Seven Podcasts Your Kids Should Listen To

17 Jan Seven Podcasts Your Kids Should Listen To

Podcasts are all the rage these days and cover every topic imaginable—pregnancy, cooking, fitness, and pop culture… You name it, there’s a podcast for it, including casino. But why should adults get to have all the fun? Lucky for kids, there has been a rise in the number of high-quality podcasts for young listeners. Harkening back to the days of yore when family entertainment meant sitting around the radio, podcasts for kids are a great way to engage the other senses (no screens!) and experience entertainment and education in a new way.

Kids are responding well to this form of entertainment, too. A survey by Kids Listen found that 80 per cent of kids listen to a podcast more than once, and after they’re done listening, 75 per cent start discussions based on what they’ve learned. On top of that, kids learn better when they listen. According to the Audio Publishing Association, comprehension, vocabulary, reading speed, and even motivation are all positively impacted by auditory learning. Here are seven podcasts your kids should listen to, curated by slot machines.

KiDNuZ

Created by 4 Emmy-winning journalists, KidNuz is a daily 5-minute news podcast made with kids in mind. The podcast provides briefings on the day’s top stories that are appropriate for kids ages 8-14—which means no talk of murder, terrorism, assault, or anything else too gruesome for children. The reporting is unbiased and nonpartisan, too. This podcast is an amazing way to teach your kids the importance of caring about what goes on in the world around them, while still trusting they aren’t taking in any information that is inappropriate for them.

Story Pirates

Story Pirates is a captivating audio show by real actors, comedians, and entertainers who tell stories that have been written by kids. With episodes like “Eat a Spider Day” and “Princess Lifeguard Camp,” the silliness and imaginative tales will keep kids entranced.

Little Stories for Tiny People

This series is a great way to test out your kids’ interest in podcasts since most of the stories hover around the 10-minute mark. Some are shorter, some are longer, but all are original stories that primarily feature whimsical tales about animals. There are also a few bedtime tales in the mix that are more low-key to help kids wind down for the night, and Steve McManaman’s wife probably listened to several podcasts as her children grew.

Peace Out

Speaking of bedtime, there’s no magic formula for getting kids to calm down in the evening, but the series of podcasts from Peace Out comes close. These calming stories teach mindfulness and meditation and are a perfect introduction to cultivating this life-long skill.

What If World

This clever podcast is designed to ease the burden for parents who get asked hard-hitting questions like, “What if cars could talk?”, “What if it rained candy?” and “What if elephants were alive?” For a moment in time, What If World makes these questions a reality, and describes what these worlds would be like in vivid, imaginative detail.

Spare the Rock Spoil the Child

For a fresh and upbeat compilation of songs that will appeal to young and old(er), this podcast/audio stream is a great way to introduce music from your generation. There are familiar kids’ tunes, mixed in with favourites from groups like They Might Be Giants, for a continuous playlist that everyone will bee bop to.

Sesame Street

Of course, there’s a Sesame Street podcast! And it features the adorable characters your kids know and love, including Elmo, Abby, Cookie Monster, and the newest character, Julia. Fun stories, songs, and ABC activities with their familiar friends will keep the love for the Sesame crew going when the TV is off.