Now that you’ve got all this time on your hands and well, kids on your hands, you’re going to need something for them to listen to, an escape of sorts. Something the whole family can join in on or something that could even be used as a reward in the right situations.
Enter podcasts.
We’ve had lots of road trips, vacations, airplane rides, etc, so I know a thing or two about good kid-friendly podcasts. Get an episode into Six Minutes and your kids will clean their rooms faster than you’ve ever seen just so they can listen to episode 2! This list is thorough and long – 25 podcasts I think your kids, AND you, will love!
storytelling podcasts
1) SIX MINUTES
Still our favorite podcast, Six Minutes follows Eleven-year_old Holiday who is pulled from the icy waters of Alaska with no memory of who she is or where she came from. Each episode is 6 minutes long so they can be broken up or listened to one after the other. And it’s got 2 full seasons on iTunes or Stitcher!
2) THE UNEXPLAINABLE DISAPPEARANCE OF MARS PATEL
While we love this podcast, just know that it’s not complete. They send you to another site to pay for the 2nd + season(s). But, it is REALLY good and so entertaining. Mars Patel disappears and 1 by 1, other kids disappear as well. It’s suspenseful, imaginative, and will keep your kids asking for more!
3) HERO HOTEL
In this fiction, comedy, adventure podcast, listeners meet Chet Zebrowski, who works at his Grandma Zee’s hotel for superheroes. When trash monsters, glam-rock singers and static-electric villains invade the hotel — all while the heroes are on vacation and unwilling to lift a finger — it’s up to Chet and his super-power cat Boomer to save the day.
4) GRIMM, GRIMMER, GRIMMEST
All stories are told by Adam Gidwitz, bestselling author of “A Tale Dark & Grimm,” and are ranked as ‘Grimm, Grimmer, or Grimmest’ illustrating their level of, well, grimness. But don’t worry – they’re not TOO dark. Each episode features a fairy tale retold with a surprising flourish.
5) TARA TREMENDOUS: THE SECRET DIARIES
Don’t dismiss this podcast based on the cover art – this isn’t some reincarnated Barbie princess tale. 11-year_old Tara Callahan accidentally acquires the powers of every superhero in the world and her life goes from ordinary to extraordinary. Filled with mystery, action, adventure and comedy, this podcast will quickly become a favorite!
6) STORIES PODCAST: A BEDTIME SHOW FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES
On the Stories Podcast, the stories range from retellings of fairy tales like Snow White to classic stories like Peter Rabbit and even completely original works. Everything is G rated and safe for all ages. Whether you’re driving with your children or just want to limit your kids’ screen time – it’s entertaining enough that even your older kids will find themselves hooked.
7) THE ALIEN ADVENTURES OF FINN CASPIAN
Here is the intro to Finn Caspian: “He can’t sleep, he can’t shake the feeling someone is following him, and he can’t stop the monsters who show up to smash his cake.” This kids’ sci-fi podcast will entertain your kids and also help keep you from falling asleep to another kids’ music album. I mean, there are pet robots! Who doesn’t love pet robots?
8) CIRCLE ROUND
Circle Round adapts carefully-selected folktales from around the world into stories for kids ages 4 to 10. Each 10- to 20-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity. If you’re looking for moral and ethical story-based lessons, this podcast is right up your alley!
9) BEDTIME HISTORY
I love this podcast because it straddles the line between storytelling and history. This simplifies history and your kids can learn about inspirational characters like Neil Armstrong, Sacajawea, George Lucas, and J.K. Rowling. Other topics include space exploration, current events, and great feats of engineering such as The Transcontinental Railroad!
10) WHAT IF WORLD
Each week, Mr. Eric takes a “What if?” question from a kid and spins it into a story for all of you! What if clouds were made out of cotton candy? What if dragons can’t fly? What if people sneezed pickles? These are the hard-hitting questions that your 6-year_olds have demanded answers to for too long!
11) ELEANOR AMPLIFIED
Eleanor is like Nancy Drew, if Nancy had been a famous radio reporter. Eleanor embodies the best values of journalism while stopping the plots of evil villains in all sorts of dangerous places. Eleanor goes from space to the jungle to Congress. This podcast skews a little older for kids ages 8 to 12. There are three seasons of this podcast so far.
12) WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE
Structured like a community radio show for the fictional desert town of Night Vale, the mysterious is ordinary and vice versa in this delightfully eerie series. Both the clever concept and the smooth voice of narrator Cecil Baldwin have helped the show develop a cult-like following. It’s a bit creepy and dark for small kids, but older tweens and teens will find it perfect for a nighttime drive along a deserted highway.
