Here are 14 safe podcasts for kids to listen to without you having to worry about exposing them to unsuitable language or inappropriate topics. You might even get a kick out of one or two of them yourself. What We Like:
Unlike most other podcasts, each episode of The Sesame Street Podcast is actually a video which can be downloaded using the regular podcast app and watched when offline.Each episode is self-contained, meaning kids can pick and choose their favorites to watch over and over again.
What We Don’t Like:
The episodes are only five to nine minutes long.
The highlight of this kids podcast is the Noodle Loaf Choir segment, which asks listeners to send in audio recordings of themselves singing a song. The creators then edit these together to create one impressive track sung by all of the participants. What We Like:
Suitable for children under 10 years old.Encourages a lot of active listening.
What We Don’t Like:
New podcast episodes are released once a week and only run for around 11 minutes, so it won’t keep kids busy for long.
What We Like:
Genuinely interesting animal facts children won’t hear on most kids television programs.
What We Don’t Like:
Information is dropped at a relatively high speed and with a lot of scientific terminologies used. This makes each episode a little difficult for younger children to understand, though kids between the ages of six and eleven should be fine.The child hosts have a habit of answering questions for the listener, thereby decreasing engagement somewhat.
What We Like:
Suitable for kids as young as five. However, children around 10 years old will benefit the most; parents will also enjoy listening to this.The episode notes on the podcast’s website include definitions for words mentioned that kids may not be familiar with, plus a quiz to check how much they remember.
What We Don’t Like:
The son does have a habit of mumbling quite a bit, which can make understanding him a bit difficult. His father does clarify what he says afterward, though.
Episodes usually focus on topics like animals and the human body, but the podcast is very much structured by what its listeners want to hear. What We Like:
Encourages interaction by asking listeners to send in recorded questions, which are played in future episodes.
What We Don’t Like:
Interest in each episode will vary depending on which topics are covered. Some kids may be fascinated by the episode on underground cities, for example, but could have no interest in why tape is sticky.
What We Like:
Smash Boom Best doesn’t speak down to children, yet the language used is simple enough for most to understand.Teaches debating skills.
What We Don’t Like:
The concept of this podcast is very competitive in nature, which may not be ideal for kids going through an overly-competitive phase and need exposure to examples of compromise and teamwork.Children under six will likely interpret this podcast as simply being a bunch of adults talking to each other. It’s safe enough for them to listen to, but they won’t find it as engaging as other podcasts made for kids.
What We Like:
Lots of well-researched information.
What We Don’t Like:
This podcast is absolutely suitable for the entire family to listen to, but a lot of the humor can feel forced and may make young teens roll their eyes before eventually tuning out.
What We Like:
The episode notes contain a full list of all of the songs used.With some episodes reaching two hours in length, this kids podcast is fantastic for long car trips.
What We Don’t Like:
The majority of the songs are rock music, which may not be to everyone’s taste.
What We Like:
A well-curated collection of kids songs that aren’t overused traditional nursery rhymes or school songs.
What We Don’t Like:
The monthly release schedule makes it easy to forget about this podcast.
Each podcast episode runs for around 30 minutes and is intermingled with discussions, skits, and interviews with children about the week’s topic. What We Like:
One of the hosts specializes in ethics and frequently offers insight into the morality of the topics covered.All three hosts are engaging and genuinely funny.
What We Don’t Like:
A lot of the topics will go over the heads of really young viewers. Short & Curly is best listened to by kids aged eight and up.
Presentations range from a teenage scientist discussing her latest invention and a talk on the importance of birds, to how Minecraft is used to teach kids with Autism, to a young entrepreneur sharing how she started her first company at age eight. What We Like:
Some truly inspirational podcast episodes that will motivate kids to study more and be ambitious.Equally informative for kids and parents.
What We Don’t Like:
While generally safe for kids to view by themselves, one or two episodes cover topics parents may not want their children exposed to depending on their age. A solution to this is for parents to manually select which episodes to download to their child’s device.
The interviews are surprisingly dense and would be best appreciated by those over the age of 10. This may come as a surprise to some, as the podcast appears to be marketed towards kindergarteners. What We Like:
A fantastic collection of interviews that will also appeal to adult listeners who have an interest in motivational or entrepreneur podcasts.
What We Don’t Like:
Parents need to be wary of the advertising on the podcast’s website and within the episodes themselves.The child host’s dialog appears to have been written by an adult.
Video games featured on Spawn Point are limited to those suitable for all ages such as Pokemon and Minecraft, and the hosts encourage viewers to email them gaming questions which can get answered in future episodes. What We Like:
D.A.R.R.E.N., the robot sidekick, is consistently hilarious.A great source of video game news for adults and kids.Special educational segments that delve into the making of video games and the games industry.
What We Don’t Like:
Reviews of video games usually happen a week or so after a video game is released.
What We Like:
This podcast is a great motivator for kids to read more.Celebrity guest stars and interviews with authors.
What We Don’t Like:
Listeners aren’t informed of what books will be discussed in future episodes so it’s difficult to feel like you’re part of the conversation.
