The Imagine Neighborhood

Today Princess Donnasaurus, Macho Supreme, and Alakazambra are answering questions from our friends Jori, Levi, Margot, and Wesley . . . although it's a little hard to hear them over all that noise in the Neighborhood! It is the Burn Voyage blasting Cannonballs? Is it the Kaiju coming early for her cardboard feast? Is it the latest drop from the Dreadnoughts? We may not find out today, but in the meantime we've got replies, ridiculousness, and a royal introduction to a brand new friend!Get more at: IMAGINENEIGHBORHOOD.orgFriend and follow us!FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOU TUBE

Today, Macho Supreme is headed to Princess Donnasaurus's place to perform an act of kindness . . . or is he? Last summer Macho rotated PD's castle out of the sun every day, and he's planning to do it again. But does PD want her castle rotated this year? Making sure our kind acts feel kind to the person we want to be kind to is the kindest thing of all!Get more at: IMAGINENEIGHBORHOOD.orgFriend and follow us!FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOU TUBE

It's pool-party time at Alakazambra's house and everyone's invited. Even Preston Change-o is there! But when AllyK asks him to fill the empty pool using his new water spell, he starts to feel nervous. It's difficult, and Preston keeps making mistakes. He's getting really frustrated and is about ready to give up when Alakazambra teaches him the most powerful spell of all—one that even mere mortals can use!You say you don't know the spell? . . .You don't know it - YET!Get more at: IMAGINENEIGHBORHOOD.orgFriend and follow us!FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOU TUBE

Today Princess Donnasaurus and Macho Supreme are playing one of the Neighborhood's favorite games—“Feelin' Groovy!” You play by listening to a song together, then you share all the different emotions it makes you feel, and the different things it makes you think about! It's a fun way to learn about your friends, and to find out about cool music. And the best part about playing “Feelin' Groovy” is that there are no wrong answers and everybody wins!Get more at: IMAGINENEIGHBORHOOD.orgFriend and follow us!FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOU TUBE

Best friends Princess Donnasaurus and Doctor Apocalypso love to spend time together, and today they're heading to the amusement park to ride the best rides, play the greatest games, and eat the tastiest treats! But what happens when besties don't agree on what is best? Things will get a little sticky at first, but in the end PD and Doc will learn that being friends is about how much you like each other—not how much you like other things. And that being kind means letting people like whatever they like, and to not yuck their yums!Get more at: IMAGINENEIGHBORHOOD.orgFriend and follow us!FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOU TUBE

Today Count Vacula is super excited because Alakazambra is taking him to a fancy new roller-skating rink! But first she's getting a brand-new hairdo from magical Miss Mamas at The Enchanted Haus of Coils, Curls, and Charms! Her new bewitching braids make her feel happy, confident, and ready to roll, but at the rink a bunch of troller skaters tell AllyK they won't let her skate until she changes her hair. It'll take some support from Miss Mamas to help Alakazambra stand up against discrimination and let her inner light shine bright!Get more at: IMAGINENEIGHBORHOOD.orgFriend and follow us!TWITTER, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOU TUBE

When Macho Supreme decides that Count Vacula can't play Nebula Trek with him, because in the Nebula Trek movie all the actors are white and Vac is Asian, Scotty explains that excluding people because of their identity is wrong—plus, it makes playing less fun! Macho apologizes to Vac and learns that the kind thing to do is to make it okay for everyone to play!This episode is supported by a generous grant from The Allstate Foundation. The Allstate Foundation works to empower youth to reach their full potential and build the just, equitable, and healthy world we all deserve. To learn more, visit AllstateFoundation.orgGet more at: IMAGINENEIGHBORHOOD.orgFriend and follow us!TWITTER, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOU TUBE

Today Doctor Apocalypso is waiting for the bus . . . and waiting, and waiting, and WAITING! And worse than that, she's bored, bored, BORED! She left her phone at home, plus she forgot to bring a book and the bus won't be here for twenty endless minutes! Fortunately, Conductor Scotty and the Brain Train show up in her imagination just in time. And by using the power of her mind, Doc can do anything! From catching wild bananabeasts to watching stunt shows to just hanging out with old friends, Doc's imagination is a ticket to ride!Get more at: IMAGINENEIGHBORHOOD.orgFriend and follow us!TWITTER, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOU TUBE

Hey everybody! It's me, Count Vacula, bringing you a brand-new No Filter with Count Vacula. Today I get to introduce you to the very creative Kayte Sabicer! Kayte is an artist, and she has one of the greatest jobs I ever heard of—building miniatures for special effects in movies! Miniatures are very little models of very big things like buildings and spaceships. She gets to build and paint and use her imagination every day! She's worked on movies like Solo: A Star Wars Story, and The Dark Knight Rises, and Hugo, and Pirates of the Caribbean, plus tons of TV shows and commercials! I'm really happy I got to meet Kayte, and I think you'll like her, too!Get more at: IMAGINENEIGHBORHOOD.orgFriend and follow us!TWITTER, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, YOU TUBE

Greetings, listeners. Once again it is I, Gruncle Vaxie. Today we will discuss how to tell what your grown-up is feeling. Yes, I know. You are surprised. But it is true—grown-ups have feelings, just like regular people! And just as it is important to practice empathy with regular people, it is also important to practice empathy with your grown-ups.  It can be quite difficult to tell what your grown-up is feeling. They are often very busy and distracted by adult concerns like tax returns, performance reviews, and adequate flossing. But today we will learn some tips for assessing the emotional state of your grown-up and whether they might need a hug.And remember, you can always simply ask your grown-up how they are feeling and if they would like a hug. You may practice with me now. Thank you for asking. Yes, Gruncle Vaxie has many deep feelings. And yes, he would like a hug.That was very kind of you. And although the universe remains a bewildering kaleidoscope of conflicting demands, I feel much better now.Your friend,Gruncle VaxieGet more at: IMAGINENEIGHBORHOOD.orgFriend and follow us!TWITTER, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM

The Imagine Neighborhood just turned three this week, so we know how exciting birthdays can be! It reminds us of the time Princess Donnasaurus decided she couldn't wait another whole year for hers, and decreed that EVERY day would be her birthday!It seemed like a good idea at first, but it turns out that partying every day is exhausting, cake and ice cream aren't all that nutritious, and special days aren't so special when they never end. Luckily, Scotty was on hand to help PD learn patience, and that some things are worth waiting for!Get more at: IMAGINENEIGHBORHOOD.orgFriend and follow us!TWITTER, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM

It's our birthday! The Imagine Neighborhood launched on this day in 2020, and now we have 5 seasons, 145 episodes, and over 1.3M downloads, all thanks to YOU!To celebrate we're sharing a brand-new remaster of our first-ever episode, "Count Vacula Feels Afraid." It's the story about the time Count Vacula was having some big feelings called separation anxiety. The babysitter was coming over, and even though Vac likes her a lot he suddenly felt very worried that I might never come back! But with a little encouragement, Vac was able to share his feelings with me—and together we learned that talking about the things that matter with the people that matter most can help you feel better about almost anything!

