Welcome to The Middle School Mind Podcast! This podcast gives a voice and an online outlet for my son to talk about (almost) anything and (almost) everything that is on his mind. My son has a variety of interests spanning: Movies, TV, Anime, Books and Theater. I’m here to serve as his co-host, his sounding board, webmaster, audio engineer, and SEO guru so this website and podcast can be seen and heard by someone (aside from his mom). I’m also there to make sure we stick to a relatively coherent train of thought and stick to as close to 20 minutes or less per episode.
In this final episode of the Middle School Mind podcast, Father and Son are back on 8th Grade Graduation Day Eve to reflect on Son's middle school journey. He shares his experiences from 8th grade, including funny memories and challenges with teachers and classmates. He talks about his school's 8th grade dance and Six Flags trip, offering advice for kids entering middle school.
Son also discusses the pitfalls of social media and the importance of finding a trustworthy teacher. Tune in for a humorous and honest recap of middle school life!
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As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. After months of deliberation and soul-searching Father and Son publish their last and final episode of The Middle School Mind podcast.
After nearly 18 months and over 35+ episodes, on this episode:
So sit back, relax, grab the Kleenex and stick around for our very special goodbye episode.
We think kid's voices are under represented in the podcast space. Even though we are leaving, we encourage you to visit Kids Listen. This organization is a grassroots organization of advocates for high-quality audio content for children. The Middle School Mind is a proud member of Kids Listen and, with our show ending, we encourage kids and families to find other interesting and engaging podcasts for kids.
Through this adventure, we connected with the creator of Sound Carrot. This website was founded by a father/daughter team with the goal to help younger listeners find amazing children's podcasts. We hope this resource helps parents and kids find other kid's voices that you want to listen to and hear more from.
We also believe that kids can create their own podcasts! Last summer we launched a three-part series encouraging kids to make their own kids' podcasts. You can find the episodes here:
Thank you to The Middle School Mind listeners and even our future listeners. We enjoyed making these episodes together and sharing them with you. This time was special for us and we will look back at this show as an amazing point in time where we talked about what was on Son's mind or relevant pop culture during this time.
If you loved listening to the show and want to connect with us, e-mail us at: middleschoolmind.podcast@gmail.com. We are happy to connect if you want to talk about creating your own podcast for your child or, potentially, if you are interested in having your middle schooler take over The Middle School Mind, let's chat.
We always knew that The Middle School Mind was going to last at most, 3 years, with Son and I. But amazing shows like Star Trek had Star Trek: The Next Generation and Saved By The Bell had Saved By The Bell: The New Class introduced a new cast of characters while providing new stories and fresh perspectives. It would be amazing to have a Mother/Daughter voice leading the show or a parent/child from a different part of the country or even a completely different country! It's the unique perspectives that help us all learn and appreciate each other.
Enjoy The Goodbye Episode and thank you for being part of our show.
Sincerely,
Father & Son
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The Middle School Mind podcast is taking a little break as we get into the holiday season and look out for new episodes from us in the new year.
In the meantime, we wanted to share some other great kids and family podcasts to our listeners. On this week’s Feed Drop, we wanted to share a very inspiring episode from A Step Ahead Tutoring Services' podcast, Hot Topics!. On this episode of Hot Topics!, we meet Sydney Fowler, a teen entrepreneur of a Single Soul online clothing boutique for teens.
Sydney talks about her life-changing injury she suffered at the age of 13 and how she started Single Soul with her love of fashion and the support of her family. We love listening to this young entrepreneur story and we hope you enjoy it as much as we have.
You can find A Step Ahead Tutoring Services Hot Topics! podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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The Middle School Mind podcast is taking a little break as we get into the holiday season and look out for new episodes from us in the new year.
In the meantime, we wanted to share some other great kids and family podcasts to our listeners. On this week’s Feed Drop, we wanted to share a recent episode of The Geeky Dad Podcast where the Geeky Dad and the Multiverse Kids visit New York and check out a Star Wars exhibition this fall. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have.
You can find The Geeky Dad Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, we talk about tween gift ideas this holiday season with our own spin with wrong answers only. This is our attempt at sarcasm to talk about gifts parents and loved ones should NOT buy the tweens on their gift list this holiday season.
We rate these tween gift ideas on a scale of 1 to 5 empty presents, with 5 empty presents being a really bad gift and 1 empty present being a great, super useful gift.
Father and Son talk about the following tween gift ideas (wrong answers only):
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You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening!
