Here are some fantastic storytelling and music podcasts for Children. While driving in the car or on vacation, enjoy these fantastic resources. Listening to podcasts allows children to develop their listening skills and ignites their imagination! These podcasts offer a blend of education, entertainment, and imagination, making them enjoyable and enriching for children.

Here are some popular and highly recommended podcasts for children, along with brief descriptions of each:

Wow in the World – Hosted by Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas, this podcast takes kids on scientific adventures, exploring fascinating topics such as space, technology, and the natural world. It’s an entertaining and educational journey that sparks curiosity and wonder.

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids – This podcast encourages children to ask questions about the world around them. Each episode focuses on answering intriguing questions sent in by young listeners, covering a wide range of topics and featuring experts who provide interesting insights.

Brains On! – This science podcast is co-hosted by kids and reporters, providing an interactive and engaging exploration of various scientific concepts. With each episode, children are invited to participate in experiments and discover the answers to intriguing scientific questions.

Circle Round – Circle Round presents folktales from around the world, using engaging storytelling techniques and original music. This podcast introduces children to diverse cultures and teaches important values and lessons through enchanting stories.

Story Pirates – In this podcast, professional actors and comedians transform stories written by kids into hilarious and imaginative adventures. Each episode features a unique story created by a young listener, celebrating children’s creativity and inspiring them to write their own tales.

Tumble Science Podcast for Kids – Tumble dives into the wonders of science, sharing stories and interviews with scientists. This podcast covers various scientific topics and encourages critical thinking and curiosity in young listeners.

Peace Out – Peace Out offers short mindfulness and relaxation exercises for kids. Children can learn techniques for managing stress and developing emotional resilience through calming stories and guided relaxation techniques.

Stuff You Should Know: For Kids – Based on the popular podcast for adults, this version caters to younger audiences. It covers a wide range of intriguing topics, explaining concepts and answering questions in a fun and accessible way.

Storynory – Storynory presents classic stories, fairy tales, and original tales, narrated with captivating storytelling. It’s a great podcast for bedtime or quiet time, offering a mix of imagination and entertainment.

The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian– This serialized science fiction podcast follows the interstellar adventures of Finn Caspian and his friends. It’s a thrilling story full of space exploration, friendship, and problem-solving.

But Why logout Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

Kids always ask seemingly simple questions with surprisingly complex answers, such as “Why is the sky blue?” and “Who invented words?” This cute biweekly radio show/podcast takes on answering them. Each episode features several kid-submitted questions, usually on a single theme, and with the help of experts, it gives clear, interesting answers. Best for: All ages

Smash Boom Best logo Smash, Boom, Best
This fun and fast-moving spin-off of the famous Brains On! is a family-friendly debate podcast. A kid judge listens to and scores two contestants’ rousing, fact-based arguments. With episodes like “Dragons versus Unicorns” and “Pizza versus Tacos,” kids will be hooked and won’t even notice that they’re learning how to defend their ideas. Best for: Big kids

The Two Princes logo The Two Princes
This charming fantasy adventure will have listeners of all ages glued to the speakers until the end. Two young princes seek to save their kingdoms and face villainy, dragons, romance, and a magical forest full of danger. Though kissing happens, it is treated with sweetness and humor. This audio drama is a fairy tale for our times and a great introduction to the world of fiction podcasts. Best for: Tweens

This American Life logo This American Life
This popular NPR radio show is now the most downloaded podcast in the country. It combines personal stories, journalism, and even stand-up comedy for an enthralling hour of content. Host Ira Glass does a masterful job of drawing in listeners and weaving together several “acts” or segments on a big, relatable theme. Teens can get easily hooked along with their parents, but remember that many episodes have mature concepts and frequent swearing. Best for: Teens

Great for Learning

Ear Snacks logoEar Snacks

The catchy soundtrack is the star of this delightful podcast from children’s music duo Andrew & Polly (not surprising since the hosts have created songs for Wallykazam! and Sesame Studios). But this funny program also covers various topics by talking to actual kids and experts, providing thoughtful fun for young ones and their grown-ups. Best for Preschoolers and little kids

KidNuz logo KiDNuZ
Kids like to be informed and engaged, but talking to kids about the news can be a challenge. This podcast, created by moms who are broadcast journalists, offers young listeners five minutes of kid-friendly news (followed by a quick quiz) each day, five days a week. Perfectly timed for waking up, KiDNuz lets you start the day on a worldly note. Best for: All ages

The Past & the Curious logoThe Past & the Curious
Reminiscent of the TV show Drunk History (minus the alcohol), this amusing podcast features people telling interesting, little-known stories from history, emphasizing fun and humor. Although it’s not specifically a music podcast, each episode contains an often-silly song that will get stuck in your head. There’s even a quiz segment so kids will learn something, too. Best for: All ages

Book Club for Kids Book Club for Kids
This excellent biweekly podcast features middle schoolers discussing a popular middle-grade or YA book and sharing their favorite book recommendations. Public radio figure Kitty Felde runs the discussion, and each episode includes a passage of that week’s book read by a celebrity guest. Best for: Tweens and teens