Adjusting to new things can be challenging. Just ask Princess Donnasaurus—she's about to become a big sister, and that means lots of change! And although she's really excited, she's also feeling uncertain. She's learning that a new sibling means sharing her toys and her room, and not making too much noise—plus it turns out that you can't even yeet a baby! Not ever!And although PD has a handbook to help her learn what to do, it feels like the baby dinosaur is growing too fast to keep up with. Even with Scotty's help, everything's going wrong! Furniture is smashing, paintings are falling, and there's Jell-O EVERYwhere.So come join us at the (slightly crowded) castle, where we'll meet the Neighborhood's newest royal reptile, get better at adjusting to change, and find out that babies are just like anybody else—what they need most of all is kindness!Get more at: IMAGINENEIGHBORHOOD.orgFriend and follow us!TWITTER, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM

Welcome to No Filter with Count Vacula, brought to you by me, your pal Count Vacula!This week, I get to introduce you to a very cool new friend of mine named Jonathan Knowles. He's an explorer and a scientist who studies all kinds of things! He studies animals and the ocean and the climate and outer space and technology and even robots like me. But the thing that interests Jonathan the most is helping make everybody's future the very best it can be!Jonathan thinks the most important thing we can do for the future is to be kind—to each other, and to our planet, and also to the plants and animals that live on the earth with us. And even though Jonathan's work is pretty serious, he is a very silly and fun person. He even told me a really funny joke that I can't wait to share with Scotty!I think my favorite part of our talk was when he said that his Cardboard Creation would be big bridges that connected every person in the world to every other person in the world—because then everybody would be able to spend time together and get to know each other and make friends. Just like me and Jonathan!I'm really happy I got to meet Jonathan, and I think you'll like him too!(BUTTON)Have you met anyone new lately? Did you ask them any of the five questions from No Filter? Has anyone ever asked you a question from No Filter? I'll ask you one now! What is something that you wish people would ask you about yourself? Send your answer to me at kind@imagineneighborhood.org. I can't wait to learn more about you!Have an awesome week!Your pal,Vac

  Here in the Imagine Neighborhood, we love questions! We love to ask them, because that's how we learn about things, and we love to answer them because that's how we help other people learn about things. This week, Vac and I are answering questions from listeners like you, and they're great!      You wanted to learn about all kinds of fun things, like why does Macho always smash Scotty's window? How can the Burn Voyage sail on lava without catching fire? How does Princess Donnasaurus get ready in the morning, and how many attachments does Count Vacula have, and . . . well, you'll have to hear the episode to find out the rest!     A big thank you to Elyza, Levi, Maggie, Mara, Robin, Rosemary, Theo, and all of Mrs. Darley's first-grade class for writing in to us—that was very kind of you!   For more visit http://HowWereYouKind.today

Hi, everybody! I'm Count Vacula, and this is a brand-new No Filter with Count Vacula!  Today's guest is a really cool author named Rachel Litfin. She writes books for young adult readers, which means people who are age 12 and up. Her stories are all about an imaginary land full of dragons and Epic Quests, and the main characters are all kids who have to save the world while also going to school and remembering to finish their homework!   Rachel started writing her very first story when she was only 13 years old, and now it's her grown-up job. How great is that?! We talked about how stories help us to learn about our own feelings, and how they can also teach us that everybody else has big feelings, too!  Rachel had really fun answers to my Five Questions, and my favorite was when she said that she likes being asked “What is something that at first you thought was scary or bad, but it turned out to be good?” It reminded me of the time I met Princess Donnasaurus! She dropped her ice cream, which was bad, but when she bent down to get it, she saw me—and now we're best friends! That turned out so good! I really liked getting to know Rachel and I think you're going to like her too! I'll be back next month with another new friend for you to meet, but in the meantime, I'd love to hear about a time something happened to you that seemed bad but turned out to be good. Maybe your class got a new teacher and you felt uncertain, but then she turned out to be awesome! Or maybe your grown-up served you a new food you thought you would hate, but it was delicious! I love stories like that!  I hope your week is full of good things! Talk to you soon!  Your pal, Vac  

If someone doesn't speak your language, and you don't speak theirs, can you still find a way to communicate with them and make friends? That's the big question in today's episode, "MACHO'S EGGCELLENT ADVENTURE"!  When Empress Bawkarella of the planet Cluckatron catches a lift in the Mach Billion, everything goes great. That is, until the gang runs into a field of dangerous EGGsteroids! And with Scotty out doing a squeegee spacewalk to wipe off the windshield, it's up to Macho and Bawkarella to find a way to navigate the ship to safety together. But the Empress doesn't speak English and Macho doesn't speak Bawkish! It'll take patience and paying attention to social-emotional cues to get their messages across. And by the end, Bawkarella and Macho will be besties and Scotty won't be the only one who's a little bit bilingual! Bawk b'gawk, everybody! www.HowWereYouKind.Today 

BREAKING NEWS! This just in from WTIN Studios, The Imagine Neighborhood's top radio station: Reports indicate that many kinds of animals are having difficulty safely crossing the busy road in front of Princess Donnasaurus's castle! Her Royal Highness is personally taking action to assist them, but it seems she hasn't made sure that they all want her help.Is an act of kindness still kind, even if it's unwelcome? Let's join lead anchor Cardboard Scotty with Count Vacula live at Donnasaurus Castle to bring you all the answers. Over to you, Cardboard Scotty! . . . 

Hey there, my little hardcore headbangers!Doctor Apocalypso here, welcoming you back for Part Two of our slammin' story about fighting discrimination.So, last week, you heard how our new Big Bot Burger restaurant wouldn't serve Wastelanders like me—and how me and Scotty led a peaceful protest to let them know unfairness is not welcome in our Neighborhood.And for a while, our protest worked! After finding out that Big Bot discriminates, people refused to eat there, so our Big Bot location closed down. But guess what? Big Bot just opened their restaurants in other places. Lots and lots of other places!And most folks didn't know about Big Bot's unfair rules against Wasties, so they kept eating there. And so Big Bot kept getting more and more powerful, and built more and more restaurants so they could discriminate against more and more people!Like I said before—the thing about discrimination is that you have to fight it no matter where it happens. So even though Big Bot wasn't open in the Wasteland anymore, we still had to do something. We had to let everyone know the truth! Because no matter how delicious a Big Bot burger is, nothing is tastier than some juicy justice!I hope you have a great time listening to the episode, and always remember—whenever you and your friends stand together against injustice, you make the world a more rockin', cooler, and kinder place!

