Parental Arts
12 Family-Friendly Podcasts to Listen to on a Long Family Drive
Stave off the sibling fights and “Are we there yet??” refrains by entertaining everyone with a podcast. From individual stories to serialized fiction and science to debate, these kid-friendly podcasts will help the time pass more quickly, and maybe even teach your kids (and you!) something along the way.
- Written By
- Marnie Schwartz
Beyond a screen-free way to pass the time kid-friendly podcasts are a great way for to build literacy skills as kids practice listening comprehension, immerse themsleves in diverse narrative types and subject matter. Some of the best podcasts for kids feel like a play with sound effects, explainers, and multiple voice actors. For your best chances at avoiding another neverending game of I Spy, download a few new favorites before you hit the road. Pair them with our go-to gear for traveling with kids.
Wow in the World
Is there life on Venus? What is static electricity and how does it work? Do sharks get scared? Hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz answer questions like these and take listeners on a journey to help understand the wonders of the world around them on this show from NPR. Over the years the Wow World has expanded to include "Who, When, Wow!" on unsung heroes throughout history and "How To Be an Earthling." Grown ups can search their site to browse episodes by topic and grade level to find ones best suited to your car full of kids.
Ages 6+ Listen Here
Ages 6+ Listen Here
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
If you’ve got a backseat full of middle-grade kids and a very long ride ahead of you, start the journey through three seasons of this serial mystery show, which is performed by actual kids. And if your brood really loves it, check out the middle grade mystery novel inspired by the podcast, which was released this year.
Ages 8+
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Ages 8+
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But Why?
If you’re tired of hearing that question from your kids (and struggling to come up with answers), turn it over to the experts at Vermont Public Radio. They answer real questions submitted by kids. (Why are we still talking about the election? How do you make ice cream?) Listen to a couple of episodes together and then record and submit your littles’ inquiries.
Ages 6+
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Ages 6+
Listen Here
Storynory – Stories for Kids
From fairytales to mythology to poetry, with over 600 audio stories for kids that range in length and style, you can pick ones that are suitable for your kids’ attention spans. Host Natasha has a soothing voice that will bring calm to the entire car. A database on the Storynory site makes it easy to sift through fairytales, Aesop's fables, Greek mythology or original storytelling.
Ages 7+
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Ages 7+
Listen Here
Smash Boom Best
Which is better, ice cream or french fries? The power of invisibility or the ability to fly? Unicorns or dragons? These are the hard-hitting questions tackled by this fun podcasts, from the creators of Brains On! The debaters use facts as well as their personal passions to make their cases, teaching little ones about debate strategies along the way.
Ages 8+
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Ages 8+
Listen Here
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls
Based on the bestselling book series, each episode is about one of the women featured in the books and explores her story more deeply. Narrated by pioneering “rebel” women—female innovators, creators, and leaders—the show is sure to inspire.
Ages 7+
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Ages 7+
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Stories Podcast
Hosts Amanda Weldin and Dan Hines perform retellings of fairy tales, classic children’s stories, and original content, complete with character voices and sound effects. Just like with their favorite books, they’ll want to listen to beloved episodes over and over (and over) again.
Ages 5+ Listen Here
Ages 5+ Listen Here
Circle Round
Beautifully produced by parents of young children, WBUR's Circle Round adapts carefully-selected folktales from around the world into music-rich radio plays for kids. Each 10 to 20-minute episode ends with an activity to jumpstart conversation between kids and parents during road trips.
Ages 4+
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Ages 4+
Listen Here
Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest
Yes, that Grimm. Rumplestiltskin, The Musicians of Bremen Town, and Snow White kids in all their Grimms glory. Weird, wild, and slightly scary, Adam Gidwitz, the bestselling author of A Tale Dark and Grimm, retells a different fairytale to a room of kids whose reactions add suspense and a dose of silliness to this family-friendly podcast. Stories are rated on the scariness levels of Grim, Grimmer, and Grimmest.
Ages 7+
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Ages 7+
Listen Here
Noodle Loaf
Host Dan Saks hosts an interactive music education podcast with word games, mad libs, and fill-in-the-blank patterns. Kids will chime in and singalong to echo songs – perfect for keeping them awake and getting their wiggles out while being strapped into the car during road trips. According to reviewers, "It encourages creativity and fun with music and stories that I love as a mom and a teacher."
Ages 3+
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Ages 3+
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Story Pirates
Think if The Moth and the Mystery Reader at your kid's school combined forces. Talented comedians, musicians, and celebrity guests take stories written by kids and turn them into sketch comedy and original songs. Busy Philips, Billy Eichner, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dax Shepard, Bowen Yang, Claire Danes, and John Oliver have all made appearances. Stans can write in to submit their own stories for a chance to be featured.
Ages 3+
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Ages 3+
Listen Here
Yoto Daily
One of the perks of owning our go-to screen-free audio player, the Yoto Player or Yoto Mini, is the short daily podcast for kids. Press the button on the right once to tune into Yoto Daily – ten minutes of content ranging from Friday Jokes to draw-alongs, words of the day, and birthday shoot-outs. One mom on our team loves to listen during breakfast, but it's a good thing to look forward to on a long road trip too. Kids can press the same button twice to listen to Yoto Radio, a mix of family-friendly songs that change every day.
Ages 2+
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Ages 2+
Listen Here
