Podcasts for Kids

“Mumma, why are podcasts called podcasts?”

This is one of those, let-me-google-that moments of parenting. As I half curse half marvel at the inquisitiveness of this not-yet-six-year-old son of mine, I realise that as an avid listener and big-time podcast fan, this question should’ve crossed my radar already!

So, the short answer is that podcasts were initially audio stories that were broadCAST on the iPOD as an alternative to radio, and hence the name has stuck. Today, podcasts are available across a variety of platforms and streaming services. These are basically told across genres, and across production quality. You will have absolute newbies, recording literally from their basement to the big daddy of content Amazon belting out podcasts on the same platform. When it comes to kids’ podcasts, the tale is no different. Searching for “podcasts for kids” on google will give a zillion results. With our avid listener and in-house reviewer, I’m here to narrow down that list for you.

A couple of years ago, we had decided to cut down screen time for #NotSoLittleH and discovered that the podcasting world can be a great alternative. Unfortunately, most of the podcasts for kids are unranked and unrated. There are some great storytellers out there but without major marketing budgets, this is quite a niche genre and getting the “ear-space” of these little consumers is definitely a tough task. To add to that, we have always been wary of online content for kids after hearing some scary tales (hidden messages in YouTube videos et all), so each episode is carefully pre-screened by me. The first time he listens to a series, I pay careful attention to the messages in the stories, the language and grammar skills, the ability to keep him engaged and of course the overall age-appropriateness of the content. Once they pass the muster, we play and replay the episodes worry-free, and this has really helped us especially in recent lock-down times when we have been restricted indoors for months on end.

 

If you’re just getting introduced to the world of kids’ podcasts, the sheer number of shows can seem pretty daunting. We accidentally stumbled upon a couple of podcasts, and then the recommendations of those podcasters helped us to find new content that we might relate to. So start with these, but be ready to explore more shows as your kids become more accustomed to concentrating on the spoken word.

 

Stories Podcast:

This is by far our favourite podcast. It’s is a weekly podcast of stories that range from 15-minute episodes to 40-minute ones. There are more than a few dozen stories that are based on legends, modern retellings of classics, or even some original fantasy series. The narrators, Amanda Weldon and Kelsie Lee are both extremely expressive and they manage to keep you hooked to what’s happening. I personally love some of the recent episodes they have done like The New Kid or Different Boats, which touch upon more contemporary social issues like racism or inequality in a way that kids can easily understand. The older episodes are great as well, and I’ve lost count of the number of conversations we have in the house about, “Amanda said this” or “Kelsie said that”! The standalone stories are great of course, but they also do story arcs spanning across episodes which are great to keep young minds engaged on long drives or flights (or rained in days!). Whether it is the Max Goodname series about a knight’s adventures, or Dog King which follows dog adventures, or the literally brilliant series The Brilliant Firefly, and the most recent fantasy series Wylderwood, there’s something for everyone in this show.

Age: 3+, some stories are better for older kids of 5+

Available on: Apple Podcasts, Patreon.com, or their website

P.S. – they also do a shoutout to kids if you contribute a donation on their Patreon page, and if you listen to The Bee’s Sting you might just hear a little birdie calling out to Hridaan from Mumbai!

 

Science Adventure Stories:

Simon is a tree frog that goes on exploration adventures with his trusted computer friend. As absurd as that sounds, imagine the same thing with a thick and heavy Australian accent and more PJs strewn about than the number of mosquitoes on a hot summer afternoon! “G-daiii maiytes,” is how the episodes start and Simon the fact-finding frog takes us on adventures to jungles across continents, deserts, outer space, and even inside the human body. The sheer number of scientific facts that are shared in each episode is amazing, and to an extent, I’m surprised that H retains them so well. Simon’s adventure stories have been great at piquing interest in all things nature related. Just be wary of the number of “jokes” you may be subject to.

