STEAM Daydream with National Children's Museum

When Aubrey, Andre, Newton, and 12-year old Kid Investigator Will C. hit the road with only a printed map and Aubrey’s thinking cap to guide them, they quickly become lost. After one too many wrong turns, they turn to GPS for directions to get home—but where do the directions come from? GEICO software engineer Cesar Alcantara helps point them in the right direction. Thanks for tuning in to Season 2 of STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum! You can find more STEAM programs and resources on our website at www.nationalchildrensmuseum.org. Stay in touch by joining our newsletter and following the fun on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

After using a magical machine called Le Petit Artiste, A.J., Aubrey, and Andre wonder what makes art art. With the help of the Museum’s first-ever artist-in-residence Tommy Bobo and 10-year-old Kid Investigator Olivia S., the STEAM Daydream investigative team compares different masterpieces to draw conclusions about the elements of art.

Aubrey, Andre, A.J., and 8-year-old Kid Investigator Jack head to the Curiosity Carnival, where all the festivities—treats and games included—are based on a STEAM mystery. This year, the mystery is, “Why do some things float and others don’t?” Will the answer sink in before the carnival ends?

When Janay challenges Andre and Aubrey to a bubble blowing battle, they think outside of the box for a way to blow away the judges, including 11-year-old Kid Investigator Kaedence. They decide the best way to upstage Janay is with a bubble in the shape of a cube. When things don’t go according to plan, Janay wins fair and…circle? Will they be able to square why bubbles are always round? Check out our guided video activity on bubbles, which includes a recipe for the perfect at-home bubble solution!

Aubrey and Andre organize a surprise birthday party for A.J. complete with extravagant decorations and a humongous cake, but it turns out they got the day confused. 11-year-old Kid Investigator Evelyn wonders where all the decorations will end up once they’re thrown away. The STEAM Daydream team goes on a wild trash chase to find out. Suit up, this investigation might get a little stinky!

Aubrey and Andre are on a mission to find a theme song for A.J.’s barking cat, Newton, but they can’t find a track that strikes the right chord. They decide to make it themselves with the help of 10-year-old Kid Investigator Exum. They stumble upon a set of plastic tubes, each of which makes a beautiful sound when struck with a mallet—but how?

8-year-old Kid Investigator Charles recalls the Taco Tuesday where he first noticed something strange… As he began to sweat (too much hot sauce), so too did his glass. He meets Aubrey and Andre in the STEAM Daydream studio to recreate the situation—minus the tacos. Will they be able to solve the mystery of where the water on the outside of the glass is coming from?

Once a year, the Science Is Magic Club accepts applications for new members and requires applicants to explain the science that powers their tricks. When a particularly illusive applicant named Harriet Whodini refuses to reveal the source of her shocking ability to zap people, Aubrey, Andre, and 12-year-old Kid Investigator Megha are called in to investigate.

Life is full of curiosities—from the shape of the bubbles we blow to the puddles that pool beneath our water cups. In Season 2 of STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum, our quirky cast investigates the everyday wonders we encounter and uncovers the science, technology, engineering, art, and math concepts at play. You’ll hear from a real-life STEAM expert and a curious kid investigator in each of the eight, 20-minutes-or-less episodes. Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts to wonder “Why?” with two new episodes on the third Wednesday of every month through December 2022.

It’s time to hit the red carpet for the biggest event of the year: the Community Captain Awards! Join A.J. in celebrating the Community Captains around the world who are fighting climate change by reducing waste in their communities. The Gill Brothers, three young entrepreneurs who created their own candle company and recycling program, join us to accept their award! Then, A.J. chats with Peggy Mandanas, the Sustainability Liaison at GEICO, to learn how she uses her passion for sustainability at her job and in her everyday life. For STEAM videos, programs, resources, and more from National Children’s Museum, visit nationalchildrensmuseum.org. STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum is generously sponsored by GEICO. It is narrated by A.J. Calbert and produced by Aubrey Vaughan and Paige Childs, with post-production by Maddie Zampanti of Conceptual Podcasting.

