It has mixture of one-off episodes and long-running collection, which makes it simple to search out one thing applicable for your kid’s consideration span. Our youngsters are massive followers of the folktales and a few of the longer story collection.
If you are listening on an Apple gadget and can afford the $5 a month subscription price (which does get you entry to another podcasts as effectively), then Stories Podcast is an effective possibility. If you are not an Apple consumer, I recommend skipping this one in favor of a few of the different picks under.
Purple Rocket Podcast
Like Stories Podcast, Purple Rocket Podcast has a mixture of content material with fairly a number of long-running collection, together with “Grandpa’s Globe,” which is about twins Sawyer and Suzie, who use their grandfather’s magical globe to discover the universe. Other adventures contain all the pieces from aliens to fairies. Mixed in with the collection are occasional one-offs, a few of which handle to impart little classes for your youngsters. For instance, “My Homework Ate Me” is a cautionary story of procrastination.
All the episodes I’ve listened to function an elaborate array of voices, ambient sounds, and music to assist deliver the tales to life. These are very a lot within the spirit of outdated radio performs like The Shadow.
The mixture of content material makes for a podcast that ought to fulfill even the pickiest of listeners. New episodes arrive each different week. There are additionally transcripts accessible so your youngsters can learn alongside whereas listening to enhance literacy.
Greeking Out
The Greeking Out podcast from National Geographic Kids retells basic Greek myths in kid-friendly kind. Recently there have been a few forays into different mythic tales, like Loki from Norse mythology, but it surely’s primarily Greek. This rapidly turned a favourite in our family, although my youngsters have been often not completely satisfied that the variations advised right here didn’t exactly match the variations they knew (from, amongst different issues, D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths (Amazon, $21)), however I like that it bought them interested by how tales change and why there is perhaps totally different variations.
If your kids are into mythological tales, otherwise you need to get them into mythology, this one is very really helpful.
Who, When, Wow!
The Who, When, Wow! podcast from Tinkercast is a history-focused podcast with an emphasis on much less well-known figures whose tales will (hopefully) make your kids say “wow!”
My colleague Adrienne So clued me in to this one, and my youngsters have actually loved it over the previous few months. It’s mixture of biographies, with all the pieces from much less well-known scientists like Caroline Hershel to sports activities greats like Roberto Clemente to Harry Houdini. The combine is eclectic sufficient that there is one thing for everybody.
Circle Round
Here’s one other artistic story podcast that focuses on folktales from all over the world. Episodes of Circle Round vary from 10 to twenty minutes every. Lately Circle Round has been selling another podcast episodes in its feed, so that you may discover an episode of Brains On (listed under) or different youngsters’ podcasts alongside its personal creations.
Circle Round is a little more overt in its value-teaching than a few of the others on this record. It routinely delivers some sort of message, one thing about kindness, generosity, or different shared American cultural values. Teaching morality is without doubt one of the most important functions of folktales, however right here I discover it a little bit heavy-handed at instances.
Story Pirates
It has pirates within the identify, which is all my youngsters wanted to listen to. Story Pirates is an entertaining mixture of tales and enjoyable songs (like “The Bear That Couldn’t Disco“). There are some particular visitor voices you may acknowledge in some episodes too, like Claire Danes and John Oliver.
There’s much more right here than simply the podcast. If your youngsters need to transcend listening, try the website, which has hyperlinks to the e-book collection (for middle-grade youngsters), data on reside exhibits, and pirate T-shirts.
Story Seeds
Story Seeds is a comparatively new podcast, and it’s kind of totally different from the others; slightly than a narrative, it is a meta view of find out how to create a narrative.
Each episode pairs a child (age 6-12) with a kids’s e-book writer. They meet up in individual and collaborate to write down unique tales that begin out with the child’s thought (the “seed” within the identify). It’s not up to date as continuously as a few of the remainder of these, however there’s over two dozen episodes accessible.
Fierce Girls
Apple, (*13*)
This Australian podcast is dedicated to showcasing true tales of Australian ladies. From athletes to spies, Fierce Girls usually promotes a unifying theme of adventurous ladies with “guts and spirit.” While the tales are all applicable for youngsters and not graphic, the hosts do not draw back from telling tales as they occur. In some circumstances, you may need to pay attention first to ensure a narrative is suitable for your kids’s maturity degree. That mentioned, our 9-year-old twins love them.
Planet Storytime
Offering a mixture of basic tales, like these of Beatrix Potter, and lesser-known content material, Planet Storytime goals for that blend of leisure and schooling Fred Rogers perfected. It releases new episodes each Thursday.
One very nice function that units this podcast aside is that on the finish of every month, there’s one lengthy episode with a complete month’s price of content material—good for getting an hour or so to your self.