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On this episode of The Middle School Mind, we talk about how Son learned the basics of football by playing Madden NFL 22 on XBox One.
Many middle school students are not into sports and Son is one of them. However, many kids have to attend sporting events to support their siblings, friends and family. Son’s older sister is in the color guard at her high school and she performs during halftime at the home football games.
Rather than complaining about going to the games or sitting in the stands bored and not knowing what’s going on the field, Father bought Madden NFL 22 on XBox One to teach Son the basics of football.
Football is an incredibly complex game. Many people complain that there’s more standing around than action in the games. Using Madden as a teaching tool, Father was able to talk Son through the high level basics of football from offense to defense and run plays and passing plays.
On this episode, we talk about the following:
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On this episode, we featured our fellow podcaster, The Geeky Dad Podcast. This podcast highlights the trials and tribulations of a Geeky Dad trying to reclaim some semblance of sanity as he navigates parenthood and geek culture. Check out The Geeky Dad Podcast on Apple Podcasts.
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This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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On this episode of The Middle School Mind, Son has a special guest, Raphael, who is here to talk about stage fright and how they prepare for theater performances.
They talk about the process to get into a show starting with the audition workshop, the audition itself, call-backs, practices, opening night and all the feels associated with the closing show.
Audition Workshops
The workshop is like the pre-audition audition. You are generally divided by age and taken through singing, dancing and running lines.
Auditions
It can get extremely competitive at auditions. Brother against brother, Friend against friend. And Raphael says it’s important to look “fly” to the auditions. It’s important to keep yourself busy like playing cards to keep yourself entertained during auditions.
Call-Backs
You have a short amount of time to prep for call-backs. If you bomb your call-back, you may have just missed out on making the show. It’s easy to psyche yourself out when you’re checking out your competition. The directors usually don’t provide feedback during call-backs which adds to the anxiety.
Practices
You made the show - good for you! Middle schoolers need to balance school, other activities, family time and other interests in addition to the show. Son and Raphael practice at home in front of their stuffed animals for their audience.
Tech Week
Tech Week is crunch time where you prepare for the actual shows. The number of practices ramp up and you need to do run-throughs with microphones and costumes. You need to lean on your friends and trust your directors to make sure the show comes together.
Opening Night
The guys play Super Smash Bros on the Switch to take the focus off the show. The cast and crew are in full costume and huddle together and talk trash to relieve stress.
Closing Night
It’s a mix of emotions. We’re excited that it’s over but we also got so close to our castmates that we get so emotional. We also want to go out on top and give our best performance. We celebrate our show with an awesome cast party.
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On this episode, we featured our fellow podcaster, If You Give a Dad a Podcast. This is a nerdy dad podcast where they interview everyone from wrestlers, musicians and even a chiropractor. Listen to their show for all things nerdy.
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We want to hear from you!
Please leave us a positive review and like and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.
You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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On this episode of The Middle School Mind, we continue our review of Halloween candies that are safe for kids with peanut and tree nut food allergies. Halloween is a fun time for kids, and since we have family members with severe food allergies, we hand out peanut and tree nut free candies on Halloween.
On this episode, we pull random allergy-safe candy from a hat and we taste test each candy and tell you if we would Keep this candy, Trade this candy or Chuck this candy.
Here are the allergy-friendly candies we review on this episode:
Jolly Rancher Gummies - 2 in 1
Goetze’s Bullseye Caramel Creams
Jolly Rancher Lollipops
Whoppers
Sweet Tarts
Oreos
was just our opinion and these candies are safe for Son’s allergies. Please make sure these candies are safe for you based on your specific food allergies.
This was a great episode since we got to eat candy and critique the Halloween candy that we will give out to our neighbors.
We finish the episode talking about middle schoolers and if they still go trick or treating in 7th grade.
Have a very safe and very Happy Halloween everyone!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/support
On this episode of The Middle School Mind, we review Halloween candies that are safe for kids with peanut and tree nut food allergies. Halloween is a fun time for kids, and since we have family members with severe food allergies, we hand out peanut and tree nut free candies on Halloween.
On this episode, we pull random allergy-safe candy from a hat and we taste test each candy and tell you if we would Keep this candy, Trade this candy or Chuck this candy.
Here are the candies we review on this episode:
Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers Mini
Laffy Taffy
Jolly Rancher Stix
Nerds
Milk Duds
Rolo
We have a lot more candy to go and we don’t want to ruin our dinner. So we need to break this up into a follow up episode!
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Please leave us a positive review and like and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.
