Every February, Walter the Magnificent takes center stage on Groundhog Day to predict the seasons, soaking up the cheers, the cameras, and the spotlight. But when it’s time for him to retire, his shy son Archie suddenly finds himself pushed toward a future he’s not sure he really wants. With some gentle encouragement, he learns that sometimes you have to follow your own path and not just what feels like destiny.

Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they dig, design, and discover the surprising world of groundhogs in this week’s episode.

Kids will discover:

• Why groundhogs build underground homes called burrows
• How scientists excavate burrows to learn about animal behavior
• If groundhogs really predict the weather
• Why respecting animal homes helps keep wildlife safe

Keep exploring:

• Download a groundhog coloring sheet
• Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod
• Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com
• Sign up for email updates

Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted:

• Groundhog Photos and Facts (National Geographic Kids)
• Grading the Groundhogs (NOAA)
• Fun Facts About Groundhogs (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)

As icy winds sweep across Antarctica, a curious young emperor penguin named Pip can’t stop asking one very important question: why?

When Pip joins a cozy group of penguin kids called a crèche, everything feels warm and safe. But when the group slowly shifts and Pip suddenly finds themself on the chilly outside, Pip feels confused, surprised, and just a little unsure. Why would penguins take turns standing in the cold? And how does this swirling penguin pile actually keep everyone safe?

Through giggles, wonder, and a big “aha” moment, Pip discovers the powerful magic of teamwork, bravery, and looking out for one another.

Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they waddle, wonder, and bundle up with the incredible world of emperor penguins.

Kids will discover:

• How emperor penguins stay warm in one of the coldest places on Earth
• What a penguin crèche and huddle really are
• How penguins use teamwork and sharing to survive
• How small actions can help protect ocean animals and their habitats

Keep exploring:

• Download an emperor penguin coloring sheet
• Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod
• Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com
• Sign up for email updates
  
  

Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted:

• 10 Facts About Emperor Penguins (National Geographic Kids)
• Top 10 Facts About Emperor Penguins (World Wildlife Foundation)
• How Emperor Penguins Survive Subzero Temperatures (Smithsonian Magazine)

As winter creeps into the forest, two garter snake brothers named Zip and Zap are busy pulling off the silliest pranks around. But when the air turns cold and it’s time to slow down, Zip isn’t so sure that resting is the right move.

Determined to keep going, Zip sets off on his own, trying (and failing) to copy how other forest animals survive the winter. Along the way, he learns something surprising: slowing down isn’t a problem at all. It’s a smart way to stay safe, warm, and strong.

Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they slither, wonder, and cozy up to the surprising world of garter snakes. Kids will discover:

• Why reptiles slow down in winter
• Where garter snakes live and what they eat
• Why sharing space and resting together can be a powerful survival strategy

Keep exploring:

• Download a garter snake coloring sheet
• Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod
• Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com
• Sign up for email updates

Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted:

• Garter Snake Fast Facts (National Park Service)
• The Garter Snake Ssscoop (National Park Service)

High above rocky cliffs and glassy city skyscrapers, one of the fastest animals on Earth rules the sky.

Meet Perry, a peregrine falcon who loves speed, daring dives, and pushing the limits. One day, a powerful storm sweeps Perry far from his lakeside home and into a bustling city he’s never seen before. Lost, nervous, and completely out of his comfort zone, Perry must learn new ways to fly, hunt, and survive with the help of a clever city falcon named Penny. Along the way, he discovers that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is adapt.

Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they soar, swoop, and explore the incredible world of peregrine falcons.

Kids will discover:

• Why peregrine falcons are the fastest animals on Earth
• How falcons hunt other birds in midair using special beaks and talons
• How animals use adaptations to survive when their environment changes
• How scientists helped peregrine falcons make an amazing comeback after facing extinction

Keep exploring:

• Download a peregrine falcon coloring sheet
• Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod
• Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com

Sign up for email updates

Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted:

• Peregrine Falcon (National Geographic Kids)
• Peregrine Falcon (National Wildlife Federation)
• The Fastest Animal on Earth: The Peregrine Falcon (Video)

Wrapped in a quiet chrysalis, a young monarch named Seraphina bursts into the world with brand-new wings and a love for flying. But when the air begins to change and it’s time for the great journey south, Seraphina worries: What if she gets lost? With instinct, warm rising air, and the help of her fluttering flock, she learns she doesn’t have to fly alone.

Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they flap, float, and glide into the amazing world of monarch butterflies.

Kids will discover:

• How monarchs are part of nature’s “Glow Up Gang”
• What makes eating a monarch so yucky
• How these tiny travelers migrate thousands of miles using instinct, the sun, and teamwork

Keep exploring:

• Download a monarch butterfly coloring sheet
• Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod
• Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com
• Sign up for email updates

Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted:

• Monarch Butterfly (National Geographic Kids)
• 10 Incredible Monarch Butterfly Facts (Australian Butterfly Sanctuary)
• Monarch Butterfly Fun Facts (Long Island Children’s Museum)

Way, WAY up north lives one of the ocean’s most fantastical creatures: the narwhal! (Sometimes called the unicorn of the sea.)

In this episode, Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza dive into the icy Arctic Ocean to explore how narwhals survive in one of the coldest, darkest places on Earth. Along the way, they uncover incredible real-life narwhal facts: like how their famous “horn” is actually a tooth, how long they can hold their breath, and why they’re such expert deep-sea divers.

This episode features an original story about Tuk, a curious narwhal who swims a little differently from the rest of his pod. When Tuk flips upside down, his pod gets confused. But they all soon discover that being different is often exactly what the moment needs.

Learn, laugh, and float along as we discover how curiosity, kindness, and real science come together beneath the Arctic ice.

• Download this week's narwhal coloring sheet
• Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod
• Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com
• Sign up for email updates

Learn along with us and explore the resources we consulted:

• Narwhal Facts and Pictures (National Geographic Kids)
• Unicorn of the Sea: Narwhal Facts (World Wildlife Fund)
• Narwhals: The Unicorns of the Sea! (Video)

In the snowy mountains of Norway, a young reindeer named Aurora loves to race the winter wind. But when a swirling storm rolls in and Aurora wanders too far from her herd, she must learn to listen closely—to the wind, to her clicking hooves, and to the quiet clues that guide her safely home.

Just in time for the holidays, join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they stomp, click, and wiggle into the winter world of reindeer, the hoof-clicking, herd-loving travelers of the Arctic.

Kids will discover:

• Why reindeer ankles really do click as they walk
• How hollow fur works like tiny built-in thermos bottles
• Why both boys and girls grow antlers
• And how herds help reindeer survive blizzards, long migrations, and the deep Arctic night

Keep exploring:

• Download a reindeer coloring sheet
• Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod
• Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com
• Sign up for email updates

Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted:

• Reindeer (San Diego Zoo)
• 10 brrrr-illiant reindeer facts (National Geographic Kids)
• Cool reindeer facts you didn't know (Orlando Science Center)
• Reindeer and their arctic adaptations (Glasgow Science Centre)

In the swampy wetlands of Montana, two tiger salamander friends are training for the biggest event of the year: The Salamander Games! But when Finn’s perfect, shiny tail suddenly snaps off, he’s sure his dreams of winning are over ... until nature shows him something unexpected.

Join Mom, Lincoln, and Eliza as they wiggle into the wonderful world of tiger salamanders, one of North America’s biggest, silliest, and most superpowered amphibians.

Kids will discover how these “wiggly sausages with legs” start life underwater with frilly gills; why their skin helps them breathe; and how salamanders can regrow tails, legs, and even parts of their jaw!

• Download a tiger salamander coloring sheet
• Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod
• Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com
• Sign up for email updates

Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted:

• Tiger Salamander (National Geographic)
• Salamanders can regrow their limbs. Can humans one day? (The Harvard Gazette)
• Are salamanders poisonous or dangerous? (A-Z Animals)
• Tiger Salamander (San Francisco Zoo & Gardens)