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Podcasts to Listen To With Your Kids

Need some fresh ideas for things to listen to with your kids?

Podcasts are great because you can listen whenever you want. Need something during the day? Before bed? During ‘quiet time’? While driving or riding the bus?

WXXI pulled together a list of kid-friendly podcasts that promote curiosity, tell stories, answer weird questions, and add some spark to your day:

CURIOSITY

  • Work it Out Wombats Podcast, join your favorite Wombats on eight super fun podcast playdates! The Work It Out Wombats! Podcast invites YOU, the listener, to join Zadie, Zeke and Malik as they sail a pirate ship through the Crashing Cliffs, fly to the sky in a make-believe Cloud Ship, enjoy a spooky campout, and build a super-strong fort that NO wind can blow down. You won’t just be listening to the fun, you’ll be having fun – singing, dancing, jumping, clapping, making, and creating right alongside your favorite Wombats. The Work It Out Wombats! Podcast is produced for PBS KIDS by GBH Kids and Cultural Whisperers and distributed by PBS KIDS and PRX. It will be available to listen on pbskids.org/wombats or wherever you get your podcasts!
  • Wow in the World – Hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz guide curious kids and their grown-ups on a journey into the wonders of the world around them. We’ll go inside our brains, out into space and deep into the coolest new stories in science and technology.
  • But Why — But Why is a show led by you, kids! You ask the questions and we find the answers. It’s a big interesting world out there. On But Why, we tackle topics large and small, about nature, words, even the end of the world.
  • Brains On! – Brains On! is an award-winning audio show for kids and families. Each week, a different kid co-host joins Molly Bloom to find answers to fascinating questions about the world.  Our mission is to encourage kids’ natural curiosity and wonder using science and history…but there’s no age limit on curiosity, and episodes of Brains On can be enjoyed by anyone.
  • Kids Listen Activity Podcast – Kids Listen member podcasts will bring you a podcast and an activity based on the episode. Listen and learn about science, history, animals, music, and language, and then make that learning active with hands-on projects and activities. 
  • Smash Boom Best is a debate show for kids and families from the makers of the award-winning podcast, Brains On! Every episode takes two cool things, smashes them together and lets you decide which is best. Our debaters use facts and passion to make their case — teaching listeners how to defend their own opinions along the way.
  • Forever Ago®, a history show for the whole family! Every episode looks into the surprising and fascinating history of things we think are ordinary, but they’re not — like ice cream flavors, video games, baths and more. We make learning about the past fun while teaching listeners to think critically about history. From Brains On.
  • Moment of Um: Bite-sized answers to big questions! From Brains On
  • Charm Words: Charm Words is a daily affirmations podcast for children of diverse backgrounds that will help to inspire and bring self-worth to the forefront of young minds at the start and end of their day. Help your kids deal with feelings of emotional distress while learning new self-care abilities. These simple Ph.D.-approved charming affirmations free kids from invasive troubling thoughts, build resilience to stressful situations and help them develop positive ways of coping. Also a perfect classroom meditation for students.

 MATH & FINANCES

  • Million Bazillion is a podcast from Marketplace that inspires families to talk about money. Hosts Ryan Perez and Bridget Bodnar take listeners on an awesome adventure to answer the awkward, complex and sometimes surprising money questions from real kids


MUSIC

  • Classics for Kids — Naomi Lewin brings classical music’s great composers to life through music and stories. Find Classics for Kids on the radio, listen to our podcast or listen to the programs online. Have fun online with classical music games.
  • From the Top — NPR’s From the Top showcases the music, stories, and unique humor of America’s best young classical musicians.  

  • Hear Here! – Hear Here! is a music appreciation podcast for kids (K-5)! In this 5 episode season, we’ll explore different genres of music and the various ways music affects our lives. Hear the music and accomplishments of a boy born with autism, meet professional musicians from our region that started playing as kids, make music using found objects, and more on Hear Here! Each episode will be accompanied by classroom activities, discussion prompts, and additional resources for parents and teachers.
  • Pinkalicious & Peterrific podcast: Sing along with Pinkalicious and her little brother Peter on the Pinkalicious & Peterrific podcast, a delightful musical companion to the hit series on PBS KIDS. Ten pink-credible episodes are hosted by the brother and sister duo as they sing their favorite songs from the “Pinkalicious & Peterrific” series. Each episode will take listeners on creative adventures, encouraging kids to dance, sing, make believe, and more.



