What’s Happening Inside Me?

How does the immune system work? What happens inside your body when you encounter germs?

In this episode of What’s Happening Inside Me?, we’re explaining the immune system for kids and discovering how the body protects itself from bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other things that can make us sick.

Sloane and Ransom learn that the immune system isn’t just one organ—it’s a whole-body defense system made up of cells, tissues, organs, and protective barriers.We start with the body's first lines of defense, including skin, mucus, tears, saliva, and stomach acid, and learn...

Have you ever wondered how your brain knows when you touch something cold? Or how your heart keeps beating while you're asleep?

In this episode, Sloane and Ransom finally get answers to some questions they've been asking for months! Together, we explore the amazing nervous system—the body's communication and control center.

Kids will learn how the brain, spinal cord, and nerves work together to send messages throughout the body, why some nerve cells can be longer than Ransom is tall, and the difference between things your body does on purpose and things it does automatically.

In this fun Questions from Listeners episode, we explore the amazing science behind your voice!
Have you ever wondered:
🎤 How do we talk?
🎶 What makes humming sound different from singing?
😮 And what exactly ARE vocal cords anyway?

Join Audra — former teacher, emergency room PA, and mom of four curious kids — as she answers a some great questions that Theo from Maryland asks.  She breaks down how air from our lungs, vibrating vocal cords, and sound waves all work together to create the sounds we make every day.

Kids will learn:
🫁 How breathing helps u...

What’s inside the human heart? In this kid-friendly episode of What’s Happening Inside Me?, we explore the anatomy of the heart in a fun and easy-to-understand way!

Building on what we learned about the heart’s double pump and two blood flow tracks, this episode breaks down the structure of the heart, including the four chambers, four valves, and major blood vessels. Kids will learn how blood moves through the heart, why valves are important, and how the heart works with the lungs and body to keep us alive and energized.

Perfect for elementary-aged kids...

Hi friends!

We wanted to share a quick update with you. We know we usually release new episodes on the first Friday of each month, and we’re so sorry to miss that schedule this time.

We’ve been dealing with some unexpected technical difficulties behind the scenes—specifically with our editing (and our very important sound effects!). We want each episode to be just right, and that means making sure all the fun sounds you love are included. 

The good news is—we’re actively working on fixing the issue and plan to release our...

❤️ After last episode, did you start to wonder WHY the heart has two tracks for pumping blood?

🫀 In this episode of What’s Happening Inside Me?, Audra is joined by her kids, Sloane and Ransom as they dive deeper into the amazing double-pump heart. Building on last week’s episode, they explore why the heart pumps blood in two separate loops—one delivering oxygen to the whole body, and the other refilling blood with oxygen in the lungs. Using fun metaphors and kid-friendly explanations, they connect the heart to other systems in the body, including:
Cells and mitochondria...

❤️ What’s Happening Inside My Heart? Valentine’s Day is coming up, and that means hearts are everywhere! 💕
But… have you ever wondered what a real heart actually looks like—and what it really does? In this episode of What’s Happening Inside Me?, Audra is joined by Sloane and new co-host Ransom to talk all about the human heart. Together, they discover that real hearts don’t look like Valentine’s candy hearts at all—and that the heart is actually a pretty amazing double-pump machine! Using fun comparisons like stomp rockets and Hot Wheels tracks, kids learn how the hear...

We’re back! What’s Happening Inside Me? is returning with brand-new episodes—now released on the first Friday of every month. You’ll still hear fun, kid-friendly explanations about the human body, plus occasional bonus episodes, listener questions, and two-part deep dives.

We’re also excited to welcome a new co-host, Ransom, joining Audra and Sloane on the mic! Our next episode drops February 6, so be sure to subscribe and mark your calendar—we can’t wait to explore what’s happening inside you!

💡 Enjoying What’s Happening Inside Me?
If you loved...

In this follow-up episode on the integumentary system, we explore the amazing ways our skin keeps us safe, healthy, and balanced every single day. Last week, we learned what the skin is made of — this week, we focus on what it does for us and why we truly couldn’t live without it.

Sloane continues doubting if skin is really that important… and ends up discovering it’s one of the most essential systems in the entire body!

In this episode, kids learn how the skin:
Acts like a protective wall, keeping germs outHelps prevent dehydrat...

Sloane thinks skin is no big deal — until she finds out it’s actually an entire body system!

In this episode, Audra and Sloane explore the integumentary system — the body’s amazing outer layer of protection. Together, they discover that skin isn’t just skin — it’s the largest organ in our body and part of a team that includes hair, nails, and glands. From sweat to earwax to milk (wait… what?!), this episode uncovers the gross, cool, and important jobs your skin does every day. 

What Kids Will Learn
The integumentary system is made up of the skin, h...

This week’s listener question comes from Dom, from Pennsylvania, who asked: “How many times do you have to get hit to have a concussion in football?”

That’s a really good question — and one that every kid (and parent!) who plays sports should understand!

