Podhero Picks: The “For Our Littlest Friends” Edition
This edition of Podhero Picks goes out to the youngest podcast listeners in our lives, whose extended time at home may be testing the resources, resolve, and patience of their parents. Coming up with things for kids to do isn’t easy, especially as you juggle any schoolwork they might have to do, their seemingly endless calls for snacks — do they eat this often at school?? — and, let’s not forget, your own work!
In the spirit of keeping kids occupied and educated, we’ve put together this list of podcasts geared toward the possibility, silliness, and capacity to learn that only kids have. And who knows? Maybe they have something to teach us during all this…
Book Club for Kids
If you have a middle grade reader in your house, this podcast will be perfect. Hosted by Kitty Felde and full of star power, this show lets kids talk to the authors of their favorite books, asking questions and sharing the impact of the stories they tell. Past guests have included Angie Thomas (The Hate You Give, On the Come Up), Veronica Roth (the Divergent series), and occasional young adult writer James Patterson. The conversations are thoughtful, the books are diverse, and the podcast is a great one to help your kids engage with what they read.
Brains On! (Minnesota Public Radio)
It doesn’t take quarantine or a prolonged pandemic to fill kids with questions. But Brains On! does aim to address them, and it lets kid scientists work alongside adult journalists to do so. Past episodes have included a series of episodes diving into the origin of myths, an episode dedicated to identifying unknown sounds, and — after a number of episodes dedicated to demystifying the coronavirus — a “joy overload” episode exploring the science of tickles and cuteness. We’re fans of what the Brains On! team has created, and we think you will be too.
But Why? A Podcast for Curious Kids (Vermont Public Radio)
Another podcast dedicated to quenching kids’ natural thirst for knowledge, But Why? is led by kids — literally. Each episode starts with a question directly from a kid, and the rest of these brisk episodes (averaging 20–30 minutes in length) feature answers from experts. Kid submitted questions have included, “why do we laugh?” “who makes the laws?” and “how do we fall asleep?” For parents who have encountered the unanswerable questions, there’s also an episode dedicated to “stumpers,” as well as some of the silliest questions they’ve received…with fascinating answers!
We’ve recommended episodes of Circle Round before as part of our Family Friday segments for Hispanic Heritage Month and Black History Month. We can’t help it — this podcast has everything! The team carefully curates stories that originate from all over the world, frequently brings in celebrity narrators to share them, and pairs them with activities that kids and parents can do together. In a world that can feel scary and confusing, each story is selected to illustrate lessons like kindness, generosity, and persistence. In short: it may be just what you and your kids need right now.
The Kids Are All…Home (Pineapple Street Media)
This new podcast came together with one goal: to let kids share their own stories of time in quarantine. The show hit our radar a few weeks ago when their production company, Pineapple Street Media, solicited podcast-style recordings from kids and their families. And so far, the results of their all-call (which have included highlights of powerful and inspiring women, kid-created recipes, and their inaugural offering “Everyone Thinks This Stinks”) have been fantastic. Has seeing them on this list inspired you to contribute? You still can — and we’d love to boast that a Swootiful person appeared on this thoughtful, fun, and collaborative show!
Kids Listen Activity Podcast (Kids Listen)
While some podcasts have popped up in time to help kids and families through this difficult time, and others have simply become newly important, Kids Listen Activity podcast has done something that only one other show on this list has done: re-curate and reimagine existing shows to serve us anew. Each episode of KLA takes an episode from the Kids Listen podcast archives (including Swoot favorites like The Past and the Curious and Timestorm), and pairs it with activities that kids and parents can tackle together. KLA bills this revamp as a way to let learning and fun work hand in hand, and we’d have to agree.
Parents: if you’re fans of Radiolab, you’ll be pleased to know that their team has created a separate feed to highlight back episodes of the show that are kid-friendly. From exploring what dogs see when they look at the rainbow, to the global ubiquity of tic-tac-toe, to the rise of a post-Civil War game called football, this carefully curated feed helps kids learn and grow with the same care and craftmanship that goes into the episodes of Radiolab that adults love so much!
Tumble Science Podcast for Kids (Gen Z Media)
Jointly hosted by a teacher and science journalist, Tumble Science Podcast for Kids is another science themed podcast dedicated to answering kids’ questions about the world. They tackle questions about topics like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, how species get their scientific names, and the very real profession of “underground astronaut.” The show hit our radar, however, for their recent series of episodes explaining COVID-19 to kids…and each episode on the topic includes a Spanish-language counterpart for those who wish to hear it en español.
We love Story Seeds not just as a podcast in its own right, but as its own seed for a project kids and parents can tackle together. In each episode, a kid (aged 6–12) gets to team up with a bestselling author and work on a story together. Kids provide the ideas, and authors flesh out the stories. Past episodes have included writers like My Weird School’s Dan Gutman and The Night Diary’s Veera Hiranandani. If your child is an aspiring writer, listen to the bonus episodes as these authors share writing tips and stories about their journey to become published authors.
Learning about this podcast is what started us thinking: what podcasts are helping kids get through the seismic shift in routine that the coronavirus has created? This daily podcast from the BBC’s Fun Kids series features conversations with celebrities, jokes and stories to fill 15–20 minutes each day. Each episode is different: one day you could learn trivia about the tongue, the next you could find a recipe for your new favorite breakfast, and the day after you could hear about the new movie Trolls: World Tour from Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick. In a world that has started to feel dully predictable, the daily surprise of what Stuck at Home brings to its feed each day can serve as just the day brightener we need…and we hope it does the same for you.
Did we miss anything? What podcasts are you sharing with your kids? Any other activities you’re doing to stay busy that we should know about? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram — we’d love to share!
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