “fuzzy little guys”) and Annaliese Beery, who studies voles (AKA “the cutest rodents”). Get ready to discover how animal friends play and cuddle - and what they can teach us about our own friendships.  This episode was pro
How Did Earth Begin? Jan 23, 2026 1432 How did Earth get created? What did our planet begin as? Why does our world exist? What started our planet? These questions take us back billions of years to learn how Earth formed in the very beginning - and then, we’ll look to a group of mysterious asteroids that might reveal how Earth became the planet it is today.  With planetary scientist Bill Bottke, we’ll hear the incredible story of Earth
The Science of Fungi Jan 9, 2026 1601 This is a rebroadcast of one of our favorite episodes from season 9! Do fungi breathe? That’s what listener Alice wants to know - and we’ll find out in our punniest episode yet! We visit the Fungarium - the largest and oldest collection of fungi in the world with curator Lee Davies, who describes himself as a “librarian” of mushrooms. We’ll explore how fungi live and die, and why there’s so many
The Science of Whiskers Dec 26, 2025 1014 This is a re-broadcast of a favorite episode from 2019. We actually won our first AAAS Kavli Award for this episode, along with The Cave of the Underground Astronauts. Check it out! Why do seals have whiskers? Listener Karah’s question dives into the wonderful world of whisker science. Robyn Grant, a self-described “whisker biologist” shares her discoveries of how whiskers work, from training a

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