Animals Archives - The Children's Hour

This time on The Children's Hour, we learn about squid with Skype A Scientist, Dr. Sarah McAnulty. These ubiquitous creatures are the psychedelic acrobats of the ocean.

The Kids Crew explores the amazing world of whales. Learn how these giant ocean mammals breathe, migrate across oceans, and communicate through songs that travel for miles underwater. This episode also explains why protecting whale habitats is important for the health of our planet.

On this episode of The Children’s Hour, the Kids Crew explores the world of manatees with educator Andrea Herman from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Kids will learn how these large aquatic mammals live, what they eat, how they raise their young, and why protecting warm-water habitats is essential to their survival. This episode includes a standards-aligned learning guide for classroom use.

We learn all about skunks with world renown mephitologist, Dr. Jerry Dragoo. Mixed with great music sure to captivate kids of all ages. Comes with a Learning Guide!

The Kids Crew explores the world of reading to dogs and learns how therapy dogs help kids feel calm, safe, and excited to read. Guests from the local library explain how the program works, why dogs make great listeners, and how reading out loud builds confidence. The episode also includes the story of Rover the Reading Dog, who helps students overcome fear and enjoy books. This show celebrates rea...

Lemurs are some of the most amazing primates in the world. These furry animals are only found in Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa. On this episode of The Children’s Hour, the Kids Crew and Katie Stone meet Faye Goodwin, an educator from the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina. Together they explore what makes lemurs unique, how they live, and the challenges they face in the wild. Find...

The Kids Crew discover the animals living right outside our doors. From prairie dogs, coyotes, and roadrunners in New Mexico to monkeys in Thailand, stray dogs in India, koalas in Australia, and wildlife in Brazil, we learn how animals adapt to city life. With expert guest Cooper Freeman and research from junior producer Thaniel Lentz, we explore the challenges and joys of living alongside wild cr...

Tigers and snow leopards are two of the most powerful and secretive big cats on the planet. This week on The Children’s Hour, our Kids Crew learns from zookeepers and wildlife experts who study and care for these amazing animals. Discover how tigers and snow leopards survive in the wild, how zoos help them thrive, and what we can do to protect them. Join us for a wild adventure into the lives of t...

Who’s hooting? This time on The Children’s Hour, we learn all about owls. Inspired by Mrs. Monica Charles’s second grade class from Coronado Elementary School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, we explore the lives of these mysterious night flyers. Find the full episode page at https://childrenshour.org/owls The 2nd graders share their owl research, discuss findings from dissecting owl pellets, and teach...

In this episode of The Children’s Hour, we explore the amazing world of frogs and toads with expert guest Josh Butler from the Albuquerque Biopark Zoo. Listeners will learn the differences between frogs and toads, what they eat, where they live, and why their survival is so important. With fun music and real-life science, this show dives deep into amphibian life. Plus, we discover simple ways we c...

Learn all about sloths with author Georgeanne Irvine from the San Diego Zoo, and biologist Sam Trull from the Sloth Institute in Manuel Antonio Costa Rica. Find out how we can all help protect sloths. This episode comes with a hands-on Learn-Along guide. Find the full episode page with the learning guide at https://childrenshour.org/sloths Sloths live in the tropical rainforests of Central and Sou...

Have you ever wondered about the mighty eagle, the king of the skies? In this episode of The Children’s Hour, we take flight with these incredible birds. Eagles are known for their sharp eyesight, powerful wings, and majestic presence. They’re also important symbols in cultures around the world, representing strength and freedom. Find this episode page at https://childrenshour.org/eagles We explor...

In this episode of The Children’s Hour, the Kids Crew dives into the captivating realm of great apes, featuring orangutans, chimpanzees, and gorillas. Special guest Michelle Desilets from Forests for Orangutans shares insights into the behaviors, lifestyles, and struggles of these remarkable animals. We also visit the Albuquerque BioPark Zoo to get an up-close look at chimpanzees. Join us for an e...

In this episode of The Children's Hour, we dive into the amazing world of bugs! Entomologist Jason Schaller from Albuquerque Biopark’s Bugarium joins us to teach us all about these fascinating creatures. We learn why bugs are so important to our planet and even how some of them can be a part of our diets! From bug biology to tasty cricket tacos, this episode will leave you buzzing with excitement....

This time on The Children's Hour, we learn about one of the planet's most ancient species that's still around today: lungfish. Dr. Irene Salinas is a immunologist who is unlocking the secrets to these creatures' incredible ability to survive in the most unlikely of circumstances. Learn with us!

What’s wild about your backyard? This time on The Children’s Hour we explore creating a backyard or balcony to attract wildlife, in a visit with a “more than human geographer” Laurel Ladwig. She’s part of a movement of reconciliation ecologists who are encouraging people to increase habitats around our homes to help critters who need more nectar, pollen, shade and food to survive in our artificial...

This week on The Children’s Hour we’ll explore New Zealand through stories and songs, and in conversation with our friends, Kiwi musicians Lucy Hiku from Itty Bitty Beats, and Claudia Robin Gunn. One lives on the north island, and the other on the South Island! We’ll learn about New Zealand’s unique geography, climate, landscape, wildlife, and culture. Expect to hear all New Zealander music, in bo...

This time on The Children's Hour, we meet Ms. Caitlin Gooch from Saddle Up And Read, an organization that motivates kids to read with horses. Evan Daitz reviews My Life In The Fish Tank, and Maya Falcon gives us her review of PANDEMIC 2020: A 9 Year Old's Perspective by Prisha Hedau. The kids in the Extinction Diaries teach us about why some zebras are being born with bizarre stripe patterns, and...

This time on The Children's Hour, we learn about a canine that is thriving across North America: coyotes. They may look like wild dogs, but we learn from biologist Zoe Rossman that they are quite different from our friendly house pets.

This week we explore a creature that used to live throughout the mountain west United States, the elusive black footed ferret. Once declared extinct, the highly endangered specialist predator may make a comeback in the North American prairie thanks in part to our guest, Paul Marinari, Senior Curator at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute at the National Zoo.

This time on The Children's Hour, we learn about parasites. Parasitologists Dr. Matt Bolek and Dr. Sarah Bush join our Kids Crew for a lively discussion.

The Kids Crew is joined by Charles Bergman who is a writer, photographer, and speaker and longtime professor at Pacific Lutheran University. He also wrote Every Penguin in the World: A Quest to See Them All.

This time on The Children's Hour, we explore wolves. We learn about their role as an apex predator, and how conservation efforts are saving them from extinction. Documentary film maker Elke Duerr explains why wolves should live in the wild. Kids from the Extinction Diaries let us know about the Red Wolf's current condition, and how close they are to extinction. We also hear from the US Fish & Wild...

This week on The Children’s Hour we learn about porcupines from the leading researchers in New Mexico, kids in the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Project.

Does an animal have to be adorable to be appreciated? This week on The Children’s Hour, we’re covering under-appreciated animals. How do common animals like snakes, ants, cockroaches and others fit into the web of life? Bethany Dunn, Science Education Coordinator from the Albuquerque Biopark brings some misunderstood species to our studio to help us learn to love them.