Hey there, rockers! It's me, Doctor Apocalypso! Strap on your skull boots and crank up the volume because today, we're going to re-listen to Part One of a story that's really important to me. It's all about fairness and fighting back against discrimination. Discrimination is a word for when someone says that you can't do something or have something just because of your identity! That's about as unfair as you can get.Maybe you remember that a couple of years ago, a new restaurant called Big Bot Burgers opened up in the Wasteland. We were all so excited—I even performed a slammin' concert for their grand opening!But the thing is, they wouldn't actually let any Wastelanders eat there! Other people could order all the tasty burgers they wanted, but when Wasties like me came in, the restaurant called us terrible names and kicked us out. At first I got really mad. And sad! But then I decided to do something about it. Big Bot needed to make things right—so we held a peaceful protest to let everyone know about the discrimination going on at the restaurant, and you know what? Our protest worked! Big Bot was forced to leave the Wasteland! Well, it sort of worked. It turned out that Big Bot just moved to other locations. And the thing about injustice is, you can't only care about it when it affects your own Neighborhood. You have to fight discrimination wherever it's happening. So Scotty and I called all our friends and we . . . oops! Oh man, I'm sorry! I'm getting way ahead of myself. We'll tell you that part of the story next week!For now, it's time to rock and resist. Ready? WE WANT JUSTICE! WE WANT RESPECT! BIG BOT BURGERS, GET CORRECT!See you at the protest!

Well hello there, you little throw rugs. It's me! Your very favorite supervillain, Queen Hastabee!  You remember me, right? Of course you do. I'm the one who tried to teach Scotty and his rusty robot pal a lesson about the way a pillow fort HAStabee, but they escaped and instead I just got buried in fluffy blankets! Then I tried to make those two cornflakes understand the way a bowl of cereal hastabee, and they still got away from me!So today, we are listening to this episode again, because it is clear to me that none of you understood it the first time!You and your friend Scotty seem to think this story is all about being proud of your identity, when obviously it is all about the extremely demanding work I do to keep everything the way it hastabee!Oh sure, that vapid vampire vacuum might have used different parts of his identity to free Scotty from my Crunchulator cereal-maker . . . and to reprogram my beautiful Bendomatic 5000 . . . and to cover my amazing supervillain outfit with icky sticky frosting, but so what?Just because he called himself “Captain Vactacular” and accomplished amazing feats that only someone with his unique identity could have accomplished doesn't mean he's a superhero. He doesn't even have a superhero voice!I know that you'll enjoy re-listening to this episode because it stars me, and anything starring me hastabee amazing. And just ignore the part where that pillow-fort fraud Scotty says that we all have a superhero inside us—what does he know? He's the sort of person who puts two different kinds of cereal together in the same bowl!Farewell for now, fringe fleas! And don't forget to keep things the way they hastabee, or . . .I'll bee back!

Hello, listeners. It is I, Count Vacula's Great-uncle Vacstradamus. But because existence is a delicate gift whose every fleeting if meaningless second we must cherish and not squander on unnecessary verbosity, you may call me Gruncle Vaxie.I hope you all enjoyed your winter holiday celebrations. The season of mirth is now past. Now is the time for learning all about the inexorable march of time. And laundry. Today we will be re-listening to the episode "The Trials Of Vacstradamus." It is about the time my Great-nephew Count Vacula turned one thousand years old. That is a big birthday. And big birthdays can also bring big responsibilities. Like laundry. When we are little vacuums, we are not expected to help our family with chores. But as we become bigger vacuums, we can learn to be kind and help out so that our grown-ups don't have to do everything by themselves. And as we have discussed, grown-ups' lives are already very hard and they do not even have light-up shoes. But they do have laundry.I do not want to spoil the story for you, but I will tell you that I am very proud of my Great-nephew Count Vacula. Sometimes the most important thing is that we try our best, even if in the process we accidentally open an interdimensional portal through time and space. It is all part of growing up. Enjoy this episode, listeners. If you are bothered that it is a re-run, just remember that there is no such thing as past or present in an indifferent and chaotic universe, and that the only thing that really matters is kindness. And clean laundry.

Yes! Cardboard Boxing Day is finally here!The day the Neighborhood waits for all the year!But we want our friends to enjoy their holiday fun,So today, we're sharing a CBDay re-run!Do you remember the story of CBDay Two?When Scotty was tense and had too much to do?He tried to make sure all his friends were okayAnd he forgot to take time to enjoy the day! And though the holidays sometimes can make folks feel stressedFrom working so very hard to deliver their best—What makes a day great isn't because it's grandiose,It's spending time with the people who matter the most!So come revisit last year's Boxing Day Eve With its cardboard creations you just won't believe!And by the end, you too will opine—“Right in this moment, everything's fine!”  

‘Tis holiday season across the land,And the best celebration of all is at hand!Cardboard Boxing Day's here, so we get to play—Building cardboard creations all through the day!But not everyone's ready for when this day ends . . .Macho wants to keep making creations for friends!He's constructing a whole Cardboard NeighborhoodAnd he's taking a lot more time than he should.He won't stop pasting and painting and priming!He won't stop drawing and cutting and rhyming!He won't listen when friends say the holiday's through!He won't even stop for the Cardboard Kaiju!The Kaiju has come for her annual dinner—She can't wait to get all that old cardboard in her!She loves to bite boxes, crunch cartons galore,Degustation of corrugation makes her heart soar!But Macho won't give her his cardboard to gobbleAnd the hungry Kaiju is starting to squabble!Her tummy's growling, she's feeling frustrations—It's her job to munch up all the creations!So what do we do when it's time to be done,But we aren't ready to stop having fun?Can Macho be macho enough to let goSo the Kaiju can have a good time, also?It'll take being brave, and grateful, and kind,But if Macho can do it, soon he will findThough happy things ending can give you the blues It feels good to share things with friends—and Kaijus!Happy Holidays, everyone—enjoy the show!