Age: 5+

Available on: Bandcamp or their website

Our most favourite episode on this one is the Braintree Adventure. We’re waiting with bated breath for the next few parts to come along

 

Reading Bug Adventures:

Lauren Savage runs an independent book store in California and every week she puts out a podcast where Lauren, Reading Bug and Reader go exploring. Reading Bug is an imaginary little ladybug, and Reader is the listener (i.e. your kid!). The adventures range from Dinosaurs to Ninjas, and Unicorns to Treasure Hunting in Atlantis. Each episode is around 40-50 minutes long, and they have combined parts of each adventure to make a combined longer episode. For instance, Dinosaur Adventure Part 1 45-minutes, Part 2 41-minutes, and the Full Story 1 hour 14 minutes. There are innumerable book-reference which help in picking out new authors and new books, the entire booklist talked about in the episode is shared on the website. There’s also time given at the end of each episode for the “Reader” to illustrate their favourite part of the adventure, and the best line of the show – “grab your crayons and paper, and your imagination too!”

Age: 4+

Available on: Apple podcasts or their website

Bonus: On the Facebook page, The Reading Bug bookstore https://www.facebook.com/ReadingBug/ also shares easy and fun craft DIY ideas every Sunday. And the store looks so awesome that it’s on my list if I ever make it to California.

The Earth Rangers Podcast:

This is a show that follows ‘Earth Ranger Emma’ who is a wildlife biologist exploring the mysteries of nature from the Arctic to wetlands. Another “science-y” show that is choc-a-block full of fun animal facts, and emphasizes on answering questions relating to nature. For instance, are polar bears really covered in white fur? (Spoiler alert – they aren’t!) This is a recent show that we have started listening to, and I reckon it is more suited to kids who are at least 5-6yrs old, and show an inclination towards animals and nature. There is no ‘storytelling’ that happens in the episodes per se, but each episode is entertaining enough with various smaller segments strung together.

Age: 5+

Available on: Apple podcasts or their website

Fun Fables:

When I had a kid of my own, is when I discovered how grim “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” really are! The messages are extremely sexist, there’s no concept of strong gender neutral heroes, the stories are set in times we can’t relate to, stepmoms for some reason are the epitome of evil, witches can’t be like the ones from Hogwarts, and so on. Fairy tales are not in fact age-appropriate for little kids! Thankfully there are people like That’s Not Canon Productions who are putting out a podcast like the Fun Fables podcast. This series basically takes classic tales like Jack & the Beanstack, Rapunzel, Three Little Pigs, Ugly Duckling etc, and adds fun twists to the plots. Give it a listen, and I’m sure you’ll love the positive and contemporary message that each story presents.

Age: 2+

Available on: Apple podcasts or Spotify, or their Facebook Page 

Only negative is that they have just twelve episodes!

 

Kids Story Room:

This is a podcast run by Anna Steen, an Australian actor and voice artist. She shares original wacky stories in collaboration with many other writers and artists. The series which got us hooked to this podcast series was “The Call of the Blob Fish” https://kidsstoryroom.com/2020/08/07/call-of-the-blobfish-episode-1/ which was released for National Science Week in August’20. It’s a lovely tale about sea life conservation, and your 4-7yr olds are sure to love it. I personally like that all the stories are absolute fun, and introduce kids to concepts that push the imagination. We look forward to the new episodes launched every fortnight. Episodes range from 5min to 45min, depending on the complexity of the story.

Age: 2+

Available on: Apple Podcasts, or their website 

 

Kids Listen:

Apart from these great shows, I would highly recommend an app called Kids Listen. It is basically a collection of podcasters, parents, teachers who curate shows for kids. It’s a great platform to discover new shows and stay updated on thematic content that’s age-appropriate for your child.

Visit their website – https://www.kidslisten.org/ – and download the app on your device. You can search as per age, or theme, and listen to sample episodes on this app. There are many great podcasters waiting to be discovered by your kids!

 

The great thing about podcasts is that there are new creators putting out content on a daily or weekly basis. You can even check out some local language podcasts and introduce your multilingual kids to stories in their native tongue as well. We are still exploring these, and I’ll share recommendations soon!

 

In the meantime, try the above shows and do let me know if your kids like them. I’d love to hear about any other loved shows that we can add to our playlist.

 

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