What’s on your bucket list?

This is But Why: a Podcast for Curious Kids from Vermont Public. I'm Jane Lindholm. On this show, we take questions from curious kids all over the world and we find answers. Well, that's usually what we do. Here at But Why, we have a tradition for the last episode of the year. Instead of having you send us the questions. We send you a question, and have you send us answers. The But Why team joined me here in the host chair to listen to all of your submissions. I mean,

Hey!

And Sarah, who joined our team earlier this year.

Hey, everyone!

In previous years, we've asked you about what you would like to invent, what kind of superhero you would be, and what your New Year's resolutions were. This year, we asked a question that's kind of like a New Year's resolution, but bigger instead of something you want to accomplish in the coming year, we asked you to share your dreams for your whole life!

Sometimes people refer to these big dreams as their bucket list, the things they really hope to do in their lifetime. Sometimes these big dreams are like true dreams, kind of fantasies that might not ever happen, but you want to be able to imagine this cool, fantastic idea, because it's fun, like, maybe you'd say, I hope to win the lottery. I mean, you can't really control that.

But more often, these bucket lists have things that you might actually be able to do or see or eat or feel. When I was little, my dream was to go see koalas and kangaroos in Australia. I still haven't been to Australia, so that's still a bucket list item for me.

Ooh, that's a good one. I kind of want to go there too. But I think my bucket list item would be to finish hiking the Long Trail, which is a long distance hiking trail in Vermont. I started it a couple decades ago, and I still haven't finished it yet. It's not that long!

One goal I'm working towards is running another half marathon. I did one a couple years ago, but I've had some foot injuries, and I'm slowly getting back into running, so it's going to take a lot of work to get back up to that distance, 13.1 miles. So that's on my bucket list.

Go, Jane! Well, let's get into the answers you've sent us about what you want to do in your lives. Jane, you just mentioned an athletic goal, very impressive. And Hannah has a physical goal too.

I'm 10 years old. I live in Washington, DC, and something that's on my bucket list is climbing a V 10.

Wow, I'm not a rock climber, so I had to look up what a V 10 is.

And what is it?

A V system is a difficulty scale, to give you an idea of how hard it's going to be to climb a route, either indoors or outdoors. A V system is for bouldering, where you're trying to climb a big boulder, usually without a rope. A V 10 is a really hard level that a lot of climbers never reach.

Wow. I hope Hannah can reach it. That's a really good goal. Here's another big, physical goal.

My name is Jack. I am eight years old. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio, and on my bucket list, I want to finish the Thanksgiving 10K.

A, 10k is a great dream Jack! That's running 10 kilometers. Or if you live in a place that tends to measure in miles, it's a little over six miles.

I don't do a lot of running myself, but I do love to travel, so I was really excited to see some of the bucket list items you've sent us about cool places you want to visit. Here's a couple.

Hi, my name is Matisse, and I'm six years old. I live in Lemon Grove, California. On my bucket list I want to go to Disney World and see all of the parks.

Hi, my name is Henley. I'm seven years old. I live in Chicago Ridge, Illinois. What's on my bucket list is I want to go to Disney World or Disneyland in California or Florida, which ever one is fine with me, because they're both like the same thing.

My name is Emerson, and I am nine years old, and I live in Chicago Ridge, Illinois. Something that I would like to do on my bucket list is go to Ireland.

My name is Charlie. I'm nine years old, and I'm from Old Bridge, New Jersey. Some things on my bucket list are that I want to go to Greenland, Russia and every state in America. I also want to hike up tall Snowy Mountains in Colorado.

Those are really cool, Charlie. I want to climb some tall mountains too. Lots of you sent us things that you want to become when you grow up.

My name is Isabella. I'm six years old, and I live in Germany. My biggest dream is to be a singer when I grow up.

Hi, I'm Florence. I live on the Central Coast, New South Wales. I'm 10 years old. On my bucket list is to be a special effects makeup artist and do makeup in movie scenes.

Those makeup artists are amazing. They can make young people look older, or make someone look like a zombie or an alien. They do all kinds of cool things. We'll keep our eyes on the movie credits for your name, Florence.

Remember at the beginning when I said we sometimes include things on our bucket lists that are maybe not all that likely to actually happen. Well, Julian's got one of those.

