Buttons & Figs

On this episode we get to wordplay with Dirk, a talking chipmunk! Which means we're sailing our sieve to talk with Kenny Curtis, host, DJ, and animal wrangler for his radio show, The Animal Farm, which airs on Sirius XM Channel 78, Kids Place Live. You'll get to hear about the talking animals on Kenny's radio show, a bit of history about satellite radio, and learn about some of the music and podcast projects he works on. You'll also hear from some Buttons & Figs kids who have a few animal suggestions for Kenny's Animal Farm...not to mention a few interrupting animal jokes, because it's always fun to yell into a microphone! Starring Buttons & Figs kids: Alex, Brooklyn, Evelyn, Georgia and Noah To tune in and listen to Kenny Curtis be sure to check out: Sirius XM Kids Place Live https://www.siriusxm.com/channels/kids-place-live Nat Geo Kids Greeking Out podcast https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/zeus-the-mighty/topic/podcast The Ten News podcast https://www.thetennews.com/ Connections made by Sugar Moun

In celebration of National Poetry Month we have a special guest - Phoenix's Youth Poet Laureate Annika Clark! In this episode we talk with Annika about how she came to be the youth poet laureate of Phoenix, how she fell in love with poetry, and what inspires her to write poetry...but best of all, you get to hear a poem she wrote for her little sister, titled "For Grace". She also shares the poetry prompt that inspired her to write the poem, so you can write a poem for someone special too! If you'd like to hear more about the Phoenix Youth Poetry Program, visit CYAZ.org. If you'd like to start a youth poetry program, visit UrbanWordNYC.org. And if you'd like to read and learn about poets visit poetryfoundation.org You can also follow Phoenix Youth Poets on Instagram at @phxyouthpoetlaureateprogram Interview captured on Zoom, SFX from Zapsplat and Garageband

Happy National Poetry Month! We love listening, reading and writing poetry during April and we hope you do too! Here's a poem I wrote, hope you'll say it along with me, it's called, Pails of Shoeshine. You can find the words on our YouTube channel so you can Say-a-Long Verse with me! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN1KmnzEa8I&t=30s Pails of Shoeshine written by Pamela Rogers Ukulele by Pamela Rogers Beats created with LOC's Citizen DJ and Garageband

Epic Encore: Once again...Nonsense appeared to be on a collision course with reason...presenting Buttons & Figs and the Oyster Actors on the Air in The War of the Fools. It was on this day, April 1st, in which weird happenings began to happen. Reporters began to report reportable events, reportable strange happenings, reportable odd sightings - a meat shower, a weird alphabet song, odd creatures sailing in a sieve making demands...what if it were all true?! Featuring voices from the pod-o-sphere, including The Past & The Curious, Composer Dad, and What If World. Tune in to Buttons & Figs to find out what the reporters are reporting this April Fool’s day. btw...does anyone have any stilton cheese?! Take care out there.

Do you like to say the words, Activity Books? Do you like all the puzzles and games found in Activity Books? Then you'll love comedy musician Mike Phirman's new album titled, "Activity Books". In this episode you'll get to hear one of the songs from his new EP, "Word Search/Vacuum", featuring the voice of Weird Al Yankovich, and you'll get to hear our funny and fabulous interview with Mike about how he became famous and about his unfortunate experience with a vacuum. A few of our Buttons & Figs kids were inspired to create their own word search activity after listening to this fabulous album. You can learn more about Mike Phirman's work and find all the ways to purchase the Activity Books EP at https://mikephirman.com/ Thanks for this episodes go out to Buttons & Figs kids Olivia, Sophia and friends, Beth Blenz-Clucas at Sugar Mountain PR, librarian intern Anna Ferguson and comedy musician Mike Phirman. Word Search/Vacuum and song excerpts from the Activity Books album used with permission from the art

Do you know the rhyme Miss Mary Mack?! If so, then we have a silly, fun, joyful nonsense challenge! In this episode you'll learn a bit about the rhyme Miss Mary Mack, hear Buttons & Figs kid Chloe sing the rhyme AND make up a nonsense version of her own...and of course, we hope her wordplay will inspire YOU to make up your own version too! And IF you don't know this rhyme, then this is as good of time as any to learn it, grab a jump rope...and play! Credits: wordplay by chloe, age 9 music by pamela rogers Inspiration: "Let's Clap, Jump, Sing & Shout; Dance, Spin and Turn It Out! Games Songs and Stories from an African American Childhood" by Patricia McKissack, illustrated by Brian Pinkney - https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780375870880

