You're listening to a MoMA Mia podcast.
Mama Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters that this podcast is recorded on. Hello to all our little builders and their grown ups. Welcome to how to Build a Universe where stories build worlds. I'm Jen Muer. I'm an obstetric social worker and mum to four boys, and my co host is actually missing. Hang on, what the fuck did you just fly in through the window.
Sorry about that. I'm still getting the hang of this landing thing. Jet Boy makes it look so easy, though I probably shouldn't have tried his loop de loop de loop trick anyway. Hello to all my mighty mini heroes. Boy, oh boy, do I have a super story for you. I've just been zooming around the clouds with our superheroes Jet Boy and Glow Girl, and guess what they told me a secret They're looking for some new junior superheroes to join them to save the day. I wonder if they could mean you.
Oh, superheroes. As a mom to four boys, I'm not gonna lie today is my favorite of all our themes so far, partially because I had about ten years where there was always a hero in the backseat of my car, but also because of what hero play represents to little kids. Both boys and girls love heroes Batman, Spidy, wonder Woman, all the heroes that often start to fill the minds and the play themes of little kids through the preschool years.
While it might look rough, sometimes it's actually quite the opposite. Lots of kids warn to be heroes, the one who does right, saves the day, and even saves the world. I've learnt that kids love heroes because the idea that there are good guys who can defeat all the bad guys somehow makes the complexity of life feel workable for their huge hearts. Heroes can also help us tackle some
of our big feelings, especially worry and anxiety. Whether your child is struggling to separate, worried about trying new foods, or worried about the dark, we can use hero play to help kids overcome worries or play out struggles from their days. The key message is that even superheroes feel worried when they tackle their problems, and the strength lies in small steps in the right direction.
Alrighty, well, you know what direction We're all going up. Everybody, stretch those arms up super high and so that we're all ready for launch. Are you stretching up?
I'm stretching up way We're gone.
Coming. Oh wow, Oh chie, just getting used to this super power thing. I'm still a bit rusty. Please keep the faith for today's adventure. Hello, most fellow superhero. Are you ready to join me on a magical airborne journey up into the sky today? Great? I knew you would. First, let's get our bodies ready for lift off with a deep breath in and breathing out. Okay, because we're about to float up up up into the clouds, I need you to wiggle your fingers and your toes. Go on
wiggling fingers and toes. Can you feel yourself getting lighter? Right, it's time for liftoff. Stretch your hands up because we're about to fly up into the sky. Are you ready? Three? Two?
One?
Go?
Wow?
Can you feel it? We're lifting up higher and higher towards the clouds. Wave goodbye to the ground below. Can you feel the wind tickling your ears? Look down? The houses and our streets are getting smaller and smaller, and the people look like little ants scurrying around. Oh wow, we're so high now that the birds are flying below us. Can you hear them calling hello as we passed by? And for some reason they're all geese. Now, can you put your arms out on either side like you're an
eagle with wings flying. That's it, both arms spread out as far as you can reach. Oh, we're entering the first layer of clouds. Now. It feels like flying through very foss. Doesn't it feel soft and fluffy? The clouds are so puffy and soft, they're like big marshmallow pillows. No, I've always wondered if you jump onto a cloud, would we bounce up off it like we're on a trampoline. Why don't we give it a go. Let's land on these big puffy clouds right here, careful now, and they're
quite poutsy. I'm just gonna put my foot right hip like giant trampolines in the sky. Oh my goodness. Look over there, do you see those two figures zooming through the sky. It's Jet Boy and Glow Girl. They're superheroes of the sky. Jetboy can whizz through the air as fast as a well a speeding jet, and right next to him that's Glow Girl with her power awful shining lights. Wow, but wait, they look worried. Is everything all right? Jet Boy and Glow Girl. He's whizzing right up to us.
Hello there, I'm Jet Boy. It's my job to keep our Cloud village safe by using all my superpowers. But today I'm a bit stuck. Something terrible has happened down there.
The bridge to the school has disappeared. All the children are stuck on the wrong side of Sky River, which means they can't get home from school for dinner.
