Kid Investigators Ask Big Questions and Solve STEAM Mysteries in Season Two of National Children’s Museum’s Podcast

Young innovators can listen to “STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum” on any major listening platform

WASHINGTON — Kids have lots of big questions: What is static electricity really? Where does trash go once it’s swept away by a garbage truck? Answers to eight of these everyday mysteries are uncovered on Season Two of STEAM Daydream—a children’s podcast series by National Children’s Museum that launches today with its first two episodes.

In its second season, STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum explores everyday wonders rooted in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). Each episode follows an investigation that mirrors the stages of scientific inquiry, led by a featured Kid Investigator (aged 8-12) and a recurring quirky cast. By the end of each educational—and sometimes silly—adventure, listeners walk away with an understanding of a STEAM concept and how they might engage with it in their everyday lives. The second season of STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum is generously sponsored by GEICO and is available for listening on the Museum’s website at www.nationalchildrensmuseum.org/podcast/ or any major listening platform.

Inside Season Two:

• The podcast is designed for curious kids ages 6-12.
• Season Two consists of eight bite-sized episodes around 20 minutes each—an engaging length for young minds to chew on.
• The series was developed by Museum educators with both families and classroom educators in mind, as learning in each episode aligns to the Next Generation Science Standards curriculum taught nationally in 3rd to 5th grade classrooms.
• Each episode features a Kid Investigator and a content expert who work together to help the STEAM Daydream team solve each mystery.
• Two new episodes will be released every third Wednesday of the month through December 2022.

“National Children’s Museum is thrilled to build on the success of its first season and launch the next eight episodes of STEAM Daydream this fall,” said Crystal R. Bowyer, President and CEO of National Children’s Museum. “The podcast elevates children’s voices and inherent ingenuity and provides a platform where their important questions are answered. This free, virtual offering is a critical part of our work to spark curiosity and ignite creativity for the next generation of innovators.”

The Museum developed and produced the first season of its podcast as a free virtual offering to support families and educators during the pandemic. Since its launch in June 2020, STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum has been featured in publications like The New York Times, Washington Post, and Vox and has been streamed all over the world—from Bangkok, Thailand, to Quebec, Canada; and from Vienna, Austria, to Cairo, Egypt. In its first season, with the help of 30 experts from across the country and curious kid interviewers, the Museum explored a wide range of important topics, including climate change, art as a form of activism, and the health science heroes fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more about Season Two’s eight episodes below.

Episode 1
Topic: Condensation
Release Date: September 21, 2022
A Taco Tuesday turned STEAM mystery, where 8-year-old Kid Investigator Charles helps the cast pinpoint the origin of the liquid on the outside of a glass.

Episode 2
Topic: Static Electricity
Release Date: September 21, 2022
12-year-old Kid Investigator Megha and the STEAM Daydream team are called in to investigate an illusive magician who claims to shock people with science.

Episode 3
Topic: Waste and Recycling
Release Date: October 19, 2022
When the cast throws a surprise birthday party on the wrong day, 11-year-old Kid Investigator Evelyn wonders where all the wasted decorations go.

Episode 4
Topic: Sound
Release Date: October 19, 2022
In their quest to create the perfect theme song for their barking cat, the cast—led by 10-year-old Kid Investigator Exum—investigates how sound is produced.

Episode 5
Topic: Geometry and Physics
Release Date: November 16, 2022
The cast tries to win a bubble blowing battle with a bubble in the shape of a cube but soon realize bubbles are round for a reason. 11-year-old Kid Investigator Kaedence helps them figure out why.

Episode 6
Topic: Density
Release Date: November 16, 2022
The cast teams up with 8-year-old Kid Investigator Jack to figure out why some things float and others don’t at the Curiosity Carnival.

Episode 7
Topic: Art
Release Date: December 21, 2022
10-year-old Kid Investigator Olivia leads the cast in an exploration of the elements of art—and what happens when art and STEM collide.

Episode 8
Topic: Math and Tech Behind GPS
Release Date: December 21, 2022
The STEAM Daydream team pings 12-year-old Kid Investigator Will to help investigate how technology and math are used in GPS systems.

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About National Children’s Museum

STEAM adventure awaits at National Children’s Museum, located in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C.! With a mission to inspire children to care about and change the world, the Museum sparks curiosity and ignites creativity for children under the age of twelve and their families through playful science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) based exhibits, programs, and virtual offerings. Located at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW off the Woodrow Wilson Plaza, National Children’s Museum is open 9:30 am – 4:30 pm every day except Tuesdays. Learn more and plan your visit at nationalchildrensmuseum.org.