We also want to hear from you, our listeners! What kind of topics do you want to hear more about?
You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/support
On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, Son compares and contrasts his experiences with 6th grade and 7th grade so far.
Here’s what we cover on this episode:
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We miss our friends in Anguilla! We don’t know what happened, but please let us know what we can do to win you guys back. Credit to Music is Love Anthems rendition of God Bless Anguilla clip used in this episode.
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We want to hear from you!
Please leave us a positive review and like and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.
We also want to hear from you, our listeners! What kind of topics do you want to hear more about?
You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, Son welcomes a special guest, Star Wars Super Fan Nate, who is here to talk about the original Star Wars trilogy! Nate is a die hard fan of Star Wars and he gives us a quick synopsis of Episode 4: A New Hope, Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode 6: Return of the Jedi.
Here’s what we cover in this episode
In this episode we reference our previous episodes, 1.7 Fast Food Places Ranked, where Nate disagrees with Son’s rankings.
Thanks to our special guest on this episode, Star Wars Super Fan Nate! We hope to have him back on in the future to talk more about Star Wars and other sci fi movies.
We want to hear from you!
Please leave us a positive review and like and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.
We also want to hear from you, our listeners! What kind of topics do you want to hear more about?
You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, Son’s friend, TB, is back to talk about video games nobody plays anymore. These are games that Son and TB have played in the past and the two discuss the replayability, graphics and why these games should get another look.
Thanks to TB for being a guest on our show again. Catch TB’s first appearance on the show when Son and TB talked about a school lunch menu overhaul. We will definitely have him back on for future episodes of The Middle School Mind!
Check out our special sponsor for this episode! The Geeky Dad Podcast! The trials and tribulations of a Geeky Dad trying to reclaim some semblance of sanity as he navigates parenthood and geek culture. Hosted by Raphael Moran, a writer, producer and comic creator. His co-hosts are the "Multiverse" Kids. They've taken over his man-cave and now they want to take over his podcast.
We want to hear from you!
Please leave us a positive review and like and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.
We also want to hear from you, our listeners! What kind of topics do you want to hear more about?
You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message
On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast and today we welcome “TB”, one of Son’s friends from school. TB is a vegetarian and the boys talk about school lunches and what menu options are available for vegetarians. At the end of the episode we play a quick game thanks to an Instacart quiz on fun food trivia.
Son and TB talk about:
Thanks to TB for being a guest on our show. We hope to have him back on for future episodes of The Middle School Mind!
We want to hear from you!
Please leave us a positive review and like and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.
We also want to hear from you, our listeners! What kind of topics do you want to hear more about?
You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, we talk about one of our favorite games on the Xbox One, Gang Beasts. The game has multiple game modes for single and multiplayer local and online contests. The game has Jello-like characters punch and headbutt one another in a battle-royale where the goal is to throw your opponents off the level and be the last-man standing.
There are different modes that have up to 8 players battling each other online. This is a game we can pick up for a quick best of 5 rounds series. We always laugh playing this game because of all the fun characters you can pick and the floppy movements can result in some awesome knockouts.
Here’s what we cover in this episode:
We want to hear from you!
Please leave us a positive review and like and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.
We also want to hear from you, our listeners! What kind of topics do you want to hear more about?
You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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We are back for season two of The Middle School Mind tween podcast and today we talk about anxiety leading up to the first day of a new school year. Son is starting 7th grade this year and we start the episode talking about our summer. We also talk about school related anxieties that can bring returning students some concerns heading back to school.
We wrap up this episode with Father asking Son some Would You Rather questions related to back to school!
Topics we cover in our First Day of School Anxiety episode:
We are back
We are #1 in Kids podcasts in Anguilla! Thank you to our fans in Anguilla! We’d love to hear from you. Please drop us a line.
How did we spend our summer?
What are common fears with a new school year
Making friends can lead to anxiety
We go off on a side tangent about teacher’s pets
Why is school a big source of anxiety for kids
School lunches, making school teams or plays may also be part of the anxieties
Game - Would You Rather
Check out Soundcarrot.com!
If you like The Middle School Mind and you want other funny, kid and tween-appropriate podcasts to listen to, check out SoundCarrot. Like The Middle School Mind, it is a father/daughter project that's gotten a little out of hand. SoundCarrot loves helping younger listeners find amazing children's podcasts. You can also check out all of The Middle School Mind episodes on SoundCarrot.
We want to hear from you!
Please leave us a positive review and like and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.
