Tree House Together

Have you ever slept in a tent under the stars? Had a s'more by a campfire?  Used made shadow puppets with a flashlight when there's no electricity? These are just a few of the joys of going camping!  Going camping is different from day camp, where many kids spend time in the summer. In this episode, we talk about the different kinds of camping, as well as where to sleep, what to pack, an...

The world's most beautiful game is also the world's most popular sport! Whether you know it as soccer or football, you've probably seen a game in action or kicked a soccer ball yourself!  But do you know what happens if a player gets a red card? How stoppage time works? Or what's a shootout?  Join us during this year's World Cup to celebrate the game beloved by kids and ad...

Did you know that ants can tell each other where to find food? That a fly can flap its wings 200 times per second?! Or that a termite tower can be taller than a school bus?!  These are just a few fascinating things about the fascinating creatures known as insects! And there are some key points for knowing exactly which bugs are insects. Insects have exoskeletons, 3 body parts (head, thorax, abdome...

We love this big, beautiful planet Earth! We humans share it with all kinds of nature – the plants and animals, the land and bodies of water.  And this is the only planet we've got! This is the only planet with the soil, water, and air that we need to survive. So let's think about how we can take care of it! How the things we do that can affect the environment.  We'd love to hear fro...

Houses that have roofs, walls, windows, and doors keep us safe and protected!  Have you ever wondered about some of the other stuff that's part of a house? Things like water, electricity, and heat! Where does it come from and how does it get into our house?? Today we're going to break down how houses are constructed, how plumping allows for water to flow in and out, and how wires bring e...

Forests are an amazing part of our planet Earth! There are so many kinds of trees, plants, and animals that live within them and it's so important to appreciate them! Join us in learning about temperate, tropical, and boreal forests and wondering at these incredible biomes.  We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text message. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Tree House Together is an Elm Place...

Every four years, for a couple special weeks, the world's best winter sport athletes gather to slide and glide and speed and shred! They whiz down mountains and swirl through the air and we are amazed by it all.  So join us in celebrating the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games! We're so excited to talk about the types of snow and ice sports (including this year's introduction...

Thank you for joining us in the tree house, together! We're so excited to launch into Season 3, where we're hoping to cover topics like bugs, forests, how a house works, soccer, and going camping! As always, we love to hear your suggestions for future episodes! T will be with us for all of these, and listen here for the first appearance from her little sister, S!  We'd love to hear f...

Elephants are the largest land animal on our planet Earth! They are also strong, smart, and caring creatures.  Join us in the tree house to learn more about this incredible animal, the places they live, what they eat, how they survive, and why it's so important for us humans to protect them!  We'd love to hear from you! Send us a text message. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Tree House Togeth...

All people have feelings and we've got a lot of them! Feelings have a big impact on our family, so we hope it may help yours to talk about them in the tree house, together! In this episode we chat about things like accepting feelings by letting them be waves and why it's helpful to name our feelings. Things we can do to help ourselves when we may be overwhelmed by a feeling. And ways tha...

Are you ready for some football?! In a celebration of this fun and fast team sport, we break down the difference between the offense and defense. How does one team score points and the other try to stop them? And what does the quarterback do? We talk plays, yardage, extra points, and quarters. Professional players are part of NFL teams and work hard to try to win the final game: The Super Bowl! Bu...

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 tex...

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 mo...

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...

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...

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...

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 el...

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...

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 how new adventures can come with big feelings – along with excite...

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 G...

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...

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 sta...

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 A...

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 bi...

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...