Today, entertainment has become a daily staple that everyone wants to consume. From Netflix to Hulu, and Prime to Disney+, we are dependent on these streaming websites for our entertainment. However, not all of it is healthy.
Did you know? Nowadays, kids between the ages of 8-18 spend approximately 7.5 hours in front of a screen for entertainment, with 4.5 hours in front of the TV (source).
That can’t be good. In fact, it has been found that spending too much time watching screens can lead to “computer vision syndrome” wherein your eyes become dry and strained, vision becomes blurry and you tend to get a lot of headaches.
So, what’s the solution?
Well, surely, banning all forms of entertainment for your loved ones can’t be the right solution. Instead, we should look for alternatives that are easy on the eyes, and are still entertaining enough. That’s where PODCASTS come into the picture!
What are Podcasts?
A podcast is an episodic collection of digital audio files with spoken words that a user can access for easy listening to a personal device. Streaming apps and podcasting platforms offer a simple and integrated way through multiple podcast channels and listening devices to maintain a personal consumption queue.
In simpler words, podcasts are basically like any other TV show or movie, except there’s no video to it. That saves your eyes from the screentime strain and also provides you will all the entertainment that you need.
Are they even good enough?
To answer that simply, YES! They are, but you don’t have to take our word for it. Let’s take a look at some of the stats (source):
- 60% of Americans are familiar with podcasting
- 40% of Americans have listened to a podcast at some point
- Podcasts listeners have grown over 37.5% from 2017-2020
So, you see, podcasting isn’t all that bad since so many people are opting for it now. Our point is, as a parent if you’re looking for something entertaining for your children, podcasts are a great option!
What are Kids Podcasts?
Well, kids’ podcasts are no different from normal podcasts. They are just made for a special audience — KIDS! That’s just stating the obvious, but apart from that, the difference also lies in the type of content that is generated in kids’ podcasts.
Kids podcasts are generally more informative in nature, or they are more palatable since they are mostly catering to children and families.
Now that we’ve explained why it’s a great idea to opt for children’s podcasts for you and your children’s daily entertainment, let’s dive into the complete list of the best podcasts for kids out there! Read on…
List of the Best Podcasts for Kids
With a wide variety of kids’ podcasts out there, it’s only natural to get confused and wonder which one would be the best fit for you. To take some load off your shoulders, we have compiled a list of the best kids podcasts, which goes as follows…
- Brains On!
- Wow in the World
- But Why
- The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
- Tumble
- Eleanor Amplified
- Stuff You Should Know
- This American Life
- Circle Round
- Little Stories for Tiny People
- Storynory
- The Past & The Curious
- Short & Curly
- The Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl
- Smash Boom Best
Let’s take a look at each of them in detail…
1. Brains On!
First up on our list, Brains On! is an award-winning podcast for children and their families. The concept of the show is pretty interesting – every week, a child becomes a co-host along with the main host Molly Bloom and together, they find answers to interesting questions around the globe.
The goal of the show is to promote natural curiosity within children by using science and history. However, the show emphasizes that they’re not restricted to kids since curiosity has no age! Thus, adults and children can both listen to this podcast.
Read more: 9 Music Newsletters You Must Subscribe to! (& How to Create Your Own)
2. Wow in the World
Wow in the World is our next top pick in this list! In this podcast, the hosts (Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz) lead inquisitive and curious kids and their parents on an adventure into the wonders of the universe around them.
The show is based around science and technology where they explain the recent developments in the field of science and technology in a manner that is easy for the kids to understand and also informative for the grown-ups.
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3. But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids
Children are extremely curious, and that’s something we’ve all noticed in our interactions with them, isn’t that right?
Well, sometimes, kids ask questions that might seem super easy, like “why is the sky blue?” and “why can’t we eat grass?” but their answers might be super complicated, like dispersion of light or digestive processes like rumination. That sounds like a load! Yikes!
But Why is a show that brings you the answers to such questions? On this show, the hosts tackle and answer all sorts of questions, big or small. about nature, world, and words, etc. in a simple-to-understand manner that is for kids and adults!
All one needs to do is record their child asking a question and send it over to the hosts, and they tackle the questions in their coming episodes!
4. The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel is a lively, high-quality, serial mystery that can be best described as a mix of Goonies, Spy Kids, and Stranger Things. Wow, that’s 3 times the fun!
Anyhoo, this is a scripted podcast that is performed by middle-school children to give authenticity to the characters of the show and make it feel much more real. In fact, this podcast was voted by The Guardian as one of the top podcasts in the year 2016.
Mars Patel was also nominated for the Best Audio Drama & Best Sound Design/Original Music Score in the 2017 Webby Prize. This podcast enjoys an audience of both children and adults around the world.