We also want to hear from you, our listeners! What kind of topics do you want to hear more about?
You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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New episodes of The Middle School Mind podcast: 7th Grade launch on August 22. We publish new episodes twice a month and cover topics such as middle school life, gaming, and we sometimes have special guests.
You can find our podcast, The Middle School Mind, on our website at themiddleschoolmind.com or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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On this bonus episode of The Middle School Mind kid’s podcast, we found a previously unaired episode about the video game, Pokemon Legends: Arceus for the Nintendo Switch. We hope you are having an amazing summer and we want to let you know that we are back later in August for season two. Son wants to talk about more school and life as he heads into the 7th grade! In the meantime, here’s what chat about on this episode: How Pokemon Legends: Arceus game works
What this open-world game is all about How is the game different from previous Pokemon video games Collect them all and complete the Pokedex For more tips on how to complete Pokemon Legends: Arceus, check out this article We get Son’s ratings on gameplay, replay ability and other part of the game We play “Guess the Pokemon” at the end of the show
This episode’s sponsor is The Ten News. This summer, check out The Ten News Roadtrip Remixes every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Please leave us a positive review and like and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast. We also want to hear from you, our listeners! What kind of topics do you want to hear more about? You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message
This summer, we want to show tweens how easy it is to make your own podcast for kids! The Middle School Mind is launching a three episode series to guide you step by step to create your own tween podcast.
If you enjoy listening to The Middle School Mind podcast for kids and you’ve wondered how easy it is to make your own kid’s podcast by kids for kids, we are here to help.
Making your own podcast is easy, fun and does not cost a lot to start. We are here to show you step by step how we make The Middle School Mind podcast in hopes that you will start your very own podcast. And, summer is the perfect time to start!
To get started, you will need the help of a parent or responsible adult to help you create your podcast on the podcast app, Anchor and download graphics and create your own podcast title card, you will need to access free sites like Canva and Pexels.
To make this process even easier, we recommend you download the attached PDF guide that shows you handy screen shots to walk through the process every step of the way!
Here's what we cover in episode three:
Thank you for listening to the show. We really appreciate our listeners and we hope this summer school series will inspire you to Make Your Own Kid Podcast this summer break.
We want to help our listeners with making your own podcast and we will be giving away a total of (2) Logitech Blue Snowball microphones this summer to two of our lucky listeners. The Blue Snowball microphone is the same one we use to record The Middle School Mind and hope you will use it to make your own podcast!
If you want to be part of the drawing, here’s how to enter:
It’s that easy!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message
This summer, we want to show tweens how easy it is to make your own podcast for kids! The Middle School Mind is launching a three episode series to guide you step by step to create your own tween podcast.
If you enjoy listening to The Middle School Mind podcast for kids and you’ve wondered how easy it is to make your own kid’s podcast by kids for kids, we are here to help.
Making your own podcast is easy, fun and does not cost a lot to start. We are here to show you step by step how we make The Middle School Mind podcast in hopes that you will start your very own podcast. And, summer is the perfect time to start!
To get started, you will need the help of a parent or responsible adult to help you create your podcast on the podcast app, Anchor and download graphics and create your own podcast title card, you will need to access free sites like Canva and Pexels.
To make this process even easier, we recommend you download the attached PDF guide that shows you handy screen shots to walk through the process every step of the way!
Here's what we cover in episode two:
Thank you for listening to the show. We really appreciate our listeners and we hope this summer school series will inspire you to Make Your Own Kid Podcast this summer break.
We want to help our listeners with making your own podcast and we will be giving away a total of (2) Logitech Blue Snowball microphones this summer to two of our lucky listeners. The Blue Snowball microphone is the same one we use to record The Middle School Mind and hope you will use it to make your own podcast!
If you want to be part of the drawing, here’s how to enter:
It’s that easy!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message
This summer, we want to show tweens how easy it is to make your own podcast for kids! The Middle School Mind is launching a three episode series to guide you step by step to create your own tween podcast.
If you enjoy listening to The Middle School Mind podcast for kids and you’ve wondered how easy it is to make your own kid’s podcast by kids for kids, we are here to help.
Making your own podcast is easy, fun and does not cost a lot to start. We are here to show you step by step how we make The Middle School Mind podcast in hopes that you will start your very own podcast. And, summer is the perfect time to start!
To get started, you will need the help of a parent or responsible adult to help you create your podcast on the podcast app, Anchor and download graphics and create your own podcast title card, you will need to access free sites like Canva and Pexels.
