Discovering podcasts for kids has been an absolute lifesaver for us. Not only does it make for something to easily pass the time in the car, but they will also happily listen at home during down-time and it’s a great screen-free option that keeps them entertained. (Don’t get me wrong – I’m all about screen time, I just know that my kids have limits and will turn into absolute monsters if we don’t regulate it a bit.)
Just like with my own podcast library, we have worked our way through a number of podcasts for kids that are both good and bad. Today I’m sharing five podcasts that we love, with the bonus that they all have a good-sized archive so you can keep your kids entertained all summer long!
First things first: If you’re new to podcasts, read all about how to listen to a podcast!
Six Great Podcasts for Kids
Brains On!
“We’re serious about being curious is the tagline behind the Brains On Podcast. Episode titles like “Animal Farts: A Mighty Wind” tell you all you need to know about the cheeky minds behind these shows. This podcast has over 100 episodes in the archive. You can find a list of listener favorites if you’re looking for a good starting point.
The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian
This serial sci-fi podcast for kids is entertaining for everyone. The creator draws inspiration from a number of books and includes puzzles and brain-teasers for listeners to attempt to solve before the next episode. With four full seasons already produced, there is plenty of content to dig in to and enjoy with the explorers from the Marlowe interplanetary space station. My kids, ages 7 & 10, both love this and rank it their number one podcast.
The Unexplained Disappearance of Mars Patel
This is another serial podcast, but this time with a mystery at the heart of it. The intended audience is 8-12 years old and it describes itself as “Goonies meets Spy Kids meets Stranger Things.” This will definitely keep your tweens entertained on long road trips and would make a fantastic summer binge listen!
Yet ANOTHER serial mystery podcast from the creators of Mars Patel. I love this one because the episodes are just six minutes long, and are great for quick trips around town. It is also incredibly entertaining and engaging. It’s hard to say which one of us is most excited when a new episode is released!
Story Pirates
Story Pirates has been around since 2004 as a performing group, radio show and sketch comedy troupe featuring stories written by kids. The podcast is from Gimlet, a team that has proven themselves absolute podcasting geniuses. My seven year old loves this podcast as a source of light-hearted fun in the form of funny storytelling and silly songs. The best part is that the stories told on the podcast are stories that kids have submitted and have been turned into highly entertaining sketches.
Pants On Fire
Like a podcast version of To Tell the Truth, Pants on Fire pits one kid against two adults – one of whom is an expert, the other is simply a liar. So far there are only ten episodes, but both my kids and I enjoy this show and it’s pretty informative as well as entertaining with topics like superheroes, chess, martial arts and drones.