Cue the music, Dreamers! In this month’s episode, we’ll learn more about the music that powers the Museum’s new Dance Party Pod, presented by Spotify. Follow along as A.J. discovers the magic of music—how it can inspire movement and represent emotions. With help from Olivia, our 11-year-old Kid Interviewer, and Hilary Giumara, Music Programming Manager for Kids & Family at Spotify, A.J. curates the perfect dance playlist. Then, he speaks with Andre Johnson, guitarist and founding member of the iconic band Rare Essence, about D.C.’s official music: Go-go! This episode contains a sample of “Hey Buddy Buddy” by Rare Essence courtesy of Rare One Records. For STEAM videos, programs, resources, and more from National Children’s Museum, visit nationalchildrensmuseum.org. STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum is generously sponsored by GEICO. It is narrated by A.J. Calbert and produced by Aubrey Vaughan and Paige Childs, with post-production by Maddie Zampanti of Conceptual Podcasting.

Hey Dreamers, want to hear the buzz on this month’s episode? A.J. is out on Pollinator Patrol when he receives a report about a bat stuck in the attic of 8-year-old Colin’s home. Together, A.J. and Colin free the bat and build a native plant garden to attract more pollinators to Colin’s yard. With help from special guests Gary Krupnick, the Head of the Plant Conservation Unit at the National Museum of Natural History, and Sarah Red-Laird, the Head Worker Bee and Executive Director of Bee Girl Organization, Colin and A.J. learn how to protect and support pollinators of all kinds. Head to www.pollinator.org for resources on how to build your own native plant garden and tips on how to help preserve pollinators! For STEAM videos, programs, resources, and more from National Children’s Museum, visit nationalchildrensmuseum.org. STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum is generously sponsored by GEICO. It is narrated by A.J. Calbert and produced by Aubrey Vaughan and Paige Childs, with post-production by Maddie Zampanti of Conceptual Podcasting.

In this month’s episode, A.J. and 9-year-old Kid Interviewer Trinity discover the important role STEM plays in dance performances. Special guests Yamilee Toussaint Beach, Founder + CEO of STEM from Dance, and Catie Cuan, Choreographer and PhD Candidate in Robotics at Stanford University, inspire Trinity to combine her love of STEM and dance for the performance of a lifetime. Spoiler alert: It includes robots, A.J. in hoverboots, and some funky music! For STEAM videos, programs, resources, and more from National Children’s Museum, visit nationalchildrensmuseum.org. STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum is generously sponsored by GEICO. It is narrated by A.J. Calbert and produced by Aubrey Vaughan and Paige Childs, with post-production by Maddie Zampanti of Conceptual Podcasting. Special thanks to IF/THEN®, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies, for connecting us with the experts in this episode.

Oh, to be in the deep blue sea! This month, A.J. goes on an underwater adventure in a submarine, but something fishy is going on–and climate change might have something to do with it! Aubrey, our 7-year-old Kid Interviewer from Virginia, talks to Sarah Cooley, the Director of Climate Science at Ocean Conservancy, to figure out how the Earth’s changing climate is affecting the ocean and the animals that live there. Then, A.J. speaks with Hillary Burgess from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program to learn how Water Warriors can help prevent trash from ending up in the ocean! For STEAM videos, programs, resources, and more from National Children’s Museum, visit nationalchildrensmuseum.org. STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum is generously sponsored by GEICO. It is narrated by A.J. Calbert and produced by Aubrey Vaughan, with post-production by Maddie Zampanti of Conceptual Podcasting.

Planes, birds, and helicopters–oh my! This month, join A.J. at the Worldwide Flying Extravaganza to learn all about things that fly! We’ll do a deep dive into the four forces that make flight possible: lift, thrust, drag, and weight. Then, we’ll chat with two experts to discover how planes and birds use the same forces in different ways to achieve flight! First, Frank Hatten, an Education Relations Specialist at Boeing, will explain how planes are engineered to soar high in the sky. Then, Brian Evans, a Migratory Bird Ecologist at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, joins us to solve the mystery of why some birds can fly and others can’t! For STEAM videos, programs, resources, and more from National Children’s Museum, visit nationalchildrensmuseum.org. STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum is generously sponsored by GEICO. It is narrated by A.J. Calbert and produced by Aubrey Vaughan, with post-production by Maddie Zampanti of Conceptual Podcasting.

