16 of the best podcasts for youngsters and households

Summer season break is right here, which implies it’s the right time to pop a pair of headphones in your children or plug in your favourite good house machine and hearken to a family-friendly podcast to fill your time. These podcasts aren’t only a bunch of enjoyable — they’re additionally unimaginable alternatives to diversify your youngster’s leisure and complement their schooling earlier than the varsity yr picks again up.

“It’s very clear the podcast world is rising, however what’s much less apparent is how impactful and modern children and household podcasts are and can proceed to be as they develop and evolve,” mentioned Laura Ordoñez, head of podcast scores and critiques for Frequent Sense Media, a nonprofit advocacy group offering knowledgeable expertise and leisure suggestions to households and lecturers.

In 2022, the group introduced a brand new podcast-centered enlargement of its Choice Seal, which acknowledges media with vital high quality and affect on households and society at giant. Earlier that yr, the group launched its first podcast ranking and assessment website, which informs listeners about every present’s academic worth, its co-listening potential for fogeys and youngsters, the present’s range and authenticity, and the standard of audio. The Choice Seal pulls from that in-depth assessment record of greater than 70 child-friendly podcasts, singling out the best of the best for households and youngsters. Every Frequent Sense Choice meets the very best editorial requirements for total high quality primarily based on range, impactful themes, and optimistic messages and function fashions.

Sources like these help dad and mom and youngsters of their seek for academic, inventive exhibits and assist extra households see the “extremely various and dynamic media format as each an academic and leisure useful resource for youths and households,” says Frequent Sense Media.

Each bit of media on Frequent Sense’s website is reviewed in response to particular youngster growth best practices and shows the minimal age for which content material is developmentally applicable, the group explains. Caregivers and educators can search the positioning and set preferences primarily based on the listener’s age, particular content material limits, style, and character strengths. Frequent Sense additionally features a star ranking that displays total high quality and studying potential. Discover out extra about the scores system on the Frequent Sense Media web site.

Take a look at a couple of notable picks beneath, after which go to CommonSense’s web site for the full record of accredited and reviewed Frequent Sense Alternatives when looking for your loved ones’s subsequent audio journey.

For youthful children and storytelling

Circle Spherical, 5 stars (ages 2+)

Circle Spherical shares 15-to-20-minute variations of well-known folks tales from all over the world, narrated by massive names throughout stage and display, like broadway actress Phillipa Soo and chef and TV persona Samin Nosrat. Every episode is accompanied by unique music to creatively join the cultural tales with its overarching themes and movie star visitor, partaking even the youngest viewers. In Frequent Sense’s 5-star assessment, the group factors out the podcast’s extra internet actions, together with printable illustrations and coloring pages, and notes the present’s central themes of braveness, compassion, empathy, and self-control.

Woman Tales, 5 stars (ages 4+)

This podcast reimagines conventional fairy tales and historical past in a approach that facilities and empowers feminine protagonists, a part of its mission to create “feminist tales for a brand new era.” The immersive present chooses a brand new fable every week, incorporating classes on friendship, identification, girlhood, and emotional processing into the enjoyable tales of journey. “Woman Tales provides fairy tales new that means, whereas additionally giving younger ladies refreshing and empowering reflections of themselves within the tales they hear,” Frequent Sense wrote in its 5-star assessment.

The Story Seeds Podcast, 5 stars (ages 6+)

The Story Seeds Podcast is an ideal present for ebook lovers of all ages, as younger aspiring writers group up with established youngsters’s authors like Katherine Applegate and Dan Gutman to stipulate and write their very own books. Every episode follows the method of turning one youngster’s “story seeds” right into a full-fledged narrative, with listeners strolling by the storytelling together with each grownup and youngster authors. Frequent Sense Media notes that the episodes particularly emphasize illustration, and foster a way of empowerment for youngsters who include concepts from a wide range of backgrounds. The group charges the present 5 stars for the presence of optimistic function fashions and various illustration, and recommends the present’s bonus Q&A with every creator as extra materials for households.

