Ear Candy: Kid Friendly Podcasts To Enjoy

Give your kids a break from their screens and introduce them to the world of podcasts, an episodic spoken-word form of entertainment. If you have a music streaming app, you have access to thousands of high-quality podcasts that spark imagination, teach new ideas, or make kids laugh so hard they snort juice out of their nostrils. 

Podcasts are a great way to engage your kids’ other senses—not just their eyes—and experience education and entertainment in a novel way. They’re perfect for car trips, chilling and can help set the mood for bedtime as well.

They’re also good conversation starters. A Kids Listen survey found that 80% of kids repeat their favorite podcasts, and after listening, 75% start discussions based on the podcast content. 

So, where to begin? Here are seven awesomely fun podcasts that your kids (and even you) will enjoy.

    1. Wow In The World
Rambunctious, funny and sneakily educational, Wow In The World is a silly story-based podcast about science. Hosts Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas talk about travel to other planets, prehistoric creatures, rule-defying substances and bodily functions. Secondary characters—like Mindy’s pro-wrestler grandma and their people-sized carrier pigeon Reggie—also get in on the fun! 

Each episode has a narrative that encourages listeners to put down their gadgets, hear about what's happening in the world and hopefully inspire curiosity. It's a great way to while away long car rides, rainy days and spells of boredom. 

The best part? Even a parent will enjoy listening in on a travelogue to Saturn's moon Titan and how it is to ride down the gullet of a frog.

    2. What’s AP? Araling Panlipunan Rebooted
Araling Panