The Imagine Neighborhood FREE Podcasts For Kids & Families {Q&A Session}

‘The Imagine Neighborhood FREE Podcasts For Kids & Families’ was first seen at Thrifty Nifty Mommy.  This is a sponsored post but, as always, all opinions are my own.

You know the old saying – It takes a village to raise a child.  Well, we all know there are times when parenting feels lonely.  We all face struggles.  I know I could use some help!  And that’s where Imagine Neighborhood comes in.

Building Skills – The Imagine Neighborhood FREE Podcasts For Kids & Families

If you have kids, you will want to check this out.  The Imagine Neighborhood is a series of FREE podcasts that are really neat!  They are a great resource to aid in building important life skills.

The Imagine Neighborhood Q & A

You’ve got questions.  We’ve got the answers!  We’re here to give you the down-low on this brand new podcast series.

What Exactly Is The Imagine Neighborhood?

The Imagine Neighborhood is a brand new free podcast series for kids and their families to listen to together.  It brings important lessons into the home and offers an informal learning environment. 

How Much Does It Cost?

Nothing!  The Imagine Neighborhood podcasts are FREE!  

Where Can We Listen?

This podcast is readily available at iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher.  The first two episodes are available starting March 16th!

What Ages Is The Imagine Neighborhood Geared For?

Episodes are geared to youngsters ages 3 to 6 years old but is definitely not limited to that age group only.  Our 7 and 9 year old boys also enjoy listening.  And The Imagine Neighborhood is designed in a way so that grownups will be equally captivated by the storytelling from award-winning actors and writers.  There’s even a sprinkling of popular songs in the mix. 

How Long Is Each Episode?

Episodes are just 15 minutes long each.  So not too short and not too long.  This sweet spot seems to work well with children and adults.

Do I Need To Listen With My Child?

Technically no.  We all know how busy life can get.  So while this awesome podcast series has been created for dual listening, it’s not mandatory.  You can also sign up for their mailing list here.  This means you’ll get a description of each show as it launches, the topics covered, and some potential conversation-starting questions to get the ball rolling.  So basically, ‘crib notes’ for when life gets in the way and your child listens to a show without you.

Who Is Behind This New Free Podcast Series?

The well-established non-profit Committee for Children are the ones who have brought The Imagine Neighborhood to life.  They offer a variety of programs that blend research and rigor with intuitive design. Their goal is to empower children with skills to help them realize their goals throughout life.   They lift up children today in an effort to create a safe and positive society for the future.  And they reach 15 million children each year in more than 70 countries worldwide!

Exploring The Importance Of Social Emotional Learning With Your Children

What is Social Emotional Learning?

Social-emotional learning is also known as emotional intelligence (or people skills).  SEL is what helps people build their empathy and relationship skills while managing big emotions.  (We all deal with big emotions at times!)  Having strong social-emotional skills is important as it will help kids and grown-ups communicate better, manage their conflicts, and solve problems together.

Our Thoughts On The Imagine Neighborhood Free Podcasts

We were able to get a sneak peak into this wonderful new podcast series so I’d be able to share our personal thoughts.  Since you’ll probably start with Episode One, that’s the one we’ll talk about today.

Episode One- Count Vacula: Grown Ups Come Back

In this episode, we meet Count Vacula.  Something has happened and he is feeling a tiny bit scared!  But with some help from Scotty, plus a couple of heart-pounding songs, Vac (and your family) will learn to talk about how being scared feels in your body.

This episode offers a great opportunity to discuss fears, including when mom and dad have to leave children with a sitter.  Does your child’s heart pound?  Or does their tummy get tight?   There was some great discussion in this episode about how parents always come back.  And during the time with the babysitter, it’s okay to have fun!  

What Our Kids Thought

As I mentioned above, I listened to a couple episodes with our 5, 7, and 9 year olds.  After listening, the kids talked about how they will sometimes feel nervous.   Other times, fear will also bring about surprise.  One child mentioned how their body seems to slow down and feel heavier when they are afraid.  Overall, we had a great 5+ minute discussion based on the topics covered in Episode One.

SNEAK PEAK:  Make sure you also tune in to The Imagine Neighborhood as episode two discusses excitement and calming down.  Episode three talks about how everyone has accidents some times.  And episode four shares about how to cross the street safely.  And be sure to keep an eye on future episodes for additional content that is sure to be a great family resource.

Connect With The Imagine Neighborhood

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Apple iTunes