13) LETHAL LIT: A TIG TORRES MYSTERY
On the higher end of the young-adult spectrum is Lethal Lit, a fictional true-crime podcast about Tig Torres trying to clear her aunt’s name of being labeled the Lit Killer, a serial killer that plagued the town of Hollow Falls with methods pulled from classic literature. It’s a completed storyline with immersive sound design and short and sweet with 6 episodes total!
TRIVIA & INTERACTIVE PODCASTS
14) PANTS ON FIRE
Pants on Fire is a podcast game show, where a kid goes up against two adults, only one of whom is an expert on the topic of the episode. It helps kids learn how to ask questions and analyze the information given. And it’s a lot of fun to play along with!
15) EXTRABLURT
Everyone is a contestant in this audio game show, whose episode themes run the gamut from “Outerspace Invaders” to “You’re Gonna Eat That,” “Heading to Hogwarts and “The Pets We Get” and so many more. Listeners are encouraged to shout out answers as the hosts pose fun-filled challenges and tricky trivia questions designed for ages 8-12. If you’re looking for topics for younger kids, there’s also ExtraBlurt Junior for ages 5-8. This is a Pinna podcast which means it’s paid. But you can get a 60-day trial period when you use code PINNA4KIDS at checkout!
16) SMASH BOOM BEST
This is a debate show for kids and families and in every episode, two cool things get “smashed together” and you decide which one is best. Cats vs. Dogs? Pizza vs. Tacos? You decide along with kids who debate with passion to make their case.
17) BEST QUIZ EVER
A quiz podcast for kids and families and it’s based on pop-culture. Each quiz has 10-24 questions about popular kid’s cartoons, shows, video games, theme parks, and cultural phenomena and is best suited for kid 8+! Plus, it will give you and your husband a chance to show off all your knowledge or 80’s and 90’s pop culture!
INFORMATION & EDUCATION PODCASTS
18) BUT WHY? A PODCAST FOR CURIOUS KIDS
This podcast answers the 1 question I get from my kids over and over “But why?” Why do birds fly? What happens when a president is impeached? Why do we dream? Your kids can submit their own questions, too; instructions are on the website. Because But Why covers a wide range of topics, I tend to help out more with it. Many episodes are best suited to slightly older kids. Jett and Dash were not about to sit through an episode on what happens when a president is impeached, for example, but they did enjoy an episode on how we taste our food.
19) THE PAST & THE CURIOUS
Reminiscent of the TV show Drunk History (minus the alcohol), this amusing podcast features people telling interesting, little-known stories from history with an emphasis on fun and humor. Although it’s not specifically a music podcast, each episode contains an often-silly song that’s sure to get stuck in your head. There’s even a quiz segment, so kids will learn something, too.
20) BOOK CLUB FOR KIDS
I love this podcast for Emery and Anisten. It’s perfect for tweens looking for new books to add to their collection! And even if you have kids that aren’t huge readers, they’ll be introduced books that they’ll want to dive into after listening in on this biweekly podcast. They’ll hear other kids chatting about a great story, along with other literary recommendations and celeb guests who will read an excerpt from the week’s chosen title.
21) CLASSICS FOR KIDS
Classics For Kids introduces your kids to classical music through the musician’s history and story all set to a backdrop of the composer’s music. The website also has some incredible resources for teachers, parents, and kids!
22) EAR SNACKS
It’s a podcast for kids about the world. Andrew & Polly and their friends consider music, science, art and culture in a fun-filled family-friendly podcast that parents enjoy and younger kids eat right up – best for preschool-aged kids!
23) STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW
While this podcast is not entirely kid-friendly (I don’t necessarily need my kids learning about LSD at their ages) you can pick and choose which episodes you and your family listen to. Think “How Stuff Works” and “How It’s Made” meet “Did You Know” and everything in between.
SCIENCE PODCASTS
24) BRAINS ON!
This is the perfect podcast if you’ve got super curious kids. Every episode delves into why and how things work, where things come from and a ton more. The topics are wide-ranging, which makes it great for any kid. They can learn how elevators work, the design ideas behind roller coasters and how different things are made. I found myself hooked on these episodes as much as Jett and Dash were!
25) TUMBLE: SCIENCE PODCAST FOR KIDS
Tumble is a science podcast for kids, to be enjoyed by the entire family. They tell stories about science discoveries, with the help of scientists! They ask questions, share mysteries, and share what science is all about.
26) WOW IN THE WORLD
The goofball science podcast ‘Wow in the World’ is packed with as much comedy as information. Hosted by Mindy, a klutz with a time machine, and Guy, her uptight foil, Wow in the World takes on serious scientific inquiries and makes learning fun.
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I hope you love this list as much as I do! If I missed any, tell me in the comments below!
Xx Tara