Newsy Pooloozi, 5 stars (ages 7+)

This podcast is a good entry level for youngsters eager about present occasions or for fogeys searching for a approach into massive conversations about worldwide politics, science, and different newsworthy matters. Episodes about heavy points, like gun management, are handled delicately for a younger viewers — the episodes additionally include timestamp warnings for individuals who might need to skip sure information — and every is accompanied by a baby correspondent in dialog with an grownup to be able to higher perceive what’s happening. Frequent Sense Media highlights this podcast for its notable academic content material and optimistic impact on media literacy.

Good Night time Tales for Insurgent Women, 5 stars (ages 7+)

i=1000537604431″>

The Good Night time Tales for Insurgent Women podcast is impressed by the ebook of the identical identify, a part of the Insurgent Women collection, which shares the real-life tales of notable ladies all over the world and all through historical past. On this audio model, inspirational ladies and nonbinary leaders tackle the function of narrator to deliver these tales (and their very own) to younger listeners, which Frequent Sense Media notes as exemplifying optimistic function modeling and messaging for youngsters. The podcast can also be out there on the Insurgent Women App, which provides the identical optimistic podcast content material, in addition to extra playlists, sleep tales, and soundscapes for listeners of all ages.

Ceaselessly In the past, 5 stars (ages 5+)

Ceaselessly In the past, a unusual historical past present from American Public Media‘s Brains On! Universe assortment, covers the historical past behind the on a regular basis, with a deal with matters, objects, and cultural tendencies that youngsters are almost definitely to be uncovered to. Episodes embody the invention of the microwave, the historical past of the Completely happy Birthday music, and even tales of range like Black cowboys and the rainbow Satisfaction flag. Frequent Sense says the podcast is notable for its various and inclusive matters and “all ages” manufacturing.

For teenagers exploring larger matters

Stoopkid Tales, 4 stars (ages 8+)

Stoopkid Tales, narrated by creator Melissa Victor, tells the story of a various group of youngsters and their households navigating every day life in a fictional neighborhood, all primarily based on her personal experiences rising up in Baltimore. Interwoven with the relatable tales of early childhood, by which children discover ways to course of experiences like college drama and braces, are common classes and heavier discussions about social activism, racial justice, dependancy, and grief. The episodes span the realities of assorted communities of coloration, and their histories, in a approach that’s simple for younger youngsters to know, which Frequent Sense Media says can assist spark necessary conversations between dad and mom and their youngsters.

The Activators!, 5 stars (ages 8+)

This podcast spotlights the work of profitable younger activists working to enact change for environmental and racial justice, meals safety, gender fairness, and different types of compassionate social activism. Hosted by child activist and Disney+ actor Leo Abelo Perry, every younger chief participates in a Q&A session all about themselves and their work. Lots of the child leaders run full-fledged nonprofits serving to in-need communities — like Blankies 4 My Buddies and Khloe Kares — they usually hope to encourage fellow listeners to get entangled or begin their very own motion for social change. Frequent Sense Media notes the best way that Perry succinctly communicates the institutional context behind every motion, all whereas emphasizing a hope for the longer term.

Mija Podcast, 5 stars (ages 8+)

Mija Podcast is a multilingual podcast (out there in English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, and Arabic) about intergenerational household tales, with every of the primary three seasons targeted on the members and experiences of a special immigrant household. The present was created by Lory Martinez, a daughter of Colombian immigrant dad and mom who grew up in Queens, New York. In every episode, Martinez enlists the voice of a daughter (“mija” in Spanish) to inform her household’s story. The podcast additionally launched a season often called Mija Música, which options the only story of Mexican American immigrant and music lover Gavilán, and Mija on the Mike, a weekly speak present that includes the reflections of daughters of immigrants. Frequent Sense Media awarded the podcast 5 stars throughout the board, with a word for fogeys that the present consists of descriptions of perilous experiences and racism.

A Youngsters E book About: The Podcast, 5 stars (ages 8+, some suggest 10+)

Based mostly on the A Youngsters E book About ebook collection, this podcast tackles delicate, necessary matters for households and youngsters in ways in which foster ​​empathy, communication, compassion, braveness, and curiosity, in response to Frequent Sense Media. The episodes covers real-world points like physique picture, racism, gender equality, sexuality, and even particular present and historic occasions, like anti-Asian racism, the local weather disaster, and the Tulsa Race Bloodbath. The episodes are guided by children and adults who’ve lived experiences with every subject, and the hosts invite listeners to ship in follow-up questions.