To make this process even easier, we recommend you download the attached PDF guide that shows you handy screen shots to walk through the process every step of the way!
Here's what we cover in episode one:
Thank you for listening to the show. We really appreciate our listeners and we hope this summer school series will inspire you to Make Your Own Kid Podcast this summer break.
We want to help our listeners with making your own podcast and we will be giving away a total of (2) Logitech Blue Snowball microphones this summer to two of our lucky listeners. The Blue Snowball microphone is the same one we use to record The Middle School Mind and hope you will use it to make your own podcast!
If you want to be part of the drawing, here’s how to enter:
It’s that easy!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message
On this episode of The Middle School Mind, Son talks about his perfect summer day and summer vacation ideas. Son is extremely fortunate to spend a lot of time over the summer at his grandparent’s lake house. We talk about his perfect summer day and his favorite part of summer vacation is watching the 4th of July Fireworks show on the lake.
We also talk about an article from IDtech.com on Summer Vacation Ideas for Tweens. We talk about a few of these suggestions from the list and our ideas to check these off over summer vacation.
Son will be taking a break from the podcast as he enjoys his summer vacation for a few months. We will be releasing a summer school series called Make Your Own Kids Podcast in hopes kids can make their own tween podcasts over the summer. Don't worry, Son will be back for Season 2 starting in August!
Calling all future kid podcasters!
It’s that easy!
The Middle School Mind is now a proud member of Kids Listen. Kids Listen is a grassroots organization of advocates for high-quality audio content for children. Kids Listen is creating platforms for producers to share ideas, and publish data and information relevant to creators, consumers, and supporters of podcasts for kids.
You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening!
Thank you for listening to the show. We really appreciate our listeners and we hope you have a wonderful summer.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message
On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast for tweens, we finish up our Ask a Teacher session with Mom, Aunt and Cousin! We have a great time laughing at some of the silly answers on this episode.
Mom has been a middle school teacher for 26 years while Aunt has been teaching middle school for 27 years. Cousin is new to education and has been teaching for one year.
On this episode, we ask the teachers about:
Mom and Aunt play a version of The Newlywed Game to see how many matches they can get during our game.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message
On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast for tweens, we share some exciting news and Son’s guest segment on The Ten News podcast for kids! Son and Ryan Willard, head writer, of The Ten News talk about summer blockbuster movies! Ryan was a guest on episode 1.15 Ryan Willard on our show earlier this season.
You can find Son’s episode on The Ten News here!
We also want to wish everyone a very safe and happy Memorial Day holiday in the United States and want to recognize all the men and women who have served our country.
We also want to thank the following people who helped make Son’s appearance on The Ten News happen:
As we are getting closer to summer vacation, we talk about our upcoming episodes and some exciting Summer School project for our listeners!
If you like listening to The Middle School Mind podcast and you’re a tween, middle schooler or kid who has a lot of ideas to get off your chest, we are going to teach you how we make our podcast in hopes that you can create and launch your own podcast this summer!
For 1-2 lucky listeners who leave us a positive review on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or the podcast platform of your choice, you can contact us using the form at the bottom of our About Us page. Please let us know which comment you submitted, your user name that you used to submit the comment/review and where we can find your comment/review to be entered into the drawing.
We will randomly pick 1-2 winners who participate and will send you your very own Logitech Blue Snowball microphone to help you get started in your podcasting journey!
So please, like, follow, subscribe and leave a positive review of The Middle School Mind and we will produce those Make Your Own Podcast episodes in June and July.
As always, thank you for listening.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message
On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast for tweens, Son gets into the minds of middle school teachers to get their perspective on teaching middle school students. This is a family affair as middle school educators, Mom, Aunt and Cousin, join us on the show!
Mom has been a middle school teacher for 26 years while Aunt has been teaching middle school for 27 years. Cousin is new to education and has been teaching for one year. We ask the teachers about:
We play a Word Association game!
See how our middle school teachers react to:
We loved making this episode because we got honest feedback from our family members who are also long-time teachers! Educators are dedicated to the students they teach and love to have fun and see them grow. Thank you to our guests and to all the teachers who spend their time teaching kids! We will have our educators back on another episode because we had more questions
Please leave us a positive review and like and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.
We also want to hear from you, our listeners! What kind of topics do you want to hear more about?
You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message
On this very special episode of The Middle School Mind kids podcast Son interviews Ryan Willard, head writer, of The Ten News podcast. Ryan and Son talk about delivering news for kids age 8-12 on The Ten News podcast.