Hi, everybody, I'm back! It's me, your pal Count Vacula, with a brand-new No Filter with Count Vacula!I think you'll have a lot of fun meeting today's guest! His name is Ray Porter, and he's an actor and voice artist who's performed in all kinds of cool things! Ray has been in TV shows and movies your grown-up might have seen, like Frasier, and Argo, and Zack Snyder's Justice League—and he's been in some that you might have seen, like Curious George, and The Little Engine That Could, and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody! He's also narrated hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of audiobooks, so he's really good at doing lots of different voices and accents.To show me how he does it, Ray did a cool dragon voice, and then I did a giant's voice—and then we talked about how it's really fun to imagine how other people (or monsters!) might sound, but that you can never really tell just by looking at them. Even if someone seems scary, they could actually be a really kind person (or monster)! Something Ray and I have in common is that we both love stories! Something we don't have in common is that I like to listen to them, and he likes to read them out loud and perform them—and that's a really fun difference to have! Ray gets to record books, and I get to go and listen to them whenever I want. How cool is that?We talked about cardboard creations, and how penguins don't like cheese, and how he likes to ask new people to tell him whatever they know the most about! I think that's a great way to make friends, because someone might be an expert in something really surprising, and you'll learn a lot about it—and them!I learned a lot of things about Ray, especially that he's super fun to talk to, and a really nice person. I think you'll think he's fun and nice, too!Well, it was great talking to you again! I'll be back after the holidays with some more cool people to introduce you to, and in the meantime, I hope you'll be able to practice meeting some new people, too. If you're uncertain how to start the conversation, you could do what Ray does and ask them about the thing they know the most about, or you can just try asking them, “How were you kind today?” Have a great week, and if we don't talk before then, have a terrific Cardboard Boxing Day, too!Vac

Hi, everybody!I'm really excited about today's show, because Macho is here with me and we get to snack on his delicious “Macho Nachos” while we answer more of the cool questions listeners like you sent in this season!I can't tell you enough how much all of us in the Neighborhood love hearing from you. Whether it's a suggestion for us, or artwork you made, or sharing something that you wanted us to know about, we're always delighted to get your letters. And we're extra happy when we get to post your drawings on our Infinite Refrigerator, or answer your questions in a special episode like this one!You know, one of the awesome things about asking questions is that they can lead to really cool conversations. While Macho and I were answering this week's questions, we also talked about spaceship driving lessons, besties, scoot-juice, exercise, haberdashery . . . all kinds of stuff. We learned new things about each other and had a great time!Special thanks to Brookson, Alma, Levi, Miles, Penny, and Jori for sending in today's terrific questions—and hey Jori, here is the “Goodbye Giganticus” episode I mention in today's show. I bet someone else out there might want to hear it too, so thank you for asking your question!Well everyone, we'll be back next week—and until then be curious, be kind, and be careful driving your friend's spaceship.Scotty

Greetings, listeners. It is I, Count Vacula's Great-uncle Vacstradamus. Also known as Gruncle Vaxie. Isn't that amusing?You know what else is amusing?No, I am asking you. Please tell me.Today, my young friends, I welcome you to “Gruncle Vaxie's Grown-Up Corner.” Do not worry. This is not an episode for grown-ups. This is an episode about grown-ups.Poor grown-ups. Poor, poor grown-ups. Their lives are very hard. They work boring jobs. They never get to play tag. And they have hardly any stickers.It is very easy to forget how much your grown-up could use some kindness. But today I will share with you some of the terrible things that grown-ups have to endure, and when the episode is over, perhaps you will feel like giving your grown-up a hug. You can also tell them, "I am very sorry that a creeping awareness of the purposelessness of the universe haunts your waking hours." But maybe just a hug would be best. Well, children. That is all. I have enjoyed speaking with you today. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I even considered smiling. I look forward to considering smiling with you again. Until then, please remember to be kind and take good care of your grown-up. If you want, you could even give them a sticker. Your acquaintance, Gruncle Vaxie

Greetings, listeners. It is I, Count Vacula's Great-uncle Vacstradamus. Also known as Gruncle Vaxie. Isn't that amusing?You know what else is amusing?No, I am asking you. Please tell me.Today, my young friends, I welcome you to “Gruncle Vaxie's Grown-Up Corner.” Do not worry. This is not an episode for grown-ups. This is an episode about grown-ups.Poor grown-ups. Poor, poor grown-ups. Their lives are very hard. They work boring jobs. They never get to play tag. And they have hardly any stickers.It is very easy to forget how much your grown-up could use some kindness. But today I will share with you some of the terrible things that grown-ups have to endure, and when the episode is over, perhaps you will feel like giving your grown-up a hug. You can also tell them, "I am very sorry that a creeping awareness of the purposelessness of the universe haunts your waking hours." But maybe just a hug would be best. Well, children. That is all. I have enjoyed speaking with you today. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I even considered smiling. I look forward to considering smiling with you again. Until then, please remember to be kind and take good care of your grown-up. If you want, you could even give them a sticker. Your acquaintance, Gruncle Vaxie

Has anyone ever dared you to do something? Maybe it was something silly, like hopping on one leg all day, or only talking Pig Latin at lunchtime. Or maybe it was something that felt dangerous, like petting a strange dog, or jumping off the swings. But no matter what it was—what if you just didn't want to do it?When someone dares us to do something—is it okay to say “no”? What if we already said yes, but then we change our minds? These are some of the questions Cap'n Marion is asking in this week's episode, “Reckless Ricardo”! Today, Scotty is at Lava Avenue, where a big crowd has gathered to watch Cap'n Marion perform three difficult stunts—stunts that only the legendary pirate Reckless Ricardo has ever accomplished! She completes the first two, but when the time comes to lava-ski down the side of boiling hot Mt. Infernus on just a pair of boat paddles, Cap'n Marion isn't so sure she wants to keep going. Her sailor-sense tells her that it's not a good idea, but everyone is watching and waiting! --Will we ever know why the Dread Pirate Cummerbund kept a vat of tuna salad in his backyard?–Will Scotty survive an entire afternoon of physical exercise?–Will Cap'n Marion learn that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is say “no”?For the answers to all these questions and a high seas adventure that's sure to shiver yer timbers, hoist yer anchor and set sail with The Imagine Neighborhood!

Has anyone ever dared you to do something? Maybe it was something silly, like hopping on one leg all day, or only talking Pig Latin at lunchtime. Or maybe it was something that felt dangerous, like petting a strange dog, or jumping off the swings. But no matter what it was—what if you just didn't want to do it?When someone dares us to do something—is it okay to say “no”? What if we already said yes, but then we change our minds? These are some of the questions Cap'n Marion is asking in this week's episode, “Reckless Ricardo”! Today, Scotty is at Lava Avenue, where a big crowd has gathered to watch Cap'n Marion perform three difficult stunts—stunts that only the legendary pirate Reckless Ricardo has ever accomplished! She completes the first two, but when the time comes to lava-ski down the side of boiling hot Mt. Infernus on just a pair of boat paddles, Cap'n Marion isn't so sure she wants to keep going. Her sailor-sense tells her that it's not a good idea, but everyone is watching and waiting! --Will we ever know why the Dread Pirate Cummerbund kept a vat of tuna salad in his backyard?–Will Scotty survive an entire afternoon of physical exercise?–Will Cap'n Marion learn that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is say “no”?For the answers to all these questions and a high seas adventure that's sure to shiver yer timbers, hoist yer anchor and set sail with The Imagine Neighborhood!