SCIENCE

  • Nature Guys –Nature Guys podcast connects you to the exciting natural world right in your own neighborhood. These nature connections will help you be cool, calm, collected and ready to make a positive difference in the world. 
  • Tumble Podcast –Tumble is a science podcast for kids, to be enjoyed by the entire family. We tell stories about science discoveries, with the help of scientists!  Join Lindsay and Marshall as they ask questions, share mysteries, and share what science is all about. 
  • Radiolab for Kids — Radiolab, one of the most beloved podcasts in the world, reaches into its archives to create Radiolab for Kids. It’s a place where we’ve collected Radiolab’s most family-friendly content. (Because we all know that over the years, some of the content has been…er…NOT so family friendly!) From “What do dogs see when they look at the rainbow?” to “Do animals laugh?” the topics are squeaky clean (mostly) and all about curiosity. Radiolab for Kids is sure to delight and engage the most curious minds. 



STORIES

  • Odd Squad: Odd Squadcast! Spinning off from the “odd-ventures” of “Odd Squad” is the Odd Squad: Odd Squadcast! This seven-episode podcast follows The Big O as she hosts a weekly radio address for agents all over the world — and tries to stop an odd invasion on headquarters at the same time!
  • Arthur Podcast Series: Arthur Read is back with The Arthur Podcast! Listen in as he shares his favorite adventures with DW, Buster and all their friends from around Elwood City. Each episode is an audio adaptation of a story from the classic television series with some new commentary from Arthur himself as well as some submissions from listeners everywhere!
  • Circle Round — WBUR’s Circle Round is a podcast that adapts carefully-selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 4 to 10. Each 10- to 20-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity. And each episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups.
  • Molly of Denali Podcast –Meet Molly Mabray, an Alaska Native girl growing up with her parents, family and friends. Over eight episodes, Molly and her friend Tooey discover the identity of a mystery creature that has stolen Molly’s birthday cake. Join Molly and the gang and discover what life is like for a typical kid on big adventures in Alaska!  
  • Eleanor Amplified – Eleanor Amplified is an adventure series for the whole family. Listen together as our hero, the world-famous radio reporter Eleanor Amplified, foils devious plots and outwits crafty villains, all in pursuit of the big story…  Like all the public media shows you love, Eleanor Amplified is entertaining and informative.  Eleanor will spark laughter and conversation the whole family will enjoy, while preparing kids to appreciate journalism and make smart media choices in the future.
     
  • The Creeping Hour — Beware, these scary stories will transform you! The Creeping Hour is a horror anthology series hosted by the Creeps, three friends who listened to so many scary stories that they turned into monsters themselves. Gather your whole family to shiver with fright as you listen to the terrifying tales of The Creeping Hour. Listen if you dare. Don’t say we didn’t warn you! It is appropriate for all ages and recommended for kids ages 8-12. 

Odd Squad: Games, Videos, Podcast & Activities

Play games and watch full episodes of Odd Squad on https://pbskids.org/oddsquad

Explore the PBS LearningMedia Odd Squad Collection & Ready to Learn: Odd Squad Collection

From recapturing a gallon-sized blob that has separated into smaller pieces, to dealing with magical creatures who have escaped from books, there is no occurrence that is too strange for the Odd Squad! “Odd Squad,” a series for children ages 5 to 8, features a team of kid agents as they face off against various villains wreaking havoc, all while using math concepts to solve each case. In other words: Odd is the problem, math is the solution. 

Watch the Playlist from Odd Squad:

Odd Squad Playlist from PBS KIDS

Listen to the Odd Squad Podcast: Also here:

WXXI Education Favorites
Here are a few of our favorite Activities: 

Get Ready with These ODD activities!

Learn more at the PBS KIDS for Parents Odd Squad

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: Games, Videos & Activities

Play games and watch full episodes of Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum on https://pbskids.org/xavier

Explore the PBS LearningMedia Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum Collection

Inspired by the best-selling kids book series, Ordinary People Change the World, by New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer and illustrator Christopher Eliopoulos, XAVIER RIDDLE AND THE SECRET MUSEUM follows the adventures of Xavier, Yadina and Brad as they tackle everyday problems by doing something extraordinary: traveling back in time to learn from real-life inspirational figures like Marie Curie, Harriet Tubman and Jackie Robinson when they were kids. Each adventure will help young viewers make the connection between the skills that made these historical figures heroes and those same qualities within themselves, helping them discover that they, too, can change the world.

Watch Playlist of Full Episodes:

WXXI Education Favorites
Here are a few of our favorite Activities: 

Learn more at the PBS KIDS for Parents Xavier Riddle & and Secret Museum

Let’s Go Luna: Games, Videos & Activities

Play games and watch full episodes of Let’s Go Luna on https://pbskids.org/luna

Explore the PBS LearningMedia Let’s Go Luna Collection

“Let’s Go Luna!” is a show for kids ages 4 to 7 that follows the adventures of three friends as they travel the world with their parents’ traveling performance troupe, “Circo Fabuloso.” At each of the Circo’s stops, Luna the Moon guides the trio – Leo, a wombat from Australia; Carmen, a butterfly from Mexico; and Andy, a frog from the United States – as they get to know the local region and its people. Their adventures take them through cities around the globe where they explore the food, music, art, architecture and other features that make each place unique and wonderful.

