Once upon a time, parents and kids could just argue about what radio station to tune into in the car. Now, in the age of streaming, there’s no shortage of options to choose from (and fight about). If you’re sick of Baby Shark and Billie Eilish, podcasts can be a great alternative — one that keeps everyone entertained. And, since the dawn of streaming has also coincided with smart homes and Bluetooth speakers, you can even cue up those podcasts to become soundtracks for cooking, chores, and more.
But, just like kids music, kids podcasts can trend into the gratingly peppy category. And as much as you may want to use your drive time to keep up on your true-crime podcasts, unsolved murders aren’t exactly great for all ages. Thankfully, in the golden age of podcasting, there’s plenty to choose from that fall in between “sickly sweet” and “grisly violence.” Here are 12 of our favorites.
And a note on picking out age-appropriate podcasts generally: Series that started out as radio shows typically will follow FCC rules around cursing and “obscene” content. Podcasts that are only distributed online, on the other hand, don’t fall under the FCC and its content guidelines. Podcast providers like Apple have parental advisory warnings, yes, but not all podcasts without parental warnings will be appropriate for all ages. In general, if you are unsure about a podcast, it’s best to listen to it on your own (at least first). You know your child and family best.
‘Wow In The World’
The first kids program from NPR, Wow In The World explores science in a conversational and often funny way. Not only does it explore kid favorites like dinosaurs, black holes, and poop, the show creators also find ways to make big ideas feel relevant to kids’ everyday lives. Aimed at kids ages 5-12.
For Parents Who Love: TED Radio Hour, Radiolab
‘The Creeping Hour’
A new podcast from WGBH in Boston, The Creeping Hour features a new spine-tingling tale of horror each week. Your hosts are three monsters who started out as normal kids but turned into monsters after reading one too many scary stories of their own. It’s aimed at kids ages 8-12, but some sensitive kids (and adults!) may want to skip this. If you’re raising a kid who has already raided your old Goosebumps collection, however, this is a must-listen.
For Parents Who Love: Spooked, Lore
‘Dear Hank & John’
If your kid likes YouTube, The Fault in Our Stars, or random trivia, odds are they have already come across Hank and John Green. In Dear Hank & John, the two brothers (and their guests) answer questions ranging from “why do I want to hug dogs so hard” to “why are we here?” Their answers are sometimes funny, sometimes profound, and always amusing. While the podcast is made with adults in mind, it has a “clean lyrics” rating in the podcast store and can be enjoyed by older middle school kids as well as high schoolers.
For Parents Who Love:Judge John Hodgman, Dear Sugars
‘Molly Of Denali’
This eight-episode podcast was produced to promote the series of the same name on PBS. The podcast follows Molly, an Alaska Native girl who, over the series, discovers the identity of a mysterious creature who stole her birthday cake. Kids who love adventure will also enjoy a glimpse into what life is like in the Alaska wilderness. This show is best for kids ages five and up.
For Parents Who Love: Homecoming or other fiction podcasts. While Molly of Denali isn’t likely to capture adults’ imaginations quite as much, they will enjoy hearing all the ways the story comes to life with just sound.
‘KidNuz’
This nonpartisan daily news show keeps adults and kids alike up-to-date on current events. In addition to the top headlines broken down in kid-friendly terms, other news focuses on topics kids will find interesting, like pop culture, pets, weather, and more. With a typical running time of under 10 minutes, it’s perfect for a quick ride to school or weekday breakfast.
For Parents Who Love:All Things Considered, Morning Edition
‘Classics For Kids’
Let’s be real: Classical music can be tough for adults, too; plenty of us would also love to have it broken down for us in a kid-friendly way. And if you’re one of the few Americans with a strong taste for Schubert and Brahms, you too will love listening as kids are walked through the music of some of the world’s best composers. Each composer gets four episodes dedicated to their music and the podcast also includes more modern composers such as Charles Ives and William Grant Still.
For Parents Who Love:All Songs Considered, Song Exploder
‘Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls’
Each episode introduces listeners to a new extraordinary woman — such as Billie Jean King, Madam C.J. Walker, or Frida Kahlo. The women selected reflect a wide range of backgrounds, so this isn’t just the same-old dead white ladies (and two women of color paraded out for Black History Month). And if that’s not enough, each story is also read by inspiring women, including Jessica Valenti, Jackie Cruz, and Our Lady J. You don’t have to be a girl to love these immersive, often amusing glimpses into these women’s lives.
For Parents Who Love: Stuff You Missed In History Class, Hardcore History
‘Story Pirates’
Each episode of Story Pirates features stories written by real kids that have been adapted into radio plays by musicans, improvisers, and actors. Occasionally, parents will also be able to catch the voices of actors like Dax Shepard, Claire Danes, and more. The results are often absurdist and always hilarious.
For Parents Who Love:Snap Judgement, With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus
‘The Past The Curious’
Hosted by museum educator Mick Sullivan, each episode of The Past The Curious provides a glimpse into little-known stories from history. While this is aimed at kids, adults, too, will be surprised by tales of Abraham Lincoln’s underwear and long-lost 18th-century submarines. Each episode is scored professionally.
For Parents Who Love:The Memory Palace, The Bowery Boys
‘Adulting’
While this has a parental advisory warning, parents of older teens may find that they and their kids could use some lessons about the ever-elusive act of adulting. Way more fun than a lesson from you on how to do laundry or load a diswasher, this podcast from hosts Michelle Buteau and Jordan Carlos explores money, work, and whether or not cereal is a salad.
For Parents Who Love:Death, Sex & Money, Call Your Girlfriend
‘This American Life’
One of the most popular podcasts and radio shows of all time, This American Life has covered, well, this American life in thousands of different ways around hundreds of different themes. While not every theme or story is appropriate for kids, the show always provides disclaimers for language and content when appropriate. The podcast version is uncensored, so if you want the “beeped” radio version, you can stream through the website. You can start with the podcast’s list of kid favorites if you are new to the show or just want to introduce your kid to it.
For Parents Who Love: Serial, The Moth
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Be Calm on Ahway Island
A podcast that can get the whole family to fall asleep, each episode of Be Calm on Ahway Island includes stories and guided meditations. After following the winding-down activities, kids will get a calming story to lull them to sleep. Parents may enjoy eavesdropping if they need some winding down as well.
For Parents Who Love: Sleep With Me, Meditation Oasis
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