In this episode, we talk about:
⚡ What a concussion is and why doctors call it a “mild traumatic brain injury.”
🏈 How our brains get hurt — from hits, hard stops, and even whiplash.
💫 What symptoms can happen when the brain gets injured.
🦺 And how to keep your brain safe by wearing helmets, pl...

It’s Halloween week — and Sloane has an idea! 👻
This time, she convinces Mom to share some of her “scary” stories from the ER. Don’t worry — these stories aren’t too scary, but they’re definitely interesting, a little gross, and packed with lessons to keep kids safe. 💀 From fishhooks to helmets to beads (and even blood!), this episode has it all.

You’ll hear:
🪝 A fishing trip gone wrong — and what happens when a fishhook ends up in someone’s cheek.
🚴‍♀️ A bike ride that turned into a real-life lesson about helmets.
💎 A bead-in-the-nose story that might sound f...

My brother told me I had to do an episode on burps and farts… so here it is!

Let’s be honest — everyone does it. But have you ever wondered why? In this episode, Sloane and I dive into the science behind burping and tooting. We’ll talk about what’s really going on inside when gas builds up, why it’s totally normal, and how our amazing body systems all work together to make it happen. We’ll learn about:
What happens when you swallow air (and where it goes!)The tiny bacteria living inside you that make gasF...

Ever wondered what your belly button actually does? (Spoiler alert: not much!) But don’t worry — that tiny spot on your tummy used to be one of the most important parts of your body when you were a baby growing inside your mom!

In this episode, Audra — a former teacher, emergency room PA, and mom of four curious kids — takes listeners back to before they were even born to explain how the umbilical cord and placenta helped them eat, breathe, and grow long before their actual birth day. 

Kids will learn:
🩸 How oxygen and nutrients travel from...

What’s smaller than small and busier than busy? It’s the cell—the tiny building block of every living thing! In this episode, Audra and her 8-year-old cohost Sloane explore what cells are, where we find them, and why they’re so important. Using fun examples (and a few Lego bricks), they zoom in layer by layer—from body systems to organs to tissues—all the way down to the microscopic world inside every cell. Along the way, they meet three superstar organelles:
🧠 Nucleus – the control center that holds DNA, the instructions for building you⚡ Mitochondria – the “powerhouse” that turns food and oxyge...

✨ Questions from Listeners: Why Do I Get Hiccups? 
Submit your own question at WHIMpodcast.com/contact-us

✨ Laura sent in a fantastic question for today’s Questions from Listeners episode:
👉 Why do I get hiccups, and what are they?

If you’ve ever had hiccups, you know how annoying they can be. But what’s actually going on inside your body when they happen?

In this episode, we’ll:
✅ Discuss how your body breathes with the help of your diaphragm and intercostal muscles
✅ Learn why nothing sucks in science (and how air really gets into...

Click HERE to visit our site and get activity pages to support today's learning!

Welcome to What’s Happening Inside Me? In this episode, we will go on a journey to discover how our bones heal when they break.

Last week, we kicked off the season with a special guest, Lea, one of Sloane’s school friends with a broken arm. Now, we’re diving into one of the body’s coolest secrets: how do bones repair themselves after a fracture?

In this episode, you’ll learn:
🦴 The difference between a fracture and a broken bone...

Click HERE to get FREE activity sheets to go along with today's episode.

🦴✨ We all know we have bones—but did you know they’re some of the busiest parts of your body? In this episode, Sloane brings her friend Lea (who just broke her arm!) to ask what bones actually do. Spoiler: they do way more than just sit there! 

Join us as we discover how bones…
🔹 Protect our soft organs like armor
🔹 Give our body structure (so we’re not a squishy pile!)
🔹 Work with muscles to help us move
🔹 Store minerals (like calci...

Hey listeners! You’re probably wondering where we’ve been. We had to end our summer season a little early because Sloane and I both got really sick—two weeks without a voice (that’s called laryngitis!) plus high fevers making us feel terrible plus a bad cough that just wouldn't go away meant no recording.

But don’t worry—those last two planned episodes will be back in Season 3! 🎉 New episodes start September 19 with fun topics like bones, lots of listener questions, and the much-requested Crazy Stories from the Emergency Room!

In the meantime, follow us on Instagram...

This week, we’re diving even deeper into the ear! In this second part of our ear adventure, Audra and Sloane explore ear infections—and what happens when you get those little ear tubes some kids need to help!

We’ll talk about:
👂 Swimmer’s ear vs. middle ear infections
🦠 What causes all that pressure and pain
🧫 How doctors figure out what’s going on
🧴 How medicine or ear drops help
🔊 And of course—ear tubes! What they are, why some kids get them, and how they help keep ears healthy and clear.

If your child has...

🎧 No New Episode This Week — But Come See Us in Person!

Stay in touch on our website HERE

We’re taking a short break from new episodes this week, but for a good reason — we’re getting ready for TWO fun family events happening this Saturday, July 19th in the Pittsburgh area!

🎉 Come meet us, spin the prize wheel, enter a raffle to be on the show, and grab some free WHIM podcast goodies!

🕛 Event #1: Macaroni Kid’s Party Palooza
📍 Dave & Buster’s, The Waterfront
⏰ 12–3 PM
🎈 Stop by our table and say hi!

