We are big fans of podcasts around here. Lately I’ve been listening to more and more podcasts with the kids. Kid-friendly podcasts are great for longer car rides, waiting with siblings in school pickup lines, or when I have had all the animated movie soundtracks I can tolerate. And it’s nice to have something we can listen to as a family on long drives that’s both educational and entertaining.
I’ve tried out many podcasts with my kids so far. (They are ages 3 and 6.) Some have probably been a little too grown up for them, or maybe the pacing was a bit too slow for their attention spans. We’ve listened to several that just didn’t seem to keep their focus. But here are the three podcasts that seem to consistently keep them engaged.
For the creative listeners who love wacky tales…
Story Pirates is a goofy, wild and funny podcast that I enjoy as much as my kids do. The stories are adapted from original submissions from children and performed by comedians, musicians and performers. It’s a really fun podcast and I love that they use stories written by kids. I’m sure there are tons of creative kids and teens out there who are dreaming up and writing stories they should submit to Story Pirates. If you’ve got a budding storyteller at home, give this podcast a listen and maybe encourage your young writer to submit one of their tales.
For music-lovers who are ready to learn and laugh…
My daughter loves music in her podcasts which is part of what makes Ear Snacks one of our go-to podcasts while we are waiting for Miles in the school pickup line. Ear Snacks is a silly, quirky, smart and educational show that we love. We recently listened to an episode titled “Taking Care of Teeth” to help prepare for Aurelia’s dentist appointment and then she wanted to listen to it again after the appointment. The pace of this podcast is great for keeping the attention of young listeners.
For entertaining and educating the whole family…
When I first started looking for podcasts that would be appropriate for the kids a couple years ago, people kept telling me we had to check out Wow in the World. And, oh my goodness, y’all were right. If you haven’t taken time to check it out, please do, especially if you or your kids are interested in science and technology. This is such a cool and entertaining podcast. The rapid pace of the episodes keeps us all focused, and it’s packed with so much interesting information. I feel confident that I am learning just as much as my kids are most of the time when we listen to this podcast.
And a bonus recommendation for easier bedtimes…
I’m a huge fan of the Calm app. We listen to it every night at home. Miles and Aurelia each have their favorite Sleep Stories. Y’all, there’s a bedtime story read by Matthew McConaughey! One of my favorite features on the app is the meditations for kids, broken down by age. Miles is a big fan of the meditations for ages 5-6. Aurelia still prefers the sleep stories and lullabies over the meditations for ages 3-4. Calm is excellent, if you’re looking for a way to make listening (rather than screen time) a part of your daily routine or if you want to create a soothing bedtime routine. It’s not a podcast but it should definitely be on your phone.
Happy listening!
Such good info – thank you Rori! I’m excited to try some of these out with my 2 & 4 year olds. I love anything and everything that encourages listening over screen time!!!
Thank you, Jordan! I hope y’all have enjoyed these podcasts 🙂