Brains On
This science podcast is aimed toward youngsters, although I’ll be trustworthy, I’ve realized loads from it as effectively. Brains On is academic—simply do not inform your youngsters that. They’ll love studying how bugs stroll on partitions, find out how to discover their means with out a compass, and even the place poo and pee go while you flush the bathroom.
There’s a collection referred to as “Smash Boom Best” by which two issues are pitted in opposition to one another and your child can decide their favourite. For instance, Loki was recently pitted against Athena. This podcast might be finest suited for barely older youngsters.
Warrior Kid Podcast
The Warrior Kid Podcast shouldn’t be for everybody, however my youngsters actually just like the question-and-answer format of this podcast, which is predicated on the books of the identical identify. The writer of the books and host of the present is Jocko Willink, a adorned, retired Navy SEAL officer and management guru. Here Willink stands in for the character of Uncle Jake in Willink’s Warrior Kid e-book collection, answering youngsters’ questions on all the pieces from find out how to keep away from consuming sweet to what it takes to be a Navy Seal.
Willink locations a worthwhile emphasis on bodily exercise, psychological sharpness, food plan (encouraging youngsters to develop wholesome consuming habits), and arduous work. The latter varieties the core of the message on this podcast: Work arduous, prepare in jiujitsu, and you’ll finally succeed. This one is concentrating on barely older youngsters, most likely finest for ages 8 and up. One particular notice: Willink has one other podcast, Jocko Podcast, that’s most positively not for kids.
But Why
Another NPR podcast, But Why goals to reply child questions on all the pieces from nature, politics, tradition, science, even the top of the world. Your youngsters can submit their very own questions too; directions are on the website.
Because But Why covers a variety of matters, I have a tendency to assist out extra with it. Many episodes are finest suited to barely older youngsters. My youngsters (7 and 5) weren’t about to take a seat by way of an episode on what occurs when a president is impeached, for instance, however they did get pleasure from an episode on how we style meals.
Aaron’s World
One of the few podcasts on this record that was created by a child, Aaron’s World is a 50-episode audio-drama following the adventures of a boy (Aaron) and his trusty laptop sidekick (INO) exploring the prehistoric world of dinosaurs. The episodes give attention to single matters—e.g., iguanodon, microraptor, sharks—however over the five-year run, some enjoyable bigger story arcs emerged that create a working plot. All got here from the thoughts of initially 6-year-old Aaron, who saved at it for 5 years. Highly really helpful for any child who’s curious about dinosaurs.
Other Great Podcasts and Audio Shows
These days the web is awash in podcasts, with far too many to say intimately right here. That mentioned, listed below are some others your youngsters could like.
- Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl: Long earlier than our youngsters bought into storytelling podcasts, they cherished this weekly two-hour music present launched each, ahem, Saturday. And I do know what you are pondering: youngsters’ music. But it is actually not youngsters’ music, it is simply music youngsters will get pleasure from. This can be a good way to find music your youngsters love that will not drive you loopy. Did you already know Walkmen co-songwriter Walter Martin has a fantastic album for children? How about The Verve Pipe? Johnny Cash? All these and extra I’ve found by way of Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl.
- Earth Rangers: This podcast has a biology slant however makes pay attention for any youngsters curious about digging within the dust, studying about animals, or listening to tales of the ecosystems in far-off lands. There are episodes on the jungle, the Arctic, and almost all the pieces between. Episodes are typically about quarter-hour every and often deal with a single animal or atmosphere. Earth Ranger might be finest suited to youngsters who’re a little bit extra mature.
- Molly of Denali: This eight-episode podcast units the backstory for the PBS cartoon of the identical identify. Each episode is about 10 minutes lengthy, and they’re sequential, telling the backstory of Molly Mabray, an Alaska native rising up along with her mother and father, household, and mates in Alaska.
- Eleanor Amplified: This long-running journey collection options an intrepid reporter named Eleanor Amplified. She focuses on foiling the devious plots of villains. It’s a bit pro-journalist at instances, in a rah-rah sort of means that is not for everybody, however the tales are fast-paced, entertaining, and within the spirit of old-time radio exhibits.
- Live From Mount Olympus: My youngsters have been working their means by way of the Percy Jackson e-book collection when this arrived, so this Olympian-focused podcast was an prompt hit. It follows the adventures of a younger Perseus, who’s on a quest to avoid wasting his mom from an evil king. Live From Mount Olympus largely sticks to the Greek tales as it’s possible you’ll bear in mind them, although there are some further characters. Live From Mount Olympus is a part of the Trax community, which hosts different youngsters podcasts as effectively.
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