Best Bedtime Podcasts

Story Time logo Story Time
These 10- to 15-minute stories are a perfect way to lull your little one to sleep. The podcast is updated every other week, and each episode contains a kid-friendly story read by a soothing narrator. Short and sweet, it’s as comforting as listening to your favorite picture book read aloud. Best for Preschoolers and little kids

Be Calm on Ahway Island logo Be Calm on Ahway Island.
Thanks to the hosts’ soothing voices and a pre-story meditation, your kid might fall asleep to this podcast before the story begins. But if not, the gentle adventures on Ahway Island will also sweep them off to dreamland. This podcast teaches kid-friendly mindfulness practices like “deep dragon breaths” that can also be carried into waking life. Best for: All ages

What If World logo What If World
With wacky episode titles such as “What if Legos were alive?” and “What if sharks had legs?” this series takes ridiculous “what if” questions submitted by young listeners and turns them into a new story every two weeks. Host Eric O’Keefe uses silly voices and crazy characters to capture the imaginations of young listeners with a Mad Libs-like randomness. Best for Kids

Stories Podcast logo Stories Podcast
One of the first kids’ podcasts to grasp podcasts’ storytelling capabilities, this podcast is still going strong with kid-friendly renditions of classic stories, fairy tales, and original works. These longer stories with a vivid vocabulary are great for bigger kids past the age of picture books but who still love a good bedtime story. Best for: Big kids

Best Podcasts for Road Trips

The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian
This serialized podcast tells the story of an 8-year-old boy living on an interplanetary space station who explores the galaxy and solves mysteries with his friends. With no violence or edgy content and two seasons totaling over 13 hours of content, this sci-fi adventure is perfect for long car rides. Best for Kids and tweens

Flyest Fables logo Flyest Fables
In the tradition of The NeverEnding Story, this original fable centers on a magical book that takes its readers to a world where they find the strength to overcome any obstacle. The writing itself is beautiful, and the stories are immersive. Themes (bullying, homelessness) can be severe but are handled sensitively and remain appropriate for kids. These powerful, modern stories will surely entertain and provoke meaningful family conversations. Best for: Big kids and tweens

Eleanor Amplified Eleanor Amplified
Inspired by old-timey radio shows — complete with over-the-top sound effects — this exciting serial podcast follows a plucky journalist who goes on adventures looking for her big scoop. Tweens will love Eleanor’s wit and daring and might even pick up some great messages along the way. There’s even a “Road Trip Edition” episode with the entire first season in a single audio file. Best for: Tweens

The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel logo The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
This Peabody Award-winning scripted mystery series has been called Stranger Things for tweens. With a voice cast of actual middle schoolers, a gripping, suspenseful plot, and interactive tie-ins, this story about an 11-year-old searching for his missing friends will keep tweens hooked to the speakers for hours — more than five, to be exact. Best for: Tweens

Welcome to Night Vale logo Welcome to Night Vale
Structured like a community radio show for the fictional desert town of Night Vale, the mysterious is ordinary and vice versa in this delightfully eerie series. The clever concept and the smooth voice of narrator Cecil Baldwin have helped the show develop a cult-like following. It’s creepy and dark for kids, but older listeners will find it perfect for a nighttime drive along a deserted highway. Best for: Teens

Stuff You Should Know logo Stuff You Should Know.
From the people behind the award-winning website HowStuffWorks, this frequently updated podcast explains the ins and outs of everyday things from the major (“How Free Speech Works”) to the mundane (“How Itching Works”). Longer episodes and occasional adult topics such as alcohol, war, and politics make this a better choice for older listeners, but hosts Josh, and Chuck keep things engaging and manage to make even complex topics relatable. And with over 1,000 episodes in its archive, you might always have new things to learn. Best for: Teens

Best Podcasts for Music Fans
Noodle Loaf logo Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl logo Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl Kids’ music can be … well, annoying. But “indie rock” (indie rock for kids) is here to help. This two-hour podcast, styled like a DJ radio show, features new and old songs that kids will love, many by parents’ favorite musicians. Selections are generally high-energy rock, folk, or even punk-inspired songs. Still, listeners will also hear mellower tunes, bilingual (English/Spanish) songs, and hip-hop hits for a well-rounded musical experience. Best for: All ages

Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child logoSpare the Rock, Spoil the Child.
Families can enjoy rock and roll without the downsides with this fun radio show/podcast. Each week there’s a new playlist combining kids’ music from artists such as They Might Be Giants with kid-appropriate songs from artists that grown-ups will recognize, such as Elvis Costello, The Ramones, and John Legend. It’s a perfect compromise for parents tired of cheesy kids’ music. Best for Kids

All Songs Considered logo All Songs Considered.
This weekly podcast from NPR covers the latest and greatest in new music, focusing on emerging artists and indie musicians. It covers various genres and even includes artist interviews and live performances. Some songs contain adult themes and explicit language, but teens will love discovering a new favorite that you’ve probably never heard of. Best for: Teens

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