Understanding Big Feelings for Kids
Big feelings, welcomed! In every episode, feelings get too big for one of our friends at the Zone Center. Leon the chameleon and his friends learn to name the zone they're in, and their teacher, Ms. Maya, shows a tool to get back to the Green Zone using brand-new music, movement, and breath.
The Zones of Regulation is a framework, developed by an occupational therapist and used widely in preschools and homes, for naming how a body feels using four colors. It gives children (and the grown-ups raising them) shared language for big feelings, long before kids have the words on their own.
Green ZoneCalm, focused, and ready. Home base.
Blue ZoneSlow, sad, tired, or bored.
Yellow ZoneSilly, wiggly, excited, or worried.
Red ZoneBig feelings. Mad, scared, or completely overwhelmed.
Leon feels everything, and when he does, you can see it! His color changes with his emotions, making him the Zone Center's very own mood ring. Curious, sensitive, and sometimes a little impatient, Leon is learning that feelings can change just as quickly as his colors.
Why? Why? Why? Ziggy has approximately one million questions, and at least half as many inventions. Always building, testing, taking things apart, and occasionally shouting "Oops!" His biggest challenge isn't slowing down. It's remembering that he can.
Confident, expressive, dramatic, and always ready to turn an ordinary moment into a production. Lulu feels her feelings loudly, and when things don't go her way, those big feelings can get even bigger. Luckily, she can turn almost anything into a performance.
A big voice, big ideas, and an even bigger heart. Ollie loves dinosaurs and making his friends laugh. His energy can go from zero to T. rex in seconds, and he's learning how to slow his body down and get back to Green.
Nia may be soft-spoken, but she notices everything. She loves animals, drawing, and helping her friends. New situations or lots of noise can make her a little nervous, and when she finally speaks up, she usually has something important to say.
Warm, funny, and always ready with a catchy tune. Ms. Maya never tells the kids what they should feel. She helps them notice what's happening, make sense of it, and find their way back to green.
The stories are always changing, but the rhythm stays the same. Once preschoolers know what happens next, they call out the zones, move along with the characters, and sing along with Ms. Maya. A few episodes in, you might hear your kid say, "I think I'm in the Yellow Zone."
Ollie accidentally stomps on Leon's homemade rocket. Volcano breathing helps everyone let the lava out.
Song: "Roar"Listen on Apple Podcasts → Rainy Day BluesA rainy day means no outside play and some sad feelings. Cozy Cloud Hugs help everyone feel better.
Song: "Raining In My Heart"Listen on Apple Podcasts →Hide and Seek with too much noise gets overwhelming. Some breathing helps everyone get back to green.
Song: "Float Like a Balloon"Too much attention makes Leon nervous. Foot slides help get the wiggles out!
Song: "Wiggle It Out"When someone grabs a toy, feelings get big. Friends learn to "Ask, Wait, Trade" to work it out together.
Song: "Trade"Saying goodbye can be sad. Friends learn to send Heart Notes to each other.
Song: "Heart Notes""My daughter asked me what zone I was in during a traffic jam. I was today years old when my toddler co-regulated me."
"It's the first kids' show I've let play in the car without wincing at the music. Genuinely lovely songs."
"We use 'dragon breath' at bedtime now. Didn't expect a podcast to become part of our routine."
Parenting experts and moms and dads unpack each episode of In the Zone, turning its stories, feelings, and lessons into honest conversations and practical tools for real families.
Singer-songwriter, actor, yoga therapist, mindfulness coach, and writer, with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University. Her family albums have earned honors from NAPPA, Parents' Choice, Creative Child, Mom's Choice, Family Choice, Kids First!, and the International Songwriting Competition, and her music has topped SiriusXM Kids Place Live.
Two-time Emmy Award-winning host, actor, and voice talent. He hosted Nickelodeon's Noggin Knows and the Smithsonian/Paramount series Zoo-Qs. Off camera, he's a singer, songwriter, husband, and dad.
Originated Princess Anna in Disney's Frozen on Broadway, with credits including Wicked, Lysistrata Jones, and Xanadu. A Hallmark Channel favorite, prolific audiobook narrator, mom of two, and mental health advocate.
3x GRAMMY-nominated composer, producer, and voice director from New York City, and co-founder of The Pop Ups. He's created award-winning content for Sesame Studios, Nickelodeon, Amazon Studios, Audible, Noggin, and more. Music, scoring, and sound design by Little Loud Studios.
Los Angeles-based writer, comedian, and performer. She has developed scripted content for FOX's Meet Cute and was selected for NBCUniversal's Thousand Miles Project.
Vocal editing for every episode of In the Zone.
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