Thanks to all of you for making this a super special episode of The Middle School Mind!
Please leave us a positive review and like and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast. You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message
On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, we get awkward. Son brings up three awkward situations for us to discuss and we bring up two bonus awkward situations to review.
What does it mean to be Awkward?
Son highlights three examples of awkward situations
Two bonus awkward situations presented by Father
Of course we have to talk about Jeff Bezos on our Awkward Situations episode
For more Awkward Situations, check out this article from Lifehacker highlighting 10 Awkward Situations and How to Deal With It.
Please leave us a positive review and like and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast. You can reach The Middle School Mind on our About Us page, Facebook page or Twitter (@TMSM_Podcast). Thanks for listening!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast for kids and tweens, Son talks about his interest in Dungeons & Dragons and his first-time experience playing D&D.
We talk about what Dungeons & Dragons is and how you can work with your party to build a new world and see how your character and your character’s choices play out throughout the game.
We talk about in-person versus web-based game play and we can’t just can’t stop talking about Jeff Bezos.
Thank you for all your support. Please like and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music or your favorite podcast provider.
What is Dungeons & Dragons?
Define your character - your race, class, abilities
Ways to play
Rolling Dice Explained…Sort Of
What does the dice do for us?
I think we need a refresher on probabilities
Son describes his first time playing D&D
Played online via text through Discord
Game play in person vs online
WWJBD - What Would Jeff Bezos Do?
This episode’s sponsorship plea
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themiddleschoolmind/message
On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, Son introduces us to ASMR. Neither of us know what ASMR is and we go to our friends at youtube to help us find out!
What is ASMR?
Wikipedia defines ASMR as Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR), sometimes auto sensory meridian response. It is a tingling sensation that usually begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine. A pleasant form of paresthesia, it has been compared with auditory-tactile synesthesia and may overlap with frisson.
We find a youtube video from Gibi ASMR posted yesterday titled “ASMR that gets darker and darker so you can sleep :)” to help us understand what ASMR is all about.
Gibi ASMR has 4.12m subscribers and this video has 363k views and it was released yesterday! She has an impressive following.
Gibi ASMR has a lot of great product placement as she uses products in her videos.
After our initial view of Gibi ASMR’s video, we give our initial thoughts.
We have more questions than answers still.
We can’t quit Gibi ASMR and go back to the video.
Here’s Gibi showing her salt shaker she got from the Dollar Store with pink glitter hearts.
We jump to 23 minutes in to watch Gibi’s segment on the Toaster Coaster.
Final thoughts on Gibi’s ASMR video.
Our thoughts, really boring, lots of tapping and lots of name dropping and product placement.
We didn't feel the tingles with ASMR, did you?
A special thank you to Gibi ASMR! Her video was definitely eye-opening and helped us understand what ASMR is all about. While ASMR does not resonate with us, it is clear from all the videos, all the views and all the followers for Gibi and other youtubers that ASMR has a big following! Please check out Gibi ASMR’s channel on youtube and see for yourself if ASMR is your thing!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, we've had lots of fun making this show over the last few months. This episode is all about you and we are counting down the Top 10 Listener Cities based on the data we get from our podcast provider.
We wanted to understand who is listening to our show and find out a little more about where our listeners are from and here's the top 10 cities where our listeners come to us from:
Bulverde, Texas
Three Way Tie
Bellevue, Washington
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
London, Kentucky
Sainte Genevieve, Missouri
Brentwood, Tennessee
Brandon, Mississippi
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Los Altos, California
Wenatchee, Washington
North Ridgeville, Ohio
Finally, we play a trivia game to see what we know about our Top 10 Listener Cities.
Thank you for listening, please drop us a positive comment or review or visit us on our website at themiddleschoolmind.com, click on the About Us page and complete the Contact Us form to let us know what you like and what you want to hear us talk about in the future.
We would really appreciate if you can share our podcast episodes to your family and friends. And if Jeff Bezos is listening, we would love to have you come on the show and talk to us about how you founded amazon.com!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, we talk about throwback SNES games that are available on Nintendo Switch Online. Son highlights his Top 5 SNES games available on the Nintendo Switch Online.
Here’s what we cover on this episode:
Son lists his Top 5 games he plays on the SNES
The Peace Keepers (1994)
Beat ‘em up arcade game with sweet 80’s music.
