Welcome to the first edition of Ping and Echo, a daily newsletter that links to one amazing podcast episode that is guaranteed to be a great listen for kids and their families. Each newsletter includes links to articles, videos and activities related to the podcast so you can turn every episode into an adventure.
Today’s episode is from 99% Invisible, and includes all the elements of a great adventure: Underwater exploration, dramatic science, and incredible animals from the deep. In fact, this was the episode that gave me the idea for this newsletter. My kids and I listened to it together and immediately began thinking about ways to build out own bathyshpere. We are excited to see what your kids make.
Podcast: 99% Invisible
Episode: Bathysphere
Length: 24 minutes
🧐 You Should Know
I’ll always give you a heads up if there is anything in the podcast that might surprise or worry kids. There is one brief, passing mention of an expedition that went bad and two people were killed, my kids didn’t notice it, nor was it substantial to the story.
💡 Try This
After you listen to the episode you can go a bit deeper into undersea exploration with the links and activities below:
Invent and draw your own deep sea animals
🔎 Explore More
Read up on the science and technology behind this episode with these links:
The Hollow Steel Ball That Changed Ocean Exploration Forever - Atlas Obscura
Commemorating A Milestone in Ocean Exploration - National Geographic
How the Diving Bell Opened the Ocean's Depths - The Atlantic
The name Ping and Echo comes from sonar technology which relies on sending out “pings” and receiving back “echos” to discover the world around you. You can send us pictures of the art and activities created by your kids. Email them to pingandecho@gmail.com and we’ll post all your echos on our Twitter page.
That’s it. I promise to keep this short. I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for lending me your ears and your inbox.