Do you love animals at the zoo...us too! For this episode we were inspired by Ogden Nash's "Zoo", a collection of silly animal verse, illustrated by Etienne Delessert. We invited kids at the Velma Teague Library to read some of Ogden Nash's poems and write some of their own. You'll learn a bit about Ogden Nash, hear a few of his poems, and hear original poems about a panda, a bee, a sheep and more! We'll also tell you how we went about our wordplay, so you can play our way by writing some silly animal verse of your own! Thanks to: Greg Kinder and Janet Llyod with Glendale Public Library, Velma Teague Branch - who welcomed us in to read, write and play before Covid took it all away! Zapslat for their SFX Anna Ferguson our Library Intern from the UofA - who has some wonderful book recommends! Visit www.buttonsandfigs.com to see the original writing from the kid on this episode

Have you ever wondered what would happen if a Word Ghost were to capture me and a bunch of Buttons & Figs kids after we fell through a portal along with a bunch of other friends, like horses, chickens and Scooby-Doo? Us too! In this episode you get to hear a tale from the land of Wacky Woo, Woo, Woo, spun from the imaginations of the first ever group of online writers for Buttons & Figs. During our online class we played with alliteration, rhyming verse, word rhythms then for our last class, we each wrote a chapter that I’ve woven into a story...sort of. This episode features original nonsense stories written by: C.J., Cruz, Maddy, Noah, Olivia, Piper, and Silver - kids ages 7 to 11. If you want to write some nonsense too...be sure to check out our friends at Storyseedspodcast.com. They have an excellent podcast for kids all about writing and they have a new activity book chalk filled with great ideas to get you started. The class was supported and co-taught by Tamara Fromm, sfx by Zapsplat, audio

Happy Thanksgiving from Buttons & Figs! On this WWW episode your challenge is to figure out which word doesn't belong. Play four rounds of Thanksgiving Thesaurus by listening to a list of words that mean similar things, in other words, synonyms...but one of the words in the list doesn't belong. And of course, there is a trick round, just because. Have a Happy, Joyful, Peaceful, Merry, Jubilant Thanksgiving. be safe. be kind. be playful. visit www.buttonsandfigs.com and look for more Wacky Wordplay Wednesdays written by Pamela Rogers audio produced by Pamela Rogers SFX from Zapsplat

Have you Heards of Verbs?! On this Wacky Wordplay we share 4 limericks by Edward Lear and YOU are to listen for how many VERBS you HEARDS! You say that's nonsense? I say a verbs a verb, that's what I heard! GO PLAY! visit www.buttonsandfigs.com and look for Wacky Wordplay Wednesdays to see this wordplay written out to share in class or at home. a little wordplay each day goes a long way! written by Pamela Rogers audio produced by Pamela Rogers SFX from Zapsplat

Encore WWW: Are you As Playful As a Simile?! Each Wacky Wordplay Wednesday (WWW)episode will feature a wordplay game you can play - with your family, friends, classmates or on your own. Each Wednesday this fall, join us for a wordplay ball. WWW episodes are brought to you by Buttons & Figs, a podcast for kids about playing with words. Visit www.buttonsandfigs.com to find these WWW activities written out for classroom play.

For this episode kids at the Velma Teague Library in Glendale, Arizona wrote and recorded nonsense poems inspired by Eric Carle's "The Nonsense Show". Be warned, this book of nonsense brings forth all sorts of, well, how shall I say, Nonsense! You'll also hear great nonsense book recommends, and a public service announcement about staying hydrated. What? You say poppycock, fiddle-faddle, surreal cereal?! You're welcome. All nonsense on this episode was written by kids taking part in Buttons & Figs creative wordplay workshops at Velma Teague Library in the Spring of 2020, yup, in the time before. These voices are a nice reminder that we'll gather again. Stay safe, sane, hydrated, and wear a mask. Poems by Buttons & Figs kids Music by Pamela Rogers SFX by Zapsplat