Let’s save some trees, Dreamers! In honor of Arbor Day, we’re brushing up our Arbor Avenger skills this month. First, we’ll chat with Linda Walker, the World Wildlife Fund’s Senior Director of Corporate Engagement, Forests, to learn about all of the amazing things trees do for the Earth. Then, it’s time we put our knowledge into action! We’ll catch up with the Youth Programs Coordinator at Casey Trees, Kelsey Desmond, to learn how we can be everyday Arbor Avengers by taking care of the trees in our neighborhoods! For STEAM videos, programs, resources, and more from National Children’s Museum, visit nationalchildrensmuseum.org. STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum is generously sponsored by GEICO. It is narrated by A.J. Calbert and produced by Aubrey Vaughan, with post-production by Maddie Zampanti of Conceptual Podcasting.

Hey there, Dreamers! It's a bird... it's a plane... it's... trees?! Learn why Linda Walker of World Wildlife Fund considers forests to be a climate superhero by checking out this sneak peek of next week's episode: Arbor Avengers! 

Breathe in… breathe out, Dreamers! Today, we’re learning all about mindfulness and how it can help us stay calm and deal with tough emotions. First, explore the science behind meditation from Maryam Abdullah, Parenting Program Director at the Greater Good Science Center. Then, sit back, relax, and enjoy a guided meditation from our friends at Inner Explorer (in English starting at 16:06 and Spanish starting at 21:06!) that you’ll want to come back to time and time again. Special thanks to Inner Explorer (https://innerexplorer.org/) for providing the mediations in this episode. For more mindfulness resources from Inner Explorer, visit: https://nationalchildrensmuseum.org/steamwork/#resources For STEAM videos, programs, resources, and more from National Children’s Museum, visit nationalchildrensmuseum.org. STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum is generously sponsored by GEICO. It is narrated by A.J. Calbert and produced by Aubrey Vaughan, with post-production by Maddie Zampanti of Conceptual Podcasting.

Get your sketchpads out, dreamers! In this episode, we explore the wonder of animation and discover how technology has revolutionized the process. First, hear from Dave Cunningham, Supervising Director of Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants, about how his team uses technology to bring Bikini Bottom to life! Then, listen to De Lisa Patterson, Marketing Creative Supervisor at GEICO, discuss the creative collaboration that goes into creating the beloved GEICO Gecko! Join kid Interviewers Grace and Veronica from Rosie Riveters, a partner of National Children's Museum, as they investigate the intersection between art and technology. For STEAM videos, programs, resources, and more from National Children’s Museum, visit nationalchildrensmuseum.org. STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum is generously sponsored by GEICO. Supporting sponsorship is provided by the Akamai Foundation. It is narrated by A.J. Calbert and produced by Aubrey Vaughan, with post-production by Maddie Zampanti of Conceptual Podcasting.

In less than a year, medical experts and scientists worked together to create a vaccine to defeat COVID-19, and in this episode, we discover how they did it! Dr. Roberta DeBiasi, the Chief of Infectious Diseases at Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC, joins us to breakdown how vaccines are made and how they protect us. Then, we take a trip through A.J.’s immune system to see how the vaccine is used to defend against COVID-19! Check out HealthyChildren.org for more resources on the vaccine and COVID-19 from the American Academy of Pediatrics. For STEAM videos, programs, resources, and more from National Children’s Museum, visit nationalchildrensmuseum.org. STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum is generously sponsored by GEICO. Supporting sponsorship is provided by the Akamai Foundation. It is narrated by A.J. Calbert and produced by Aubrey Vaughan, with post-production by Maddie Zampanti of Conceptual Podcasting.