5. Tumble – Science Podcast for Kids
Next up! Tumble is another science podcast for the kids. The concept of the show revolves around telling stories about scientific discoveries, that too with the help of scientists! The two hosts, Lindsay and Marshall ask questions, share mysteries, and share their insights into what science is all about.
This podcast makes the perfect mix between fun and informative and is one of our favorites from all the picks so far!
6. Eleanor Amplified
Eleanor Amplified is another adventure series that can be listened to by the entire family. The podcast revolves around Eleanor Amplified, the world-famous radio reporter, who spoils devious plans and outwits clever and crafty villains, in the pursuit of a big story!
This podcast is extremely informative and entertaining. There is a punch of humor while also being intellectually stimulating, as it prepares kids to appreciate journalism and make smart media-related decisions in the future.
7. Stuff You Should Know
Stuff You Should Know is a podcast and video series developed by Stuff Media. The show is hosted by Josh Clark and Charles W. Bryant, who also happen to be writers at HowStuffWorks. Started in 2008, the podcast has consistently ranked as one of the top 10 podcasts on iTunes.
The podcast releases every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and it aims to educate listeners on a wide range of topics, frequently using pop culture references to give the podcast some comedic value.
8. This American Life
This American Life is another weekly podcast for public radio. In this podcast, a theme is picked every week and then various kinds of stories are brought together about that theme.
Most of these stories have compelling characters, funny scenes, big emotions, unexpected plot turns, and fascinating ideas at their core. They’re like little films on the radio!
9. Circle Round
Circle Round is a kids podcast, developed and produced by parents of very young children, so they know what the whole ballgame is.
The podcast adapts folk stories from around the world into radio shows that very rich in sound and music for all age groups. Their content is so interesting and invigorating that it’s sure to keep everyone hooked to it!
Each episode discusses issues such as compassion patience, and generosity, and usually concludes with an activity that encourages a deeper dialogue between children and parents.
10. Little Stories for Tiny People
Little Stories for Tiny People is another children’s podcast that features original audio stories that sure to excite your children. This podcast is perfect for parents, teachers, and babysitters who are looking for ways to keep children engaged.
This podcast also makes up for a perfect bedtime story. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to us, doesn’t it? Every story is written and performed to appease a child’s humor and that’s what makes it one of our top picks for this list!
11. Storynory
Next up, Storynory consists of audio stories for kids! They have a wide variety of genres including fairytales, original stories, myths, poems, music, history, and audiobooks; which are all read wonderfully by professional actors.
12. The Past & The Curious
The Past & The Curious (props for this splendid name😛) was created by people who deeply fascinated by history. In fact, they believe that the stories from our past have the power to transform people today.
Their goal is to share real stories of inspiration, humor, and the crazy achievements of people from the past, many of which are not talked about today, and to do so in an accessible and diverse manner.
These people have created audio-based stories, music, a website, and also illustrated children’s books to spark the curiosity of children, guardians, teachers, and basically, anyone who loves stories from the past.
Quite the blast from the past, don’t you think?
13. Short & Curly
Last in our list of story-based podcasts is Short & Curly. This is a fast-paced, super fun, ethics-based podcast for kids, which poses several questions that really get you thinking. The questions are on topics ranging from animals and technology to school, pop culture, and the future.
14. The Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl
Different from the rest of the herd, we have The Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl!
The Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl is a weekly, two-hour-long music podcast for the entire family to enjoy! It consists of children’s music to some of the best family music you’ve ever heard.
The simple trick is just to switch into this podcast, sit back, relax, and enjoy some lovely music for 2 hours!
15. Smash Boom Best
Last but not least on our list, Smash Boom Best is a debate show for kids and families. Yes, you heard us right, it’s a debate show!
The concept of the show is based on taking two super awesome things, smashing them together, and then, letting you decide which one is the best. The debate could be anything, ranging from Cats vs Dogs to Super Speed vs Super Strength.
On the show, debaters use facts and passion to make their case, which teaches the listeners how to defend their own opinions along the way!
Final Words
With that, we complete our list of the best podcasts for kids that out there! With the help of these podcasts, you are not only going to be super entertained but at the same time, you will also end up saving your eyes from the screen.
So, what’s the wait for? Go check these podcasts out and learn something new and different every day! Let us know how that goes for you!
Did we miss out on your favorite kids’ podcast? Let us know by tweeting to us at @elink_io. We’d be delighted to hear from you!
Further reads:
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Best Lifestyle Blogs to Pursue Better Living!
Podcast RSS Feeds: The Best Way To Keep Up With Your Favorite Podcasts
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