Hi, everybody!Today's episode is all about one of my favorite things ever—music!I love all kinds of music. I love hip-hop and classical and mariachi and punk and jazz and reggae and folk and blues and . . . well, you get the point. One of the coolest things about music is that it can make different people feel different ways—even if they're listening to the very same song! A piece of music that fills me with energy might make someone else feel relaxed. Or a song that makes someone else smile might remind me of something sad. I think it's really fun to find out how a song makes other people feel, so I invented a game about it! It's called “Feeling Groovy,” and today I'm going to play it with Princess Donnasaurus. But you can play this game too—with your family, with your friends, or even with me! The game starts by having all the players listen to a song together. Then, they talk about the different emotions it made them feel, and the different things it made them think about. And the best part about playing “Feeling Groovy” is that there are no wrong answers and everybody wins! Do you want to play “Feeling Groovy” with me? I'd love that! After you hear today's song, you can write me and tell me how it made you feel. Or if you have a song you want to share with me, you can send me the name of the song and tell me what emotions it reminded you of. I'll listen to your song, and then I'll write back and tell you what emotions it reminded me of!I can't wait to read your letters! I'm so excited to play “Feeling Groovy" with you, and to find out—how were you kind today?Scotty

Hi, everybody!Today's episode is all about one of my favorite things ever—music!I love all kinds of music. I love hip-hop and classical and mariachi and punk and jazz and reggae and folk and blues and . . . well, you get the point. One of the coolest things about music is that it can make different people feel different ways—even if they're listening to the very same song! A piece of music that fills me with energy might make someone else feel relaxed. Or a song that makes someone else smile might remind me of something sad. I think it's really fun to find out how a song makes other people feel, so I invented a game about it! It's called “Feeling Groovy,” and today I'm going to play it with Princess Donnasaurus. But you can play this game too—with your family, with your friends, or even with me! The game starts by having all the players listen to a song together. Then, they talk about the different emotions it made them feel, and the different things it made them think about. And the best part about playing “Feeling Groovy” is that there are no wrong answers and everybody wins! Do you want to play “Feeling Groovy” with me? I'd love that! After you hear today's song, you can write me and tell me how it made you feel. Or if you have a song you want to share with me, you can send me the name of the song and tell me what emotions it reminded you of. I'll listen to your song, and then I'll write back and tell you what emotions it reminded me of!I can't wait to read your letters! I'm so excited to play “Feeling Groovy" with you, and to find out—how were you kind today?Scotty

Hi there, Listeners!  Oh, um, I mean . . .LisTINers?  Listenersesessess? . . . Hmmm...Anyway, friends—this week on The Imagine Neighborhood™ we're doing a Q&A episode, which is where we answer (As!) questions (Qs!) sent in this season by YOU, our awesome Neighbors!  Or, eh . . . Should we call you "Neighborinos". . . or maybe "Neighborlings"?Well, we'll get back to that . . .As I was saying, today Vac and I got to go through all the mail we've received this season and decided to read your messages and answer some of your letters right here on the show!  You asked some really interesting  questions about us, and about Cap'n Marion and Princess Donnasaurus, too—wanting to know about our favorite animals, our friends, and even what we do to help ourselves calm down when we feel worried!  We hope you like today's episode, and if your question didn't get answered this time, don't worry—we'll have more listener-questions in an upcoming show . . . er, um, I mean . . . listenarian-questions?  Hey, I know! How about you tell us what you'd like to be called?!Have your grown-up email us at kind@imagineneighborhood.org—or leave us a comment on our Instagram or Facebook page—and tell us what name you think friends of The Imagine Neighborhood should be called! We can't wait to read all the cool suggestions you come up with!Special thanks to Florence, Travis, Harper, and Kobe for being part of today's show. We loved getting your letters and being able to answer your questions, and most of all, we loved when you told us—how were you kind today?Have a great week, everybody, and watch out for those draggers!Scotty

Hi there, Listeners!  Oh, um, I mean . . .LisTINers?  Listenersesessess? . . . Hmmm...Anyway, friends—this week on The Imagine Neighborhood™ we're doing a Q&A episode, which is where we answer (As!) questions (Qs!) sent in this season by YOU, our awesome Neighbors!  Or, eh . . . Should we call you "Neighborinos". . . or maybe "Neighborlings"?Well, we'll get back to that . . .As I was saying, today Vac and I got to go through all the mail we've received this season and decided to read your messages and answer some of your letters right here on the show!  You asked some really interesting  questions about us, and about Cap'n Marion and Princess Donnasaurus, too—wanting to know about our favorite animals, our friends, and even what we do to help ourselves calm down when we feel worried!  We hope you like today's episode, and if your question didn't get answered this time, don't worry—we'll have more listener-questions in an upcoming show . . . er, um, I mean . . . listenarian-questions?  Hey, I know! How about you tell us what you'd like to be called?!Have your grown-up email us at kind@imagineneighborhood.org—or leave us a comment on our Instagram or Facebook page—and tell us what name you think friends of The Imagine Neighborhood should be called! We can't wait to read all the cool suggestions you come up with!Special thanks to Florence, Travis, Harper, and Kobe for being part of today's show. We loved getting your letters and being able to answer your questions, and most of all, we loved when you told us—how were you kind today?Have a great week, everybody, and watch out for those draggers!Scotty

Hey everybody, it's your pal Count Vacula! I'm super excited because today I get to share a very special BONUS episode of No Filter with you, featuring my good friend, “Weird Al” Yankovic!!He and I met last season, but we had such a terrific time getting to know each other that we talked and talked and talked and talked for so long that not all of it could be in the original show. But Al has a really awesome movie coming out today called WEIRD, The Al Yankovic Story,  so I thought it would be a great time to see if Scotty would let me share the rest of our meeting with you—and he said yes! How awesome is that?!“Weird Al's” first name is really Alfred, but everyone calls him Weird Al because he's extremely silly, and he's famous for writing and performing hilarious songs.  Most of his music is in a style called “parody,” which means that he takes other people's songs and gives them new, funny words. Some of my favorites are “Eat It”, “Yoda,” and the “Captain Underpants Theme Song.” He's so good at making songs that he's won five Grammy Awards and sold more than 12 million albums! He's also written two kids books, When I Grow Up and My New Teacher and Me.But the most important thing to know about Weird Al is that he's a really nice and kind person! And even though I'm a vampire robot vacuum and he's an accordion-playing human, we have a lot of things in common. We both like cardboard boxes, and dogs, and cereal (and he says he's a vampire like me, but I haven't seen him at any of the meetings, so I think he was probably just being playful). Weird Al told me an amazing true story about selling his old dryer lint for $600, and a hilarious made-up story about the tiny monsters that make all the echoes we hear. I had a great time hanging out with Weird Al, and I think you'll have a great time, too. Have you ever made up new lyrics to a song? Write back and let me know! And in the meantime, I hope you and your family and all your friends have a great—and weird—weekend!See you soon!Your pal,Vac

