Tika Sumpter’s daughter is the”creative imagination” behind her latest project.
The actress, 44, opened up to Us Weekly exclusively about the launch of her new podcast, “Adventures of Curiosity Cove.” Sumpter shares her daughter, Ella-Loren, 7, with husband Nicholas James, 40, whom she starred alongside on OWN’s The Haves and the Have Nots.
“We’ve been telling [our daughter] stories and using her imagination for forever,” said Sumpter. “When I started playing other podcasts for her, I was so surprised that she’d be having bath and she’s like ‘Mom can you turn on my stories podcast?’”
Sumpter and her husband created “Ella the Curious,” a character centered around their daughter’s inquisitive nature. “Adventures of Curiosity Cove” is a “whirlwind of amazing, magical stories” based on Ella.
“It gives inspiration to kids without having them be on their screen so much,” she said. “It’s listening, it’s using their brains, it’s connecting different things.”
Not only does Sumpter believe in the podcast’s benefits for the young listener, she says it also helps her and her husband find time to relax.
“[The podcast] gave me peace, too,” she said. “We wanna give them a break, and give them a moment and feel good about something that their kid is listening to.”
Aligning the podcast’s mission with that of her multimedia company Fort Sumpter, Tika reiterated the company’s ethos: “Provide peace that elicits joy.” She hopes that “Adventures of Curiosity Cove” is just the start of the “podcast revolution” for kids, encouraging young ones to ditch the technology and engage with their creative side.
“We’re asking kids to send in drawings of what they imagine of the story,” she explained. “We wanna post it for the world to see their artistry… in order for kids to use all the things inside of them without just watching something.”
Stories take on various themes inspired by the world around Us. Sumpter shares an example of a story based on her daughter’s pre-pandemic battle with COVID, in which her husband created characters out of his daughter’s oxygen machines. Another, she explains, characterizes fear as a dragon, teaching children how to become “friends with fear.”
“Adventures of Curiosity Cove” premieres on Monday, September 9.
Reporting by Travis Cronin