Son likes to play as Al who looks like Rock and uses a Rocket Launcher
Super Mario World (1990)
You can hatch and ride Yoshi in this game
This game also has the super cape option that lets you fly
Super Punch Out (1994)
No Mike Tyson
Your first fight is again 1-99 Gabby Jay, a grandfatherly figure that no boxing organization should allow to fight professionally
Super Tennis (1991)
It’s fun to play this tennis game either with a friend or against the CPU
Before we list Son’s top SNES game available on the Nintendo Switch Online, we have a few honorable (or dishonorable) mentions:
Demon’s Crest (1994) This game is so intense and Son can’t get past the first series. For 1994, this game has a great story and graphics.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991)
This is an old time Zelda game, not an open sandbox world like Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Finally, Son has a final SNES game that will only frustrate you. Don’t play this because it’s crazy hard.
Thank you to all of our listeners! In a future episode, we want to recognize the cities and towns where listeners are finding The Middle School Mind! No, we are not stalking you. We are just curious who is listening to our show and please reach out to us and leave a positive review and feedback!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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On this episode of The Middle School Mind kids podcast, Son and I provide an update from episode 1.4 Oculus Quest 2…a VR-yyy Special Episode.
Oculus Quest 2 games covered in this episode:
Vader Immortal: Episode 1
Beat Saber with Panic! At the Disco and Green Day expansion packs
Netflix on the Oculus Quest 2 apps is amazing
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, Son and I talk about our first experience with COVID. We quarantined together in the basement and lived like bachelors. We are doing well and getting back on the road to health. Hope you guys are staying healthy as well!
What were symptoms?
Fever with hallucinations
Loss of Taste
What have we been doing with COVID?
Thanks for all the support! Please subscribe to our podcast and we would appreciate a positive review. You can find The Middle School Mind podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and your favorite podcast platforms!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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On this podcast episode, Son ranks his favorite fast food restaurants that kids can relate to
Here’s Son’s top 13 fast food restaurants from least favorite to favorite:
Chipotle-Chips with lime. Ick!
Papa John’s-Tastes great but does not sit well with Son’s tummy. He may be lactose intolerant. We should probably get that checked out.
McDonald’s-Coming in at #11, this may be pretty controversial for Mickey D’s.
Subway-The good: customizable to your tastes. The bad: their sandwiches.
Domino’s-Decent pizza and the breadsticks are a favorite.
Jimmy John’s-Son gets the Ultimate Porker and Dad gets the Beach Club.
Panera Bread-Son loves the mac and cheese and the bread. He can’t have a lot of other items at Panera because of his food allergies. Take a listen to our previous episode on why Food Allergies Bite!
Culver’s-Great burgers and son loves the real chicken in their tenders. The cheese curds and frozen custard make this a family favorite.
Wendy’s-More flavorful nuggets than McD’s. Son also likes their new breakfast offering Wendy’s launched in the last few years.
Taco Bell-The Doritos Locos tacos sound interesting and The Bell’s Freeze frozen drink selection are a summertime favorite.
Popeye’s-his one-time experience with the fried chicken was memorable. We talk about the Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich and the craziness it created when it was first introduced.
Boston Market-According to Son, Boston Market is everything you want.
Portillo’s-Son loves the char-broiled burgers, cheese fries and the chocolate eclair cake.
The Middle School Mind podcast is getting noticed! Feedspot.com listed our podcast #4 in their list of 35 Best Tween podcasts.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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On this episode, Son talks about his food allergies to certain tree nuts and certain seeds like sesame and sunflower seeds. We talk about what food allergies are, how he manages his food allergies at school, how he keeps himself safe with his Epipen and that one time he was Epipenned years ago at daycare. Finally, we play a quick multiple choice game about food allergies.
In this episode, we talked about:
What is a food allergy?
There are the "Big 8" allergens that companies in the US must report on in food labels. Milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.
We go off on a tangent and talk about Soy Butter (we buy Wowbutter at home) versus Peanut Butter sandwiches.
Son talks about his food allergies to tree nuts and certain seeds (sesame seeds and sunflower seeds).
We talk about managing food allergies when he was in grammar school and challenges sitting at the "peanut-free table".
We go off on another tangent reminiscing about Beyblades and its popularity when Son and his friends were in 1st and 2nd grade.
We get back on track to talk about how managing food allergies works now in Middle School and how the lunch staff does not have the right training to communicate to kids with allergies.
Son talks about when to use an Epipen, how to use an Epipen and what do do after using an Epipen.
Epipens are an important part of Son's care plan and can also cost a lot of money. Here are some resources to help you get Epipens at a reduced cost.