Hey everybody, it's your pal Count Vacula! I'm super excited because today I get to share a very special BONUS episode of No Filter with you, featuring my good friend, “Weird Al” Yankovic!He and I met last season, but we had such a terrific time getting to know each other that we talked and talked and talked and talked for so long that not all of it could be in the original show. But Al has a really awesome movie coming out today called WEIRD:The Al Yankovic Story, so I thought it would be a great time to see if Scotty would let me share the rest of our meeting with you—and he said yes! How awesome is that?!Weird Al's name is really Alfred, but everyone calls him Weird Al because he's extremely silly, and he's famous for writing and performing hilarious parody songs. He's so good that he's won five Grammy Awards and sold more than 12 million albums! He's also written two kids books, When I Grow Up and My New Teacher and Me!The most important thing to know about Weird Al is that he's a really nice and kind person! I had a great time hanging out with him, and I think you'll have a great time, too. Have you ever made up new lyrics to a song? Write back and let me know! And in the meantime, I hope you and your family and all your friends have a great—and weird—weekend!See you soon!Your pal,Vac

Everyone makes mistakes, and that's okay. What's important is what we do after the mistake to help make things right! One of the very first things someone can do to help make things right is to apologize. But what if the person apologizing doesn't really mean it? Is it enough to just say the words, “I'm sorry”? And do you have to accept an apology even if it isn't sincere?Evil Billionaire Hamster Tantrumus Maximus sure thinks so! In this week's episode, Tantrumus is feeling very frustrated. He thinks that because he's rich he should get attention and power, so he's decided to trick Princess Donnasaurus into making him ruler of the Neighborhood! He's also decided that he can get away with hurting people's feelings and doing unkind things just as long as he says “I'm sorry” afterwards—even if he isn't the least bit sorry at all!Will Scotty be able to scrape all the jam and birdseed off himself before the local sparrows decide it's lunchtime?Will Princess Donnasaurus have to go live with Harry and Meghan?Will Tantrumus ever learn about the importance of empathy?To find out the answers to these questions (and whether we all have to start calling Tantrumus “Your Highness”), sneak past the cream-pie Palace Guards and tune in to this week's fantastic fable of forgiveness from The Imagine Neighborhood! 

Everyone makes mistakes, and that's okay. What's important is what we do after the mistake to help make things right! One of the very first things someone can do to help make things right is to apologize. But what if the person apologizing doesn't really mean it? Is it enough to just say the words, “I'm sorry”? And do you have to accept an apology even if it isn't sincere?Evil Billionaire Hamster Tantrumus Maximus sure thinks so! In this week's episode, Tantrumus is feeling very frustrated. He thinks that because he's rich he should get attention and power, so he's decided to trick Princess Donnasaurus into making him ruler of the Neighborhood! He's also decided that he can get away with hurting people's feelings and doing unkind things just as long as he says “I'm sorry” afterwards—even if he isn't the least bit sorry at all!Will Scotty be able to scrape all the jam and birdseed off himself before the local sparrows decide it's lunchtime?Will Princess Donnasaurus have to go live with Harry and Meghan?Will Tantrumus ever learn about the importance of empathy?To find out the answers to these questions (and whether we all have to start calling Tantrumus “Your Highness”), sneak past the cream-pie Palace Guards and tune in to this week's fantastic fable of forgiveness from The Imagine Neighborhood! 

It's the season for tricks and treats, and here in the Neighborhood, we love to celebrate Halloween with scary decorations and all kinds of spooky fun! But what makes something scary? Is everybody scared by the same things? Scotty and Vac thought so, until they invited Alakazambra over to see the cool haunted house they made last year. It had monsters, and alien eggs, and bowls of eyeballs . . . and Alakazambra wasn't frightened at all! It turns out that when you've been battling demons for thousands of years, a mummy made of toilet paper just isn't very exciting.At first Scotty and Vac were a little disappointed. But when Alakazambra invited them over to visit her haunted house, they couldn't wait to find out what kinds of chills and thrills a powerful sorceress puts together when she wants to have some frightening fun! Would they discover demons? Hordes of howling banshees? Gruesome ghosts? Or, um . . . is that a kitten?!Did Alakazambra learn that different people can feel differently about things, and that's okay?Did Scotty survive the tiny tot talent show?Are we sure that not everyone is afraid of Nickelback?To find out, grab your most ghoulish getup and get ready to revisit one of the eeriest episodes ever of The Imagine Neighborhood! 

It's the season for tricks and treats, and here in the Neighborhood, we love to celebrate Halloween with scary decorations and all kinds of spooky fun! But what makes something scary? Is everybody scared by the same things? Scotty and Vac thought so, until they invited Alakazambra over to see the cool haunted house they made last year. It had monsters, and alien eggs, and bowls of eyeballs . . . and Alakazambra wasn't frightened at all! It turns out that when you've been battling demons for thousands of years, a mummy made of toilet paper just isn't very exciting.At first Scotty and Vac were a little disappointed. But when Alakazambra invited them over to visit her haunted house, they couldn't wait to find out what kinds of chills and thrills a powerful sorceress puts together when she wants to have some frightening fun! Would they discover demons? Hordes of howling banshees? Gruesome ghosts? Or, um . . . is that a kitten?!Did Alakazambra learn that different people can feel differently about things, and that's okay?Did Scotty survive the tiny tot talent show?Are we sure that not everyone is afraid of Nickelback?To find out, grab your most ghoulish getup and get ready to revisit one of the eeriest episodes ever of The Imagine Neighborhood! 