🎂...

Click HERE for free downloadable pages to go with this episode

🎧 Episode Title: How Do Ears Work? A Journey Into Hearing! 

🧠 Episode Summary:
In this episode of What’s Happening Inside Me?, Sloane has a big question after dealing with an ear infection: What’s actually going on inside our ears? Why do kids get ear infections? What is an eardrum? How do we hear sounds? Join us for a fun, kid-friendly adventure into the science of hearing, the anatomy of the ear, and the journey sound waves take from your ears to your brain.

👂...

Got questions? We’ve got answers! In this special “Questions from Listeners” episode, Sloane and Audra tackle some curious questions sent in by real kids just like you! 🩸 How much blood is actually in our bodies?

🟥 Why is blood red?
🔵 And wait… if blood is red, why do veins look blue??

We’ll talk about the science of blood, a little light magic (aka optics!), and why your skin plays a trick on your eyes when you look at your veins. As always, it’s silly, smart, and packed with kid-friendly facts! Perfect for curious kids ages 4–12
<...

Get ready to go on a potty-powered adventure! In this episode of What’s Happening Inside Me?, we’re flushing out all the facts about pee (urine) — what it is, why we make it, and how it leaves the body! 💦

Join Audra and Sloane as they explore your body’s amazing urinary system, following the journey from your blood to the bathroom! You’ll learn about:
🧽 How your kidneys act like filters, cleaning your blood
🌊 How pee travels through ureters, into your bladder, and out through the urethra
⚗️ What pee is made of (hint: it’s more than just water!)<...

CLICK HERE to join our mailing list for free printables and activites to go along with the episode 

Get ready to keep the blood adventure going in this brand-new episode of What’s Happening Inside Me?! 

🩸 This time, Audra and Sloane are diving into the amazing highways and roads of the body — your blood vessels! Find out how blood travels to every tiny part of your body and what happens when you get a cut, scrape, or bruise!

You'll learn about:
🔴 Arteries — the big blood highways that carry fresh, oxygen-filled blood from your heart 🚗❤️

CLICK HERE for fun freebies and activities that go along with the episode

Welcome back to What’s Happening Inside Me? — the fun, kid-friendly podcast where we explore the amazing human body! Season 2 kicks off with a spooktacular episode all about blood — and what better way to learn than by making a pretend bowl of “Vampire Soup”? 🧛‍♂️🍲

In this episode, Audra and Sloane mix up a silly (but super scientific) soup to teach kids the important components of blood — including:
🔴 Red blood cells (carrying oxygen to your body!)
⚪ White blood cells (the brave defenders that fight germs!)
💧 Pla...

🎉 Season Wrap-Up! What’s Next for What’s Happening Inside Me? 🎉We did it! In this special episode, we're wrapping up our very first mini season of What’s Happening Inside Me?—and what a ride it’s been! With 6 amazing core episodes, a bonus guest interview, and a super fun Q&A episode with questions from YOU, we’re celebrating everything we learned, laughed about, and loved. 💛✨ Here’s what’s inside this episode:A HUGE thank you for supporting our first season 🙌A sneak peek at what’s coming in Season 2 (hint: blood! ears! bones! pee!) 🩸👂🦴💦A teaser for ou...

🎙️ NEW EPISODE: Autism Acceptance Month Special — Meet Our First Guest!

In this special episode of What's Happening Inside Me?, we're celebrating Autism Acceptance Month with our very first guest interview! Join us as we chat with Jill Calkins, a first-grade teacher and proud mom of an autistic son, who helps us understand what autism is and how we can be great friends to people whose brains work a little differently.Perfect for kids ages 4–12 (and their grown-ups!), this episode explores:
What autism means in a kid-friend...

CLICK HERE for free activity pages that go along with the episode!

In this exciting episode of What’s Happening Inside Me?, we explore the unsung heroes of the digestive system—the accessory organs!  These organs may not be part of the main digestive tract, but they play essential roles in helping our bodies break down food and stay healthy.  Designed for curious kids ages 4–12, this episode introduces listeners to the teeth, salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. We learn how they...

🎉 Bonus Episode – What’s Happening Inside Me When I Throw Up? 🤢

In this special bonus episode of What’s Happening Inside Me?, we’re answering a listener-submitted question that kids everywhere are curious about: “What’s  happening inside me when I throw up?”Following our recent deep dive into the digestive system, this episode takes a closer look at the science behind vomiting—what triggers it, how your stomach and brain work together to make it happen, and why it’s sometimes actually a good thing! 🤯💡Perfect for curious kids ages 4–12 (and the grown-ups who love learning w...

CLICK HERE for free activity pages that go along with the episode!

Have you ever wondered what happens to your food after you swallow it? 🤔 Well, buckle up and grab your floaties because in this episode of What's Happening Inside Me?, we’re taking a wild ride through the digestive system—just like a water park! 🌊🎢From the moment you take a bite, your food goes on an exciting adventure, slipping, sliding, and splashing through your body. We’ll follow it down the esophagus water slide, into the stomach wave pool, thro...