Faithfully Explore!

About Faithfully Explore!

Pack your curiosity and get ready to explore! Faithfully Explore! is an educational podcast for curious kids ages 5–12, families, homeschoolers, and classrooms. Hosted by Laura, each episode introduces listeners to world religions, cultural traditions, myths, folktales, inspiring people, holidays, and big ideas in a warm, respectful, and kid-friendly way. Through sound-rich storytelling, guided imagination, original songs, movement, games, mindfulness, and hands-on challenges, children discover both what makes people’s beliefs and traditions unique and what connects us across the world. Every adventure ends with something meaningful to place in our Belief Backpack, a lesson about kindness, courage, compassion, honesty, curiosity, stewardship, or understanding that children can carry into their own lives. Faithfully Explore! encourages children to ask thoughtful questions, appreciate different perspectives, and explore the world with wonder, without preaching or telling families what to believe. Listen together in the car, before bed, during homeschool, or as part of a classroom lesson. Then continue the adventure with videos, educational printables, activities, and family resources at FaithfullyExplore.com.

Publisher

Laura Menousek

Category

kids & family · religion & spirituality · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Apr 2025

Latest episode

24 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

70 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Sept 2026

   Nasreddin’s Clever Solution: A Story About Fairness

   Can someone charge you for smelling their soup? A hungry traveler has only a piece of bread for lunch—but when he enjoys the delicious smell drifting from an innkeeper’s pot, he gets an unexpected bill. Three coins for a sniff? Something doesn’t seem fair! Join Laura on Faithfully Explore! for a funny folktale featuring Nasreddin Hodja, a beloved character known for surprising people into thinking differently. When the traveler and innkeeper bring him their disagreement, Nasreddin listens, asks questions, and comes up with an answer you’ll want to hear for yourself. Can your explorer solve the problem before Nasreddin does? Listen together, pause to share your guesses, and discover how a little humor can make a big point. Inside This Episode Travel to Turkey, also known as Türkiye, and discover how a ferry ride in Istanbul can take you between Europe and Asia. Meet Nasreddin Hodja and learn that his stories are told across many countries and cultures. Follow a hungry traveler into a marketplace—and a very unusual disagreement. Think through the problem before the story’s clever conclusion. Connect fairness to everyday situations, including someone changing the rules in the middle of a game. Practice a simple way to speak up: “That doesn’t seem fair. Can we talk about it?” 🎒 This Week’s Belief Backpack “Be fair and speak up when something is unfair.” Children are encouraged to listen carefully, ask what actually happened, and seek help from a trusted grown-up when they need support. For Parents and Educators Created for children ages 5–12, this episode offers a starting point for conversations about fairness, critical thinking, respectful communication, and resolving disagreements. Try it during a car ride, at bedtime, in a classroom, or as part of a homeschool lesson on folktales and world cultures. This is a retelling of a traditional Nasreddin tale. Names, details, and settings vary across the communities that share these stories. Keep the Conversation Going Ask your child: “Why do you think Nasreddin asked questions before deciding what was fair?” Then try a family or classroom fairness check during your next game or shared activity: Did everyone understand the rules? Has everyone had a chance to explain? Does anyone need help participating? Explore More Visit FaithfullyExplore.com (https://faithfullyexplore.com/) for more episodes exploring stories, cultures, beliefs, and big ideas from around the world. Follow Faithfully Explore! wherever you listen so your next adventure is ready for carpool, quiet time, or learning together. Know a family or teacher who would enjoy this story? Share the episode and invite them to solve Nasreddin’s puzzle, too!

2. 