Watch Playlist of Full Episodes:

WXXI Education Favorites
Here are a few of our favorite Activities: 

Learn more at the PBS KIDS for Parents Let’s Go Luna

Hero Elementary: Games, Videos & Activities

Play games and watch full episodes of Hero Elementary on https://pbskids.org/heroelementary

“Hero Elementary” is a school for budding superheroes, where kids learn to master their powers, like flying and teleportation, while exploring science along the way! The series aims to give children ages 4 to 7 the tools to solve problems by thinking and acting like scientists and sparking their natural curiosity and empathy.

Watch Playlist of Full Episodes:

WXXI Education Favorites
Here are a few of our favorite Activities: 

Learn more at the PBS KIDS for Parents Hero Elementary

Sid the Science Kid: Games, Videos & Activities

Play games and watch full episodes of Sid the Science Kids and friends on https://pbskids.org/sid

Sid the Science Kid uses comedy and music to promote exploration, discovery and science readiness among preschoolers. Sid the Science Kid features a practical in-school science curriculum and celebrates children’s natural curiosity about science in everyday life. The energetic and inquisitive Sid starts each episode with a new question (“Why are my shoes shrinking?” “Why do bananas get mushy?”) and embarks on a fun-filled day of finding answers with the help of family and friends.

WXXI Education Favorites
Here are a few of our favorite Activities: 

Learn more at the PBS KIDS for Parents Sid the Science Kid Page

PBS KIDS: Talk About: Race and Racism

BS KIDS Talk About: Race and Racism is a special co-viewing program for families with young children to watch and discuss together. 

The PBS KIDS Talk About: Race and Racism special is a half-hour program featuring authentic conversations between real children and their growmups, and will include content from PBS KIDS series DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, ARTHUR and XAVIER RIDDLE AND THE SECRET MUSEUM.

The special will feature children and their grownups talking about race and racial justice-related topics in an age-appropriate way, such as noticing differences in race, understanding what racism can look like, and embracing the role we all have to play in standing up for ourselves and each other — offering viewers ideas to build on as they continue these important conversations at home.

**Please note: This special programming is designed as a co-viewing experience with adults and children watching together. **

Watch together on-demand

More: Articles and Resources for Grown-ups 

More About the Special

Grownup note: PBS KIDS programs are designed to reflect the diversity of communities across the nation, and to address themes relevant to children’s everyday lives. This special is designed for parents and children to watch together, and for parents to build on in whatever way they choose to have these conversations with their children. The program touches on topics such as race, racism, and the recent Black Lives Matter protests from the perspective of real kids in an effort to help children understand what they might be seeing happening around them in a developmentally-appropriate way.

The PBS KIDS Talk About: Race and Racism special was created in response to parents increasingly asking PBS KIDS for resources to address tough but important topics with their kids, including race and racism, and is part of PBS KIDS’ ongoing commitment to families across the nation.

Designed as a co-viewing experience, the program explores complicated topics in an age-appropriate way. Our goal is to support parents in talking with their children about race. We hope that our content will provide a helpful starting point in whatever way parents choose to have these conversations with their children. Additional parent resources are available on PBS KIDS for Parents on pbs.org/parents/talking-about-racism to support parents in discussions about race and racial justice-related topics with their children.

The following advisors consulted on this project:

  • Dr. Aisha White, Program Director, P.R.I.D.E (Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education)
  • Dr. Renee Wilson-Simmons, Executive Director, ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) Awareness Foundation
  • Dr. Dana Winters, Director of Simple Interactions and Academic Programs; Assistant Professor of Child and Family Studies, Fred Rogers Center

Let’s Learn

Let’s Learn provides resources for children ages 3-7 is drawn from the public television series Let’s Learn. Produced by Thirteen PBS in NYC.

Let’s Learn aims to provide our young learners with knowledge and skills to learn and succeed in school and beyond. While the series is aimed at a wide range of ages, segments might serve as introduction, reinforcement, or enrichment to material depending on students’ needs. To paraphrase Catherine Snow, expert on language and literacy development in children, the teaching that is taking place “…is helpful for all children, harmful for none, and crucial for some.”

Explore: The Let’s Learn website includes: Storybooks, Reading and Writing, Math, Science, Arts, Social Studies, Mind and Movement, and STEM.
Full Episodes are available on-demand. Clips are also available by subject and theme. Activities from each clip are also available.

For Teachers and Classrooms:

Let's Learn and an apple on top of school books

Explore the Let’s Learn PBS LearningMedia Collection

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