Younger & Indigenous, 5 stars (ages 8+)

From Indigenous tradition and surroundings keepers Youngsters of the Setting Solar Productions, the Younger & Indigenous podcast is an Indigenous youth-led present that seeks to hold out the oral traditions of the Lummi Nation and different Native communities. The present is hosted by youth advocates Michelle and Isabella, who deliver on others to talk on psychological well being, organizing, and cultural and environmental preservation. In response to Frequent Sense Media’s assessment, the present “can encourage youngsters and oldsters of all cultures to study the place they arrive from and achieve information in regards to the significance of passing down genuine tradition and custom.”

For the preteen and teenage audiophiles 

Misplaced Ladies of Science, 5 stars (ages 12+)

This academic present is a part of the The Misplaced Ladies of Science Initiative, a nonprofit group with the mission of shedding mild on forgotten ladies scientists and inspiring range in STEM fields, produced in partnership with Scientific American. The podcast dives deep into the story of a special scientific pioneer every episode, with dialogue and commentary from fashionable ladies in STEM. Frequent Sense Media notes that the present is best for older tweens and youths because of its scientific ideas and language, but in addition recommends the present for younger listeners, dad and mom, and lecture rooms.

This Teenage Life, 5 stars (ages 13+)

This Teenage Life is hosted by and created for teenagers, protecting the non-public and common. Moderated by grownup educator Molly Josephs, the present dives into issues like social nervousness and psychological well being, college matters like educational stress and gown codes, and even cultural touchstones like playlists and the recognition of Taylor Swift. Episodes additionally regularly cowl extra critical matters, like consuming issues, popping out, and dwelling with invisible disabilities, so every episode additionally comes with applicable content material warnings. Frequent Sense notes that the present is nice for teenagers and oldsters alike, emphasizing “wholesome communication methods, compassion in the direction of self and others by self care and understanding, and perseverance within the face of difficulties and adversities youngsters expertise.”

The Two Princes, 5 stars (ages 8+)

For fictional podcast lovers: The Two Princes podcast takes on a traditional fantasy story of legendary beasts and star-crossed lovers. On this model, nevertheless, the romance facilities on two rival princes as they defeat evil and meet a various solid of characters throughout their cross-kingdom travels. The story options queer and racially various characters, in addition to explorations of sexuality and younger love. It additionally has a powerful movie star solid, together with actresses Christine Baranski and Samira Wiley, so dad and mom is perhaps simply as delighted to hearken to this fantasy story about LGBTQ identification as their children are.

Maintain Me Again, 4 stars (ages 13+)

Hosted by father and son duo Aidan and Ash ElDifrawi, this conversational podcast tackles topics that folks and their teenagers encounter every day, from grades to swearing to heartfelt conversations about psychological well being. The 2 interact in wholesome debates — the elder ElDifrawi is a scientific psychologist and the youthful will graduate highschool subsequent yr — sharing each generational views, and invite particular visitors on the present so as to add an out of doors perspective. Episodes go over private experiences, in addition to relatable, societal struggles like social media use and the faculty admissions course of. Frequent Sense Media provides the present excessive marks for optimistic messaging, function fashions, and schooling.

Music Exploder, 5 stars (ages 14+)

This well-known and extremely widespread podcast provides a behind-the-scenes look at how our favourite songs have been created, with particular visitors and consultants highlighting a wide range of music genres and elements of the artwork of music-making. Whereas the present is a enjoyable pay attention for the musically-inclined household, Frequent Sense Media additionally factors out overarching themes of collaboration, creativity, and even range, as every episode highlights artists of various backgrounds. “Some episodes could also be appropriate for listeners of all ages, whereas others (which have content material warnings) might have sturdy language or include references to substance abuse or ideas of self-harm. It is a nice present for adults and youngsters to hearken to collectively,” the group writes.