   17 Sept 2026

   Pele, Hawaiian Goddess of Fire: A Journey Across the Islands

   Pele, Hawaiian Goddess of Fire: A Journey Across the Islands Why do visitors mail lava rocks back to Hawaiʻi and what does that have to do with Pele? A package arrives filled with volcanic rocks and a worried note asking for them to be returned. The sender believes they have experienced “Pele’s curse.” But where did that belief come from, and how does it compare with traditional Hawaiian stories? Join Laura on Faithfully Explore! for a journey across the Hawaiian Islands to meet Pele, the revered goddess of fire and volcanoes. Follow her search for a home as her sea-goddess sister sends waves against her flames, paddle along in an imaginary voyaging canoe, and discover how lava can destroy a landscape while also creating new land. Then return to the mystery of the mailed rocks. Explore the difference between traditional Hawaiian moʻolelo and the popular souvenir-curse legend and why respecting the land matters regardless of whether we believe in bad luck. In This Episode, We Explore Who is Pele? Meet a sacred figure whose connection to Hawaiʻi’s volcanic landscape remains meaningful to many Native Hawaiians. Why does Pele travel across the islands? Hear one telling of her journey from Kahiki toward a home at Kīlauea. How does fire become land? Discover what happens when lava cools and how Pele’s route parallels the broad progression of the Hawaiian island chain. What is “Pele’s curse”? Investigate the popular belief about taking lava rocks and why its uncertain origins matter. Why leave rocks where they belong? Consider the cultural and environmental reasons to appreciate a place without removing pieces of it. For Curious Kids and Their Grown-Ups Looking for an introduction to Pele, Hawaiian goddess, for kids? This episode brings together storytelling, Hawaiian cultural learning, geography, and volcano science for children ages 5–12, families, and educators. Listeners can join a seated paddling activity, imagine the meeting of fire and water, and cross our Friendship Bridge to consider how different beliefs inspire care for the Earth. The story includes conflict between sisters and descriptions of volcanic destruction, alongside themes of creation, belonging, and responsibility. This Week’s Belief Backpack “Respect means learning the true story and leaving a place whole.” After listening, ask: “How could you remember a special place without taking anything from it?” Draw a favorite view, describe its sounds, or tell someone what you discovered. Keep Exploring Visit FaithfullyExplore.com (https://faithfullyexplore.com/) for the episode page, discussion prompts, deeper discoveries for adults, and companion recommendations for Hawaiian storybooks, volcano books, and hands-on activities. Enjoyed the journey? Follow Faithfully Explore! for more stories, cultures, beliefs, and big ideas from around the world—and share this episode with a family who loves asking “why?”

3. 

   10 Sept 2026

   Why the Sun and Moon Take Turns: A Traditional Lithuanian Sky Story

   Why the Sun and Moon Take Turns: A Traditional Lithuanian Sky Story What happens when the Sun and Moon both insist it’s their turn to watch over the Earth? Join Laura on Faithfully Explore! for a Lithuanian sun and moon myth for kids about a celestial family, a noisy disagreement, and two different ways of showing love. Saulė, the Sun, brings warmth and light to her daughter, Žemė—the Earth. Mėnulis, the Moon, offers a gentle glow and quiet nighttime care. But when neither will step aside, their argument echoes across the heavens! Can Perkūnas, the powerful thunderer, help them discover that Earth needs what each of them offers? Through this warm retelling, children explore cooperation, listening, and the possibility that two different ideas can both have value. In This Episode Travel to Lithuania and meet the celestial characters of a traditional sky story. Discover how a disagreement changes when everyone focuses on what is needed. Explore the story’s explanation for the Sun and Moon taking turns. Learn that Earth’s rotation causes day and night—and that the Moon can sometimes appear during daylight, too. Reflect on the importance of both activity and rest, warmth and quiet, giving and listening. Our Belief Backpack Takeaway We can care in different ways, and both ways can matter. Sometimes working together begins with recognizing that someone else’s contribution does not have to look like ours to be valuable. Keep the Conversation Going Ask your explorer: “How do different people show they care for you?” Perhaps someone helps with homework, someone listens when you’re upset, and someone makes you laugh. How do those different kinds of care help you? Explore More Visit FaithfullyExplore.com (https://faithfullyexplore.com/) for more stories, episode resources, and ideas for bringing curiosity into your family or classroom. Enjoyed this journey? Follow Faithfully Explore! and share this episode with a family, teacher, or friend who loves discovering the world through stories. Stay curious, stay kind, and keep faithfully exploring!

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

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Guest appearances

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