Hey there, everybody! It's me, Count Vacula, bringing you a brand-new No Filter with Count Vacula and a brand-new friend to meet!I'm so excited about today's guest! Her name is Kari Byron and most people know her from the TV show MythBusters, where Kari and her friends conducted all kinds of crazy science experiments to learn the truth about things. They tested everything from whether elephants are actually scared of mice (they aren't) to whether a person can really climb a building on a rope of human hair like Rapunzel's prince did (they can)!  Kari loves learning so much that she even started a kids' content platform called EXPLR—it's full of amazing science videos that teachers and families can use to help 5th–10th graders learn more about the world. Kari and I have a lot of things in common, including the fact that we both like to eat delicious bugs! I eat them when they fall under the couch, but Kari buys hers specially. She even brought a bag of chocolate-covered crickets to the show! She taught me that eating food made from insects is a great way to help the planet, because they're full of protein and it's really easy to make more of them. But you probably shouldn't eat any bugs unless your grown-up gives them to you.Kari and I talked about toilet monsters, and cardboard spaceships, and how you need to keep practicing at things if you want to get them right. That's why I keep practicing my getting-to-know-you skills! Making new friends can be difficult, or even feel a little scary—but the more I keep doing it, the better I get at it and the more confident I feel, even when I meet a TV star like Kari!It was super fun getting to know Kari, and I think you're going to have a great time too!I'll be back after awhile with another new person for you to meet, but until then, I hope you're practicing making friends and meeting new people. Is there someone you made friends with who you really like? Write me and tell me about them! I want to know what you have in common with them, and what you don't have in common with them, but most importantly, I'd love to know—how were you kind today?See you soon, pal!Vac

If you wanted a glass of juice, you wouldn't ask for a glass of moose, would you?If you wanted to go to the park, you wouldn't ask to go to the shark, would you?Using the correct name for things is important—and using the correct name for a person is even more important! Because if you call your juice a moose, no one's feelings will get hurt. But a person's name is a big part of their identity, and saying their name wrong can make them feel very sad . . . in fact, in this week's episode, calling someone by the wrong name can even make them turn invisible!This week, we finally get to meet Alakazambra's wizard boyfriend, Bandersnatch Countyseat! It's Bandersnatch's birthday, and a monster surprise party is in the works—but Bandersnatch isn't really in a party mood. Everyone keeps saying his name wrong, and every time they do, a little piece of him fades away. And if the gang can't fix the problem in time, Bandersnatch may disappear completely!Will Scotty ever learn to say Bandersnatch Countyseat's name right?Will the multiplication table run out of treats before the party starts?Will Alakazambra and Bandersnatch ever stop grossing us out with their lovey-dovey whispering?To find out, put on your party hat and get ready to belt out “Happy Birthday” to Butternut . . . um, Bandicoot . . . um, Bandersnatch Countyseat in today's transparently terrific tale from The Imagine Neighborhood!

If you wanted a glass of juice, you wouldn't ask for a glass of moose, would you?If you wanted to go to the park, you wouldn't ask to go to the shark, would you?Using the correct name for things is important—and using the correct name for a person is even more important! Because if you call your juice a moose, no one's feelings will get hurt. But a person's name is a big part of their identity, and saying their name wrong can make them feel very sad . . . in fact, in this week's episode, calling someone by the wrong name can even make them turn invisible!This week, we finally get to meet Alakazambra's wizard boyfriend, Bandersnatch Countyseat! It's Bandersnatch's birthday, and a monster surprise party is in the works—but Bandersnatch isn't really in a party mood. Everyone keeps saying his name wrong, and every time they do, a little piece of him fades away. And if the gang can't fix the problem in time, Bandersnatch may disappear completely!Will Scotty ever learn to say Bandersnatch Countyseat's name right?Will the multiplication table run out of treats before the party starts?Will Alakazambra and Bandersnatch ever stop grossing us out with their lovey-dovey whispering?To find out, put on your party hat and get ready to belt out “Happy Birthday” to Butternut . . . um, Bandicoot . . . um, Bandersnatch Countyseat in today's transparently terrific tale from The Imagine Neighborhood!

Hi there, everybody! It's me, your pal Count Vacula, bringing you a new No Filter with Count Vacula, and introducing you to another interesting new friend!Today's guest is Dr. Marion Nestle, PhD! Her favorite thing (and one of my favorite things, and probably one of your favorite things, too) is food! She has spent her whole life studying food, and her main job is teaching people about the best foods to help keep your body—and even your pets' bodies—healthy and strong. Sometimes we choose our food based just on how it tastes on our tongue, but Dr. Marion taught me the word “nutrition,” which is how we describe the ways the other parts of our body react to food. Our muscles and our bones and our hair and even our mood can be affected by what we eat! I think that's so cool to know about!Dr. Marion gives lectures about food and nutrition all over the world, and she teaches at colleges, and she also writes books. They're mostly for grown-ups, but she has one called Eat Drink Vote that's filled with cartoons we think you and your family might like. Dr. Marion talked to me about greenhouses, and about how some “junk” food (like her favorite—ice cream!) is ok to eat if you don't overdo it. She also explained to me that she is uncomfortable making up answers to questions, so instead of giving a silly wrong answer to our science question, she explained the real reason why humans sweat, and that was really awesome! I liked learning the answer, but I also liked that she told me how she was feeling. It was really fun to meet Dr. Marion, and I think you'll have fun meeting her too! I'll be back in a couple of weeks with another new friend for you to meet. Have you met anyone new and interesting? Tell me about it! Or just let me know—how were you kind today?Your friend,Vac

Hi there, everybody! It's me, your pal Count Vacula, bringing you a new No Filter with Count Vacula, and introducing you to another interesting new friend!Today's guest is Dr. Marion Nestle, PhD! Her favorite thing (and one of my favorite things, and probably one of your favorite things, too) is food! She has spent her whole life studying food, and her main job is teaching people about the best foods to help keep your body—and even your pets' bodies—healthy and strong. Sometimes we choose our food based just on how it tastes on our tongue, but Dr. Marion taught me the word “nutrition,” which is how we describe the ways the other parts of our body react to food. Our muscles and our bones and our hair and even our mood can be affected by what we eat! I think that's so cool to know about!Dr. Marion gives lectures about food and nutrition all over the world, and she teaches at colleges, and she also writes books. They're mostly for grown-ups, but she has one called Eat Drink Vote that's filled with cartoons we think you and your family might like. Dr. Marion talked to me about greenhouses, and about how some “junk” food (like her favorite—ice cream!) is ok to eat if you don't overdo it. She also explained to me that she is uncomfortable making up answers to questions, so instead of giving a silly wrong answer to our science question, she explained the real reason why humans sweat, and that was really awesome! I liked learning the answer, but I also liked that she told me how she was feeling. It was really fun to meet Dr. Marion, and I think you'll have fun meeting her too! I'll be back in a couple of weeks with another new friend for you to meet. Have you met anyone new and interesting? Tell me about it! Or just let me know—how were you kind today?Your friend,Vac