We talk about that horrible experience at daycare when Son was 3 when he was given hummus and had to be Epipenned.
We play a quick game. Four multiple choices about allergens in every day foods.
Please note, we are not physicians or properly trained to dispense medical advice. If you have questions about food allergies, please consult a medical professional for advice. For additional information available online, the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) has amazing content.
Thanks for listening to The Middle School Mind podcast! We appreciate your positive feedback and reviews and helps our show be seen by more potential listeners. We are on all the major podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and more!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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EPISODE DISCLAIMER: Thanks for checking out The Middle School Mind podcast. On this episode, Son and I talk about the School Resource Officer and his experiences with the School Resource Officer this year. In this episode, we talk about topics like substance abuse, alcohol, smoking, staying safe online and other topics. As always, we keep it clean on The Middle School Mind, but parents may want to listen first if you have younger or a more sensitive audience. Thanks and enjoy the episode!
Happy New Year from The Middle School Mind podcast. Wishing you all a very safe, healthy and amazing 2022!
Who is the School Resource Officer?
What I learned about substance abuse from the School Resource Officer
Reference information about inhalant abuse/whippets.
More reference information about inhalants - sniffing glue, paint, etc.
Reference information about underage drinking.
What I learned about smoking from the School Resource Officer
Reference information about smoking and impacts to health.
What questions do students have for the School Resource Officer
We talk about the Tik Tok trend in late December 2021 that threatened safety in schools and how the School Resource Officer was on site that day
The School Resource Officer talks to us about staying safe online and being kind
Reference information for Online Teen Safety Guide.
Reference information for Cyberbullying.
Ways to teach kindness to kids.
We play a game: Slang or Not Slang for Street Terms for Marijuana
Articles we referenced for slang terms for marijuana, heroin and cocaine referenced in the game.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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On this episode of The Middle School Mind, we talk about the Oculus Quest 2 VR system and why middle schoolers want this system this holiday season.
Today's show featured:
All I want for Christmas is an Oculus Quest 2
What are the popular games for the Oculus Quest?
Games that have no business being made for the Oculus (or any gaming system for that matter)
Quiz Time: We Play "Game Or Not a Game" - which of these games are real VR games and which are made up?
Thanks to all of our listeners. We appreciate your support!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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1.3 Things That Are Out Episode Show Notes
Today's show featured:
On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, Son and I are joined by Son's cousin, The Magaladon (aka The Mag, Magz). On this episode, we talk about topics, trends and other things that are out.
The Middle School Mind podcast is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Amazon Music. Please like, share a positive comment and subscribe to The Middle School Mind podcast!
For more about us, take a listen to our first episode Hello World! Thanks for your support!
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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On this episode of The Middle School Mind podcast, Son and I talk about the open sandbox world of Minecraft.
In this episode, we talk about:
Why Minecraft is so popular
Different mobs or characters you can encounter in Minecraft:
Creepers
Villagers
Axolotls
Wolf pups getting shoved into Lava (you monster!)
Differences in playing Minecraft on different formats (PC, Xbox, Switch, Playstation and mobile)
We discover a free online sound board at myinstants.com and have a little fun playing guess the Minecraft sound effect
Please like, share a positive comment and subscribe to The Middle School Mind podcast! Thanks for your support!
1/6/2022 EDIT: What a pleasant surprise! The Minecraft episode of The Middle School Mind was featured as one of the 50 Best Minecraft Podcasts in 2021. We checked in at #9! Please take a read. Many thanks to Hrvoje Milakovic, co-owner of Fiction Horizon, a website created by a group of editors that love fiction and everything related to it.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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This is our very first episode of The Middle School Mind podcast. Today we meet our hosts. For safety and anonymity's sake, we won't use our real names. If we happen to flub our lines in any episodes, you may hear us beep our names out.
Dad is a 40-something marketing professional in the plastics industry. While he likes his job and his team, he likes the idea of retiring well before 65. To help him realize his goal, dad likes to focus on personal finance, developing new income streams and learning about the web, SEO and podcasting.
Son is an 11-year-old 6th grader at a public school in the Midwest. He has been performing in musical theater and enjoys hamming it up and having fun with his acting friends and improv group. He enjoys school and can talk anyone and everyone's ear off forever...hence, starting his own podcast, The Middle School Mind.
We both share our home with mom and 13-year-old older sister who may or may not make appearances on the podcast as well.
1.1 Hello World Show Notes
Today's show featured:
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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