Halloween Spirit is a mini-musical treat with three songs that follow the story of a young boy whose favorite holiday is Halloween! Happy Halloween "Halloween is Coming" is about the excitement he feels at the start of the season! "What Can I Be?" is about the most monumental decision of the season! "Halloween Spirit" is a reminder, that no matter how different this halloween season might be, the spirit is always inside you...for free. Music by Mark Pena Lyrics by Mark Pena and Pamela Rogers Voice by Mark Pena Production by Pamela Rogers Audio Design and Engineering by Blaise Collins Happy Halloween from Buttons & Figs

On this episode Buttons & Figs is proud to feature two original ghost stories, for brave kids, (recommend 8+)by Marisol, a student at Independence High School in Glendale, Arizona. In "The Curse" Marisol shares a cautionary tale reminding us we should listen to the stories we are told and in "While I Sleep" she shares a chilling story about a girl who is not there. These stories are read by Marisol, with voices by Mr. Pena. Happy, spooky Halloween from all of us at Buttons & Figs, a podcast for kids about spooky stories....Bawhahahaha!

Encore Wacky Wordplay: Spoooooooooky Halloween Vowel Sounds - Which vowels bring your favorite howls? Eeeeeeeeeeeek! I dare you to come up with Halloween sounds for each vowel! Each Wacky Wordplay Wednesday (WWW)episode will feature a wordplay game you can play - with your family, friends, classmates or on your own. Each Wednesday this fall, join us for a wordplay ball. WWW episodes are brought to you by Buttons & Figs, a podcast for kids about playing with words. Visit www.buttonsandfigs.com to find WWW activities - now go play!

We have 3 rounds of the game Fortunately, Unfortunately! Fortunately is an adverb that means to be fortunate...or lucky! Unfortunately...well, that means the opposite (wah-wah-wah-waaah) Each player adds a sentence to a story that evolves and grows, but each sentence must start with either the word Fortunately or Unfortunately. We’ll start each round...then YOU continue the play with friends or family. We’ll tell you when to hit pause at the end of each round. The idea of the game is to continue adding sentences to the story until, Unfortunately, you run out of them! Fortunately, you’ll get the idea once we begin! visit www.buttonsandfigs.com and look for Wacky Wordplay Wednesdays to see this wordplay written out to share in class or at home. a little wordplay each day goes a long way! written by Pamela Rogers audio produced by Pamela Rogers and Blaise Collins

I'm afraid our Halloween musical has been interrupted by an emergency holiday announcement....but wait, who's that at the door?! The Spirit of Halloween written by mark pena lyrics & vocals by mark pena audio produced by pamela rogers & blaise collins sfx by Zapsplat

Well, I received a letter from my Dear Aunt Agnes and it has so many oxymorons in it, so I can’t figure out WHAT she’s trying to tell me! Can you help identify all of the Oxymorons? What's an oxymoron you ask? Oxymorons are when you place two words next to each other that seem to contradict each other, or have opposite meanings, but when used together, they have meaning! For example, Jumbo Shrimp is an oxymoron….because Jumbo means big and Shrimp means small, but together, it means a something delicious! You can see this letter by visiting Buttonsandfigs.com and looking for Wacky Wordplay Wednesdays. join us for wordplay when you can, perhaps on Wednesdays. written by Pamela Rogers produced by Buttons & Figs audio engineered by Blaise Collins

On this episode of Wacky Wordplay Wednesday we're going to play with RHYMES! Who doesn't like to have a good time with a mighty good rhyme?! In this game you'll be listening to our rhyming verse so you can Add A Rhyme when I say it's time! Your challenge…ADD A RHYME. (Wacky, quacky, badacky rhymes get extra points, said I) Get ready to play - ADD A RHYME! visit www.buttonsandfigs.com and look for Wacky Wordplay Wednesdays to see these rhymes written out, so you can take your time playing ADD A RHYME written by pamela rogers audio produced by blaise collins SFX from Zapsplat

What Can I Be? Now that Halloween is Coming it's time to figure it out! Here's a little treat, with a little beat, about a boy figuring out what he wants to be this Halloween. What Will You Be this Halloween?! Hmmm? written by mark pena lyrics & vocals by mark pena audio produced by pamela rogers & blaise collins sfx by Zapsplat