The Key to Calming Down With Rebecca Naomi Jones

In "The Key to Calming Down," three kids (Charlie, Katrina, and Sienna) join Todd to share tips and tricks they use to calm down — which come in handy when they're experiencing big feelings. The kids and Todd then take a journey to the Land of Qook-a-lakcas to visit Todd's friend Quinlan who invited the group to become the first humans ever to attend Camp Quinder-Calm!

The role of Quinlan is played by Rebecca Naomi Jones, an American actress and singer best known for her performances in the Broadway rock musicals Passing Strange, American Idiot, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. She was also the first woman of color to play Laurey in Oklahoma! on Broadway and starred in As You Like It in NYC's Shakespeare in the Park.

The original song, "I Have the Key," which Quinlan shares with the children in the Land of Qook-a-lackas, was composed by Benjamin Weiner, a NYC-based writer, composer, and educator.

The ukulele music in the episode is written and performed by Bill English. Bill is an actor, musician, and voiceover artist based in NYC.

Thank you to Dr. Cara Spitalewitz who advised us on the mediation that Quinlan leads in the episode. Cara is a clinical psychologist who works with children and an assistant clinical professor at Columbia University Medical Center.

Thank you to Ahmed Ashour, who made this episode and all the episodes of Season 2 of our podcast sound amazing — and to the rest of the team who put this episode and the season together.

Find extras and educator resources at playsparkler.org/podcast.