It has a good mix of one-off episodes and long-running series, making it easy to find something to suit your child’s attention span. Our kids are big fans of the folktales and some of the longer story series.
If you listen on an Apple device and can afford the $5 per month subscription fee (which also gives you access to some other podcasts), Stories Podcast is a good option. If you’re not an Apple user, I recommend skipping this one in favor of some of the other choices below.
Purple Rocket Podcast
Apple, Google, Stitcher
Thanks to Apple
Like Stories Podcast, Purple Rocket Podcast has a mix of content with quite a few long-running series, including “Grandpa’s Globe,” which is about twins Sawyer and Suzie, who use their grandfather’s magical globe to explore the universe. Other adventures include everything from aliens to fairies. Mixed in with the series there are occasional one-offs, some of which manage to provide little lessons for your kids. For example, “My homework ate me” is a cautionary tale about procrastination.
All the episodes I’ve listened to feature an extensive array of voices, ambient sounds, and music to bring the stories to life. These are very much in the spirit of old radio plays like The Shadow.
The mix of content makes for a podcast that should satisfy even the pickiest of listeners. New episodes are released every other week. Transcripts are also available so that your children can follow along while listening to improve literacy.
Greeks
Apple, Google, Stitcher
Thanks to Apple
The National Geographic Kids podcast Greeking Out retells classic Greek myths in kid-friendly form. Recently there have been a few forays into other mythical tales, such as Loki from Norse mythology, but it is mainly Greek. This quickly became a favorite in our household, although at times my children were not happy that the versions told here did not exactly match the versions they knew (from D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths (Amazon, $21)), but I like that it got them thinking about how stories change and why there might be different versions.
If your kids love mythological stories, or if you want to get them into mythology, this is highly recommended.
Who, when, wow!
Apple, Google, Stitcher
Thanks to Tinkercast
The who, when, wow! Tinkercast’s podcast is a history-focused podcast that focuses on lesser-known figures whose stories (hopefully) make your kids “wow!” will let you say.
My colleague Adrienne So gave me this tip, and my kids have really enjoyed it for the past few months. It’s a good mix of biographies, with everything from lesser-known scientists like Caroline Hershel to sports greats like Roberto Clemente to Harry Houdini. The mix is so eclectic that there is something for everyone.
Circle Round
Apple, Google, Stitcher, NPR
Thanks to WBUR
Here’s another creative storytelling podcast that focuses on folktales from around the world. Episodes of Circle Round range from 10 to 20 minutes each. Lately, Circle Round has been promoting some other podcast episodes in its feed, so you might find an episode of Brains On (listed below) or other kid’s podcasts alongside its own creations.
Circle Round is a bit more overt in its value teaching than some of the others on this list. It routinely delivers some sort of message, something about kindness, generosity, or other shared American cultural values. Teaching morality is one of the main purposes of folktales, but here I find it a bit heavy handed at times.
Story Pirates
Apple, Google, Stitcher
Thanks to Story Pirates
It has pirates in the name, and that’s all my kids needed to hear. Story Pirates is an entertaining mix of stories and fun songs (like “The Bear That Couldn’t Disco”). There are some special guest voices that you may also recognize in some episodes, such as Claire Danes and John Oliver.
There’s a lot more here than just the podcast. If your kids want to go beyond just listening, check out the website with links to the book series (for middle-aged kids), live show information, and pirate t-shirts.
Story seeds
Apple, Google, Stitcher
Courtesy of The Story Seeds Podcast
Story Seeds is a relatively new podcast, and it’s a little different from the others; rather than a story, it’s a meta view of how to make a story.
Each episode pairs a child (ages 6-12) with a children’s author. They meet in person and work together to write original stories that start with the idea of the child (the ‘seed’ in the name). It doesn’t get updated as often as some of the rest, but there are over two dozen episodes available.
fierce girls
Apple, Google
Courtesy of Fierce Girls Podcast
This Australian podcast is dedicated to showcasing true stories of Australian women. From athletes to spies, Fierce Girls often promote a unifying theme of adventurous girls with “guts and spirit.” While the stories are all appropriate for children and not graphic, the hosts don’t shy away from telling stories as they happen. In some cases, you may want to listen first to make sure a story is appropriate for your children’s maturity level. That said, our 9 year old twins love them.
Planet Story Time
Apple, Google, Stitcher
Thanks to Planet Storytime
With a mix of classic stories, such as Beatrix Potter’s, and lesser-known content, Planet Storytime strives for that mix of entertainment and education that Fred Rogers has perfected. New episodes appear every Thursday.