I'm four year old. I live in Germany. My biggest dream is to drive a race car over a rainbow.

My name is Henry, five years old. I live in Wheeler, Massachusetts. I want to fly to the sun in the Magic School Bus.

Going anywhere on the magic school bus would be amazing, Henry. But going to the sun, which is 15 million degrees Celsius, or 27 million degrees on the Fahrenheit scale, would be even cooler, or, I guess, hotter. A few others of you are hoping to go to space too.

Hi, But Why! My name is Charlie, and I'm six years old. I live from Independence, Missouri. My bucket list item is to go to outer space someday.

Hi, my name is William. I live in East Brunswick, New Jersey. I'm 10 years old. And something that would be on my bucket list is to go to space.

I am Lucia. I am five years old, and I live in California, and my bucket list is I want to go up to Pluto.

I don't have a space travel dream for myself, but earlier this year, my family and I did go on a trip to Costa Rica, much like Sebastian dreams about.

I'm nine years old. I'm from British Columbia, Canada, and my bucket list trip is to help the sloths in Costa Rica.

My name is Tadhg. I am six and a half years old, and I

Hi, my name is Eleanor. I am nine years old, and I live live in Mayo, Ireland, and my bucket list is gorilla watching. ; in Mayo Ireland, and my bucket list is to swim in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

My name is Reese. I live in Germany, and all I want on my bucket list is a hotel, a pool and a beach.

I'm Remy. I'm four years old. I live in Puerto Rico, and my big dream is going to Germany.

So Reese lives in Germany and wants to be able to float in a beach side pool. And Remy lives in Puerto Rico and wants to go to Germany. There are a lot of beaches in Puerto Rico. Maybe Reese and Remy could do a swap for their vacation someday.

That'd be so fun. Melody, Jane, do you consider yourselves foodies, people who are really into food trends and restaurants and cooking?

Oh, yeah, definitely. What about you, Jane?

I used to be now I just try to get food into my family's belly. But I really, really love good food.

Me too. I love good food and trying new recipes. Maybe someday I'll get to try the food of some of our young listeners.

Hi, my name's Mary, and I live in Malvern, New York. I'm five years old, and I would really like to be a cooker, because it can help people's bodies and it's strong for them. Sometimes. My mom makes me healthy food and vegetables.

My name is Agot. I'm six and a half years old. I live in Norway. On my bucket list, I want to be rich, working as a chef and traveling along the world.

Being a rich traveling chef would be a pretty cool life. We're hearing all of your big dreams, the things that are on your bucket list. Today, it's our special end of year episode where we ask you a question and you send us the answers. More to come, including some really fantastic careers you hope to have. This is But Why. I'm Jane Lindholm and today Melody, Sarah and I are listening through all of the responses you sent us for our last episode of 2025.

We asked you to tell us one thing you hope to accomplish doesn't have to be right now, but something you want to do at some point in your life. Penny has one to check off their bucket list right away.

Hi, my name is Penny. I live in Biloxi, Mississippi. I'm 12 years old. My bucket list for next year is that I want to get as many stickers as possible for school, and I want to make my own little rubber band bracelet business.

Penny, you're an entrepreneur, someone willing to go out on a limb to start a new business. Good luck to you, Penny! Nova also has a short term goal.

Hi, I'm Nova. I live in Springfield. My bucket list would be to stay up all night before I go to college. I'm six.

I have no doubt you can accomplish that one Nova. I can remember wanting to stay up all night too. But the funny thing about getting older is that most adults would like to never stay up all night again. Lots of us have goals related to getting more sleep, not less.

Ah, to be young. Here are a few goals that might take a bit longer to accomplish.

My name is Nico. I'm eight years old. I live in New Hartford, Connecticut. On my bucket list is I want to be an NBA basketball player and be in the Hall of Fame.

Hello. My name is Sophia. I'm seven years old. I live in Washington, DC. My goal is to be a ninja, and I want to be as good as the [noises].

Ooh, that's pretty good. How about these animal related dreams?

My name is Louise. I'm three years old, and I want to hold a rainbow butterfly.

Hi. I'm Nina. I live with Silver Spring, Maryland. On my bucket list, I want to have a bunny.