Oh no, that's awful, Jet Boy and Glow Girl. The kids have to get home for dinner. They must be so hungry. Okay, made a little superhero. Shall we help Jet Boy and Glowgirl. Nod your head if you're ready to take a look. Great, I can feel a lot of you nodding. Oh look down there, I could see Cloud Village and there's the big gap where the bridge should be. Oh hang on, and who's that sitting on the moon. It looks it's like Moon Mischief. Now, Moon Mischief is a puffy man made of clouds who lives
on the moon. They're laughing to themselves. Come on, fellow heroes, let's float closer and have a listen. No more noisy children, crossing my bridge. No more singing and laughing while I'm trying to sleep during the day.
Peace enquiet at last time.
Ah, so that's what happened. Moon Mischief knocked down the bridge because the happy children were too noisy. Jet Boy looks really worried, doesn't he.
I don't know how to fix this. I'm super fast, but I can't build a bridge all by myself.
My life powers can make a rainbow bridge, but I've never made one even close to this big before.
Okay, my mini superhero, We're gonna need your help to build this cloud bridge. Let's gather up some clouds to make this bridge. Are there any small things nearby you that could be the clouds? This is a great chance if you've got any toys nearby, or I'm using some white Lego juplow bricks that I can pop together here. But you can use anything you like. So let's get going collect those clouds and put them together.
Wow, they're helping.
That's it. Yes, grab anything you can making our imaginary cloud bridge.
Yes, keep building.
Amazing cloud collecting. Now Jet Boy can use this super speed to line up the clouds all the way across the river.
I'm nervous about getting this right, but I'm going to be brave.
Let him go. Zoom zoom zoom. Right, the clouds are in position. Now it's glow Girl's tune. She needs to send a rainbow across the clouds to hold up the bridge from underneath. But she looks a bit scared too.
Oh, I've never made a rainbow go this long before.
What if I can't do it?
Oh?
Look, Logo's taking in a deep breath. Come on, and her whole body is starting to shine brighter and brighter. Come on, let's go. She's pointing her glowing hands at the clouds and oh yes, it's happening. The lights passing through the water droppers in the clouds and creating the most spectacular rainbow bridge you've ever seen. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, all stretching across the sky river. It's the children of
the cloud village are cheering. Now they can use the rainbow as a big, beautiful bridge across the river.
No, oh, don't do that.
Oh no, but Moon Mischief's frowning. What's going on?
Nah, it's still going to be noisy during the day when I'm trying to sleep with no one.
Cares that is a problem. Wait, Glow Girl has another idea, Moon Mischief.
What if I create you a special sleeping mask made of gentle moonlight, and I.
Could build you a soft cloud bed that floats high above the village where it's quieter.
Those are pretty good idea, is what do you think, Moon Mischief? Well, why now, I suppose that might work, and the school children might like you to visit sometimes too. The children would love to hear your stories about the night sky. Oh they would, of course they would. Well, there you go. Jet Boy and Glow Girl tackled the mission even though they were feeling nervous. But they couldn't have done it without your help, my little superhero, and even Moon Mischief happy.
Their laughter does sound rather knows.
Jean, what a super powered adventure that was. I'm still catching my breath. Hey, did you notice that boy when he felt a little bit nervous, his knees were doing the shaky shaky you know, the jangling around like that. But you know what I always say, when you feel unsure about trying something new and your timmy feels like it's full of jumping jelly beans, that's just your courage doing some warmup exercises because everyone gets nervous.
That's so true, and I feel like I'm a hero after that play Today. I love the idea where letting kids explore their idea of strength and triumph of good over bad. For kids, it's not only so fun, but it's a lovely idea we can carry into our weeks and incorporate a bit of superhero into the next situation that makes us feel worried.
Alright, it was time to hang up your superhero capes for now. They get ready traw because next week we're going back in time to meet the dinosaurs. There will be a t rex, a brachiosaurus, a triceratops, a pterodactyl, velociraptor spinosaurus.
Yeah, okay, until then, remember stories build universes.
Oh, and your imagination is always ready for an adventure. See you next time, builders.
Bye.
The executive producer of How To Build a Universe is Courtney Armenhauser. Glowgirl was voiced by Taylor Strano and Jet Boy by Nahla Phillips, with Moon Mischief by Tiana and Isaac's Daddy. Story writing and sound designed by me Tom Lyon. Thanks for listening to today's episode of How to Build a Universe, we'd love to know what you thought of it. You can fill out our survey and go in the running to win one thousand dollars. There's a link in the show notes