One really cool feature that sets this podcast apart is that there’s a long episode at the end of each month with a whole month’s worth of content – perfect for having an hour or so to yourself.
brain on
Apple, Google, Stitcher, NPR
Thanks to NPR
This science podcast is aimed at kids, although I’ll be honest, I learned a lot from it too. Brains On is educational – don’t tell your kids that. They’ll love learning how bugs walk on walls, how to find their way around without a compass, and even where poop and pee go when you flush the toilet.
There is a series called “Smash Boom Best” where two things are played against each other and your kid can choose his favorite. Loki was recently pitted against Athena. This podcast is probably best suited for slightly older children.
Warrior Kid Podcast
Apple, Google, Stitcher
Courtesy of Defcor Network
The Warrior Kid Podcast isn’t for everyone, but my kids love this podcast’s question-and-answer format, which is based on the books of the same name. The author of the books and host of the show is Jocko Willink, a decorated, retired Navy SEAL officer and leadership guru. Here, Willink stands in for Uncle Jake’s character in Willink’s Warrior Kid book series, answering kids’ questions about everything from how to avoid eating candy to what it takes to be a Navy Seal.
Willink places a valuable emphasis on physical activity, mental acuity, nutrition (encouraging children to develop healthy eating habits) and hard work. The latter forms the core of the message in this podcast: Work hard, train in jiu-jitsu, and you will eventually succeed. This one is aimed at slightly older children, probably best from the age of 8. A special note: Willink has another podcast, Jocko Podcast, which is definitely not for kids.
But why
Apple, Google, Stitcher, NPR
Thanks to But why?
Another NPR podcast, But Why, aims to answer kids’ questions about everything from nature, politics, culture, science, even the end of the world. Your kids can also submit their own questions; instructions are on the website.
Because But Why covers a wide variety of topics, I tend to help more with it. Many episodes are best suited for slightly older children. For example, my kids (7 and 5) weren’t planning on watching an episode about what happens when a president is impeached, but they did enjoy an episode about how we taste food.
Aaron’s world
Apple, Google, Stitcher
Thanks to Aaron’s World
One of the few podcasts on this list created by a child, Aaron’s World is a 50-episode audio drama that follows the adventures of a boy (Aaron) and his trusty computer helper (INO) as they explore the prehistoric world of dinosaurs. The episodes focus on individual subjects, eg iguanodon, microraptor, sharks, but over the course of the five years some nice bigger storylines emerged that create an ongoing plot. Everything came from the mind of the initially 6-year-old Aaron, who lasted for five years. Highly recommended for any kid interested in dinosaurs.
Other great podcasts and audio shows
Today the internet is awash with podcasts, with far too many to list here in detail. That said, here are some others your kids might enjoy.
Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl: Long before our kids got into storytelling podcasts, they loved this weekly two-hour music show released every, ahem, Saturday. And I know what you’re thinking: children’s music. But it’s really not kids music, it’s just music kids will enjoy. This is also a great way to discover music that your kids will love and that won’t drive you crazy. Did you know that Walkmen co-songwriter Walter Martin has a fantastic album for kids? How about The Verve Pipe? Johnny Cash? I discovered all this and more during Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl. Earth Rangers: This podcast has a biology slant, but is a great listening experience for kids interested in digging in the dirt, learning about animals, or listening to stories about the ecosystems far — off land. There are episodes about the jungle, the Arctic and almost everything in between. Episodes generally last about 15 minutes and usually deal with a single animal or environment. Earth Ranger is probably best suited to more mature kids. Molly or Denali: This eight-episode podcast provides the backstory for the PBS cartoon of the same name. Each episode is about 10 minutes long, and they are sequential and tell the backstory of Molly Mabray, an Alaska native who grew up with her parents, family and friends in Alaska.Eleanor Amplified: This long-running adventure series features a fearless reporter named Eleanor Amplified. She specializes in thwarting the cunning plots of villains. It’s a little pro-journalist at times, in a rah-rah kind of way that’s not for everyone, but the stories are fast-paced, entertaining, and in the spirit of old radio shows.Live from Mount Olympus: My Kids Worked Their Way by the Percy Jackson book series when this arrived, so this Olympia-focused podcast was an instant hit. It follows the adventures of a young Perseus, who is on a quest to save his mother from an evil king. Live From Mount Olympus mostly sticks to the Greek stories as you may remember them, although there are some extra characters. Live From Mount Olympus is part of the Trax network, which also hosts other podcasts for kids.
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