I would love to hold a rainbow butterfly too. We actually did an episode about butterflies where I got to go to a butterfly enclosure, and some of them landed on my headphones and microphone.

And we're actually working on an episode about bunnies right now.

Hello. My name is Sally June. I am seven years old. I live in Midland, Texas. Something on my bucket list is to be an archeologist, because I want to find dinosaur bones.

I'm Bradlee. I'm eight years old. I live in Germany Ramstein, and something that I want on my bucket list is when I get older, to be someone who studies animals.

Hello. My name is Lucy, and I live in Fairfax, Virginia. I'm six years old. On my bucket list, I want to have babies in the future and be a mommy just like my mommy, and have 10 babies.

Hi, my name is Logan. I'm 11 years old, and in nine days I'll be turning 12. I live in Mount Martha, in Victoria, Australia, and when I grow up, I hope to be a YouTuber, like a successful one, and I hope to have a room that's just for Lego.

A room just for legos would be brilliant. Speaking of legos...

Hi, my name is Seva, and I live in Mississauga, Ontario, and I am seven years old. On my bucket list, I want to go to Mario Land, and I want to go to Legoland, and I want to play Roblox.

Here's one that combines career and travel.

My name is Eleanor. I'm four years old, I'm from California, and my goal is to become a doctor, and I also want to travel to Hawaii.

You're not the only one hoping to go to Hawaii, Eleanor,

Hi, I'm Levi. I live in Maryland. I'm six years old. My bucket list is two go to Hawaii and see all the beautiful nature.

Hello. I'm Beau, and I live in Ramstein, Germany. And on my bucket list, I would really want to see a shark in person and go to Hawaii.

We have a shark episode too. Beau, you might enjoy that one. And one of our frequent guests on this show lives in Hawaii, so maybe he'll let us go visit and stay with him, and someday we can do some Hawaii episodes.

Let's put that on our but why bucket list!

Yeah, should we do a few more of the travel dreams?

Yeah.

My name is Memo. I am five. I'm from Oakland, California, and on my bucket list is I want to go to Greece.

My name is Tio. I'm six years old, and live in Hartford, Connecticut. And my bucket list is I want to go into the Amazon rainforest and jump off a cliff into the water.

My name is Lucy. I live in Nashville, Tennessee. I'm six years old. Something on my bucket list is I want to see the Statue of Liberty.

My name is Harvey. I'm from Bristol, Vermont. I am six years old, and I want to go to New York City and see the Statue of Liberty.

My name is Dom, and I want to go to Japan and eat sushi, and I want to go to Antarctica to see the penguin. And that's a part of my bucket list.

Jane, going to Antarctica is on your bucket list, isn't it?

Sure is. Luckily, you can see penguins in other places too. I've seen them in Chile and Ecuador and Australia, but seeing them in Antarctica would be different level.

Just a few more to go, and they're all related to things you've told us you want to be able to do in your life. Here's a fun one.

My name is Maddox. I live in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and I'm seven years old, and what's on my bucket list is being better at origami.

If you're unfamiliar with origami, it's the Japanese art of paper folding without using any scissors or glue. Maddox, send us some pictures of what you're making. We'd love to see your work.

My name is Emmett, and I'm six years old, and what's on my bucket list is I want to build a computer.

What kind of computer I wonder? Okay, last one.

On my bucket list, I want to do an airplane race in the sky. And my name is Sophie, and I'm from Waterbury, Vermont, and I'm four.

That's very adventurous. Sophie, since we live in Vermont, we'll keep our eyes on the sky in hopes of seeing you win an airplane race someday. Thank you for sharing all of your big dreams with us for our end of 2025 special episode, we are inspired by all of your goals, and if you're listening and didn't send in a bucket list item, maybe you're inspired by this list too.

That's it for today. Remember, you can send us questions on anything you're curious about. Have an adult help you record your question using one of the free apps that come with their cell phone. Tell us your first name, where you live, and how old you are, and have your adult send the file to questions@butwhykids.org

But Why is produced by Vermont Public and distributed by PRX. Our show staff is Melody Bodette, Jane Lindholm and me, Sarah Baik. Our video producer is Joey Palumbo.

And our theme music was written and performed by Luke Reynolds. We'll be back in two weeks with an all new episode. Until then, Happy New Year, and as always, stay curious!