We're a road-tripping family, and the kids always love it when we turn on a podcast. I love it when there's something that will not only entertain them but has a story I can get into as well.
Here are some of our favorite podcasts that we've listened to over the last few years:
When Chloe is sent off to live with her mysterious and eccentric grandmother she learns an unbelievable secret. Grandma Ivy is none other than Mother Nature herself! And Chloe is next in line to assume the power and responsibility of the job. Can a twelve-year-old learn to balance the entire world’s ecosystem while just trying to fit in at her new school? Only Mother Nature knows. Produced by Gen-Z Media in partnership with PRX.
My kids were glued to this podcast and we finished it really quickly! They recently released a second season which we plowed through and now we're anxiously awaiting a third season!
Big Life Kids podcast teaches children to stay resilient, believe in themselves, and face life's challenges with confidence for kids ages 5 to 10. In each episode, Zara and Leo travel the world to discover the living heroes that are making a difference in the world today. The podcast is produced by Big Life Journal.
I love talking with my kids after each episode about the lesson the podcast shared. It's been a great way to talk about goal setting and growth mindset with them.
But Why?
But Why is a show led by kids. They ask the questions and we find the answers. It’s a big interesting world out there. On But Why, we tackle topics large and small, about nature, words, and even the end of the world.
I always learn something from this podcast! It's really interesting, and my kids are always very interested in the topics that they explore!
Created and produced by parents of young children, WBUR's Circle Round adapts carefully-selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 4 to 10. Each 10- to 20-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence, and generosity. And each episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups.
I usually put this podcast on when my kids need a little calming down. The stories are interesting, but the overall feel of the podcast is calm and quiet.
If you think that animals are amazing, this is the show for you! Join host Earth Ranger Emma as she travels the world to discover the wildest animal facts out there and solve nature’s biggest mysteries. With top ten countdowns, an animal guessing game, conservation conversations, and epic animal showdowns, this is a journey you won’t want to miss!
We have learned so much from this podcast! Plus they can sign up online to be Earth Rangers, and my kids were ecstatic when their membership cards came in the mail.
Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls
A fairy tale podcast about the extraordinary women who inspire us. This show is based on Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, the global best-selling book series written by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo, inspiring millions of girls and women around the world to dream bigger, aim higher, and fight harder.
I love this podcast, and so does my daughter. We have learned so much about historical women, and always have questions about their stories that we look up afterward. This is great for boys and girls.
Meet Molly Mabray, an Alaska Native girl growing up with her parents, family, and friends. Over eight episodes, Molly and her friend Tooey discover the identity of a mysterious creature that has stolen Molly’s birthday cake. Join Molly and the gang and discover what life is like for a typical kid on big adventures in Alaska!
In the era of fake news, kids need to learn to be able to tell what’s true from what’s false. And what better way to do that than a game show that puts kids in the driver’s seat, adults on the hot seat, and a sound-effects robot strapped to the roof? Each week, a kid interviews two experts on a particular topic, one of which is a genuine, credentialed expert, the other a liar. Hilarious and fast-paced, the show teaches kids to ask insightful questions, weigh the evidence before them, and trust their guts.
My kids love figuring out who the liar is when we listen! Plus they're learning lots about random topics.
Short stories that help children calm down and relax by guiding them through visualization and breathing exercises. Perfect for parents or teachers who want to teach mindfulness and self-regulation.
This podcast is great for quiet time. Turn on an episode, and let your kiddos relax and listen; they're really helpful!
Eleven-year-old Holiday is pulled from the icy waters of Alaska with no memory of who she is or where she came from. Are her mom and dad really who they say they are? And when she begins to develop incredible abilities, she’ll soon discover she’s not alone in the world.
We're re-listening to this series because they've come out with a behind-the-scenes podcast. It's been so fun to learn more about how creating podcasts work, especially the sound design that puts the full picture together in our brain.
Smash Boom Best is a debate show for kids and families from the makers of the award-winning podcast, Brains On. Every episode takes two cool things, smashes them together and lets you decide which is best. Cats versus Dogs. Pizza versus Tacos. Super Speed versus Super Strength. Who will be crowned the Smash Boom Best? Our debaters use facts and passion to make their case...teaching listeners how to defend their own opinions along the way.
This podcast has been so wonderful to listen to! The kids are learning debate techniques and tons of facts about the debate topics. We just listened to one where the Story Pirates make a special appearance, and my kids were just so excited that they had a cross-over episode!
Story Pirates is a group of world-class actors, comedians, improvisers, and musicians who adapt stories written by kids into sketch comedy and musical theater.
This is one of my all-time favorites. The stories are FUNNY, and I find myself chuckling at jokes that go over the kids' heads. Your kids can submit stories too but remember that they get so many stories and managing expectations will be important from a parenting standpoint (I speak from experience here!) After submitting a story we did get a response several months later with a handwritten note, which absolutely softened the blow of not being picked for the show.
Do you want to hear a story? It's the story of an 11-year-old girl who uses a magic crystal to summon the legendary Mayan gods. But her plan backfires, and instead, she awakens an ancient evil! With the help of her sister and a 20-foot talking snake, she’ll go on a thrilling journey to save her village and discover her true destiny.
This podcast is wrapped up in just a few episodes, but it's a great story for a road trip and will keep your kids fascinated.
Princes Rupert and Amir can’t wait to settle down into happily ever after. But on the eve of their wedding, a powerful sorceress named Malkia invades their kingdom. Driven from their castle, the princes set off on a quest to collect an assortment of magical items that will give them the power to defeat Malkia and save their realm.
We loved this mystery story of two princes. It's another short podcast story with a few episodes, but the kids loved the story. Heads up that the princes end up together, so it's a great opportunity to start or continue a conversation about this with your kids.
Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel is a high-quality serial mystery story for middle graders, performed by actual kids. Think Goonies, meets Spy Kids, meets Stranger Things for 8-12 year-olds. Listen along as eleven-year-old Mars Patel and his pals JP, Toothpick, and Caddie set out on an audacious adventure in search of two missing friends.
This is our all-time favorite podcast and we plowed through it when we first started listening.
The Ventura twins are yanked into another dimension where they meet a distant cousin who gives them an extraordinary mission: travel through time to preserve their culture’s true history. Along the way, they meet people from Africa, Europe, and the Americas who have left their mark on Puerto Rican heritage. In the twenty-first century, Alexa and Beni navigate school, friendship, and family while keeping their time-traveling quests a secret.
We loved this story and learned so much about Puerto Rican historical figures, something we didn't know much about!
Before he was Benjamin Franklin, inventor, and statesman, he was just Ben, a boy in Colonial Boston with an adventurous spirit, a curious mind... and a penchant for getting into trouble. Meet our most endearing founding father at fourteen; a charming rebel, years away from discovering the ageless sayings and brilliant inventions that made him famous.
We haven't made it through all of these yet, but I'm loving the history that the kids are learning. I'm not sure if this is even loosely based on his youth, but it's fun to explore history through his eyes.
Just released season two follows Ben Franklin to New York for even more mystery.
Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest is a wildly enchanting fairy tale podcast made in partnership with Adam Gidwitz, bestselling author of A Tale Dark and Grimm. Each episode features a classic fairy tale, bringing to life a world full of curious creatures and mischievous foes. These tales are retold with a surprising flourish to a group of inquisitive kids, who anticipate plot twists, crack jokes, and share their own perspectives on these very Grimm tales.
Iowa Chapman and The Last Dog is a thrilling and heartfelt audio adventure with the love story between a girl and a dog at its center. In an apocalyptic future, climate change and overconsumption have made our planet a very different place. The seas have risen, resources are scarce…and animals have disappeared off the face of the earth. Most people believe they never existed at all. 12-year-old Iowa Chapman is not most people. And when she’s rescued by what might be the last remaining dog, she realizes the responsibility she has to keep this amazing creature safe. Pursued by the evil Regulators, Iowa and Doggo set off on a journey in search of Haven, a legendary island where some believe animals might still be living. From Gen-Z Media, creators of Six Minutes, The Last Dog is GZM’s first movie-length audio epic.
We were mesmerized by this story and gobbled it up quickly! It's perfect for family road trips, I promise everyone will get into the story.
From the creators and Executive Producers of Netflix's Brainchild and Nat Geo's Brain Games, every episode is a wild and fun dive into science and history for ages 6 to 10.
Want more local family-friendly info like this?
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