Do you call it a see-saw, or a teeter-totter? Do you call it soda, or pop? Do you say wash, or warsh? Do you call them sneakers, or tennis shoes, or maybe kicks?  Do you “get ready” to do something, or “fix” to do it?  The way that people speak is called their “dialect,” and these are all examples of various dialects. Your dialect can reflect a lot of things about your identity—like your ethnic or cultural heritage, what part of the country you live in, and even where your neighborhood is.  Fun fact! We all learned to speak in ways that are a little bit different from each other, which means that everyone has at least one dialect—yes, even you! And some people learn to speak in more than one dialect, which can come in very handy. In fact, this week, having different dialects saves the day in The Imagine Neighborhood!  Today, Scotty, Alakazambra, and Miss Mamas are on an Epic Quest to find the enchanted spellbook The Glamoire. But the book is hidden deep inside the diabolical Temple of 'Do, which is filled with tricky booby traps . . . and Scotty falls into all of them! Miss Mamas and Alakazambra take turns casting wizarding spells in each of their own dialects, and together they save Scotty, get The Glamoire, and learn that the way everybody speaks is magical! Will Scotty be able to tootsie-roll his way out of the bottomless pit?Will Alakazambra and Miss Mamas uncover the speech secrets of The Glamoire?Why did it have to be snakes? For all the answers, grab thine magic wand, your curling wand, or whatever enchanting accessory reflects your identity, and get ready to get caught up in today's spellbinding episode of The Imagine Neighborhood! 

Oh boy oh boy! Hey, friends! It's me—Count Vacula, starting off a brand-new season of No Filter with Count Vacula just for you!My first guest is named Riley Black, and she has maybe the most fun job in the world. She's a paleontologist, which means she studies dinosaurs! And Riley doesn't just study them—she's an explorer who hunts for fossils and dinosaur bones in the desert. Riley loves to learn all about the way the world was millions of years ago, and she also loves to teach other people about it, so she writes articles and books, and she even helped make the movie Jurassic World!Riley and I have a lot in common, like, we both love dinosaurs (although her neighborhood doesn't have a Princess dinosaur like mine does), and we both love to taste rocks! Riley does it to help her know what kind of rock it is, and I do it just because I think they're delicious. (But you should be careful to not lick any rocks unless you ask your grown-ups first.)Riley talked to me about her favorite dinosaur (Allosaurus!), and about how she loves to be kind to her dog, and she also told me a terrific made-up story about why werewolves love fireworks. I really liked meeting Riley, and I think you'll like meeting her too! I'll be back soon with more new friends for you to meet, and I hope you've been making some fun new friends of your own! You can write in and tell me all about it, or just let me know, how were you kind today?See you soon!Your pal,Vac

Have you ever done something good, and it made you feel great about yourself? That happy feeling is called being proud. Maybe you felt proud of yourself for picking up your toys before someone asked you to, or when you learned something difficult like riding a bike or doing subtraction. We often feel proud when we do something special—but did you know you can also just be proud of all of the things that make you who you are? You can be proud of your family's heritage, and where you come from. You can be proud of liking to read, or how much you care about your friends. You can be proud of being someone who always tries their best. You can be proud of all the different parts of your identity, because they are what make you, you!In today's episode of The Imagine Neighborhood, Count Vacula isn't sure if it's okay to just feel proud of who he is. In fact, Vac's worried that he might need a secret superhero identity before he can feel proud. And when bossy Queen Hastabee kidnaps Scotty to teach him a lesson about how cereal “hastabee,” Vac decides that the only way to save him is to put on a cape and become Captain Vactacular!Will Scotty finish eating his Choco-berry Marshmallow Bransplosion before Queen Hastabee takes it away from him?Will Vac learn that he's always been a hero, and that the things he can be proud of are already part of his own identity? Will Queen Hastabee ever get the Crunchulator sugar frosting out of her Supervillain outfit?To find out, grab a bowl and spoon and get ready to enjoy your recommended daily allowance of The Imagine Neighborhood! 

What are the things that make you, you? Some parts of who you are come from where you live or what culture you grew up in. Some of your identity can be physical, like how tall or short you are. Some of who you are includes the things you enjoy doing, like making art or playing sports. Your identity is full of unique and interesting things that make you the person that you are!But what happens when you tell someone who you are, and they don't believe you?In this week's installment of The Imagine Neighborhood, Princess Donnasaurus has sent her Poll-a-Keet out to make sure that the Royal Records are up to date on important things like everyone's birthdays, favorite colors, and gender. But when Count Vacula says he's a boy, the Poll-a-Keet insists that anyone who looks like a vacuum can't be a boy.That makes Vac wonder—What makes someone a boy? Is it the things that you like to do? Is it what your friends say? How does someone know for sure if they are a boy or not?It'll take an Epic Quest, sardine pancakes, and macho manicures for Vac to learn that there's no one right way to be a boy, or a girl, or anything else, and that the person who knows you best—is you!For activities based on this episode, have your grown-up sign up for our weekly Wednesday newsletter—but right now, get ready to find out who likes lemonade, who can do a thousand-and-one pushups, and who's a pretty bird on today's exciting episode of The Imagine Neighborhood™! Further reading:https://allstatefoundation.org/https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2780234Everymom

Hi there, listeners!Summer's almost over, but (buuuu-uuuuuut!) that's good news—because it means that a brand new season of The Imagine Neighborhood is right around the corner!Everyone here is so excited to share all of our exciting new adventures, and introduce you to all of our awesome new friends!  In Season Five we'll ride roller coasters, find wizard treasure, talk to space chickens, steal tiny spoons, do feats of daring, throw birthday parties, stop a royal rout, and of course, eat lots and lots and LOTS of cereal—so ask your grownup to get on our mailing list and get ready to spend some time with us in The Imagine Neighborhood!

Avast, ye landlubbing listeners!It be I, Cap'n Marion, sendin' ye a piratey postcard direct from the deck of the Burn Voyage! Are ye havin' a swashbucklin' summer? I surely be! For I be spendin' me summer tellin' me friends—and even me enemies!—"I love you!" And how does a scurvy sailor such as myself say "I love you"? Why, with compliments, o' course! Just this mornin' I told one o' the Fire Pirates that his hook glittered like a dolphin in the sun. And I told me adoptive mother that her laugh makes me happier than a treasure chest full o' gold!How do ye say "I love you"? Let me know! Put yer message in a bottle and send it to kind@imagineneighborhood.org, and I'll make sure that Scotty rewards each and every one of ye beautiful buccaneers with a sticker!Well mateys, keep yer sails to the wind and yer booty off the barnacles, and I'll see you soon back at The Imagine Neighborhood!PS: If ye be sailin' near Madison, Wisconsin on August 18th, drop anchor at the Alicia Ashman Library where they be hostin' a kids' podcast listenin' pARRRty all about The Imagine Neighborhood!PPS: AYE love you!!