Be it bedtime, a long car ride, or just killing time, podcasts are a big part of life in our house. My kids often debate and re-listen to their favorite podcasts, and if there’s a question I can’t answer, the usual next step is to ask, “Is there a podcast about it?” There are many podcasts for kids to enjoy, either on their own or with their parents.
Podcasting is a way for kids to engage with the outside world and learn about history, science, social interactions, and more, without their parents having to resort to a screen. Podcasts have a more intimate relationship with listeners because the brain has to paint the pictures, and they often feel like talking with a friend instead of a cut-and-paste video.
From calling back to the olden days of Radio Serials to commentary and explanation of science and current events, podcasts for kids are an excellent way to answer the questions you have no idea how to answer, as well as expose your kids to new information and exciting ideas.
Here are 15 All-Ages Podcasts that you and your kids will find stuffed with factoids, fantasy, and fun!
Wow In The World
Wow In The World is hosted by Mindy and Guy Raz, and aims to explain the latest news in science, technology, and anything that makes you go “WOW!” in an entertaining, story-style narrative. Beyond that, Wow In The World also takes things outside the speakers as well, with live game shows, geocaching adventures and more!.
What Wow In The World Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: Wow In The World’s subject matter is vast and varied. They have episodes about everything from Dinosaurs to Nuclear Fusion, to Insomnia, Misophonia, and more! Kids will love the diverse subject matter and learning through adventure with Mindy and Guy Raz!
Story Pirates
Story Pirates takes stories written and submitted by kids and turns them into hilarious sketches, songs and comedic gold. The show is hosted by Peter McNerney and Benjamin Salka, experienced writers and comedians in their own right. They are joined by celebrity guests like Kristen Bell, John Oliver, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sara Bareilles, Seth Meyers, Bowen Yang, and more.
What Story Pirates Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: The stories and songs in Story Pirates are created by the audience, aka KIDS! This means your kid can create their own stories, no matter how crazy or wacky they might be. This teaches kids how to create and express themselves, and what kid wouldn’t love to hear their story put together by pros like this?
Circle Round
Circle Round adapts selected tales from global folklore and presents them as full-out radio plays. The episodes of Circle Round are drawn from cultures all over the world, and feature guest stars like Natalie Dormer, Tatyana Ali, Adam Goldberg, and more, making it a diverse and fun show that can open doors to corners of the Earth kids previously haven’t seen.
What Circle Round Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: Not only does Circle Round sound great, it teaches kids about culture and the importance that lore and stories play in our lives. Stories from Japan, the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond explore themes such as kindness, determination, and generosity. Circle Round shows us the importance of storytelling in any culture and is darn fun to boot!
But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids
Have you ever had your kid ask you something in which the question was more baffling and confusing than the answer? Never fear! But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids speaks with experts on just about any topic a kid could come up with, from things like “Who Decides What Robots Look Like?” to “Why Can’t Animals Talk To Us?”
What But Why Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: Kids love this show because it answers the questions that only kids could ask. There isn’t a set topic theme; it’s just about the questions. The show meticulously hunts down the answers with experts and examples and manages to provide real-world answers to real-world questions.
Smash Boom Best
Smash Boom Best is something of a debate show in which two guests are each assigned a topic and a judge decides which one is better. The guests put together completely original stories, points, and radio plays to explain why their thing is the best, and the host makes a call at the end of the show.
What Smash Boom Best Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: Smash Boom Best is (to quote a cliche) fun for the whole family. Kids and parents will love listening and joining in on the debates, as well as picking a winner at the end. Debate topics range from Spider-Man vs. Batman to Axolotls vs. Flamingos to Mermaids vs. Bigfoot, and more. Plus, the State of Debate segment teaches listeners how to identify logical fallacies in both sides of the argument.
Relax With Animal Facts
Relax With Animal Facts is a bedtime, ASMR-style podcast perfect for falling asleep to or simply enjoying some quiet time. Host Stefan Wolfe has a soft and soothing voice that is not only relaxing but also easy to focus on in quiet moments.
What Relax With Animal Facts Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: Relax With Animal Facts teaches detailed information about some of the most interesting animals on the planet. Gorillas, falcons, slugs, and more are all featured and will chill out parents and kids as well as make them say “huh, I didn’t know that!” at least once an episode.
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
Based on the best-selling book series of the same name, Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls isn’t just bedtime listening, and it’s not just for girls! Kids of all stripes will enjoy listening to this fairy-tale style show about female historical figures who cut against the grain.
What Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: On the surface, kids will enjoy the well-researched stories about true-life rebellious women both in history and in current times. Digging deeper, there are messages about determination and standing up for what’s right that any kid or parent can probably use in their day-to-day lives.
Greeking Out From National Geographic Kids
With the pedigree of National Geographic behind them, Greeking Out tells the tales of the many, many Gods in the Greek Pantheon. The show talks about Greek Myths, stories, and Gods, both major and minor, in a “discovery” style that is a lot of fun.
What Greeking Out Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: Greeking Out recounts the mythology of the Greek Gods very well, but does it in a modern and factual way. The messages in the legends are discussed in real-world terms, and historical interpretations are contextualized for kids. There are so many Gods and stories to choose from, Greeking Out is a great companion for the long haul.
Radiolab For Kids: The Terrestrials
The Terrestrials is for nature lovers. Host Lulu Miller takes listeners on a nature walk, encountering plants and animals that behave in surprising and endearing ways. Songs, soundscapes, and guests fill out this outdoor extravaganza.
What The Terrestrials Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: Using soundscapes and effects, The Terrestrials creates an entertaining atmosphere to dispense facts and information about the plants, animals, or other facets of nature that they encounter each week. Kids will also learn about the ecology and culture of the different parts of the world that these creatures call home.
Smologies with Alie Ward
Alie Ward hosts the excellent science podcast for grown-ups called Ologies. It’s a science show that delves into everything science and the “-ology” that is the study of a specific thing. For example, topics like toads (Bufology) and the moon (Selenology). Smologies episodes are kid-friendly versions of the grown-up podcast.
What Smologies Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: The topics on Smologies are vast. From fish (Ichthyology) to aliens (ufology) to even handwriting (graphology) Kids will learn about a myriad of topics from the experts, who are very enthusiastic and entertaining. Anyone with a love of science and an understanding of the world will dig Smologies.
Curious Kids Podcast
The Curious Kids Podcast was started by a father and daughter in New York state as way to stave off pandemic boredom. It has since grown to over 300 episodes on such things as Quarries, Gummy Bears, Seahorses, Dishwashers and more.
What Curious Kids Podcast Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: Hosts Jacob (Dad) and Oliva (age 10) trade off facts and history of the topics authentically and charmingly. My kids love this show because it feels like they’re being spoken to directly. Listeners suggest the topics,and Jacob and Olivia (and younger brother Noah) research each one deeply. This is one you can just let run because each episode is very unique!
The Story Store
Produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp, The Story Store is hosted by Mr. Orlando the Moose and his store assistant, Gary the Unicorn. They have a shop where kids can come and ask for a story about anything, and they will find it in their catalogs. The stories are original, well-produced, and feature big-name guest stars and original songs.
What The Story Store Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: In addition to teaching kids about storytelling and using their imaginations, Mr Orlando and Gary give commentary and discuss the social and emotional lessons in each tale. These are entertaining and fun, but they also convey messages that everyone should hear.
Brains On!
Brains On! Is a science podcast for kids hosted by Molly Bloom, who is also the host of the aforementioned Smash Bang Boom. Each week, a kid co-host joins Molly as they discover the answers to listener-asked questions, fact-checked by experts.
What Brains On! Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: Brains On! Teaches kids the scientific facts about the human body, trees, trends, the internet and more. Using songs, experts and fun games like mystery sounds, Brains On! is also co-hosted by a different kid every week, which kids love because one day, it could be them!
Trivia For Kids
Trivia for Kids is pretty straightforward. It’s trivia, for kids! The whole family can enjoy the quizzes and facts that cover a ton of categories, often with surprising answers. It’s a funny and wholesome show that everyone can participate in.
What Trivia For Kids Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: In addition to the facts and info that the Trivia answers provide, kids can guess answers in each category and see if they can do better than their parents! Categories change every episode, with some recent ones being YouTubers, Dinosaurs, Geography, World Records, Volcanoes, and just about anything you can imagine.
Forever Ago
Another podcast from the makers of Brains On, Forever Ago, explores the history behind things we might think of as “ordinary,” such as ice cream and the “Happy Birthday” song. Hosted by Joy Dolo and a Kid co-host, Forever Ago is a deep dive into history that kids will care about.
What Forever Ago Teaches Kids and Why They Enjoy It: Forever Ago teaches the history of a wide range of topics in a fun and kid-friendly way, but it also doesn’t sanitize it. Forever Ago teaches kids to think critically about history and learn about all sides of a story. The whole family can enjoy and debate the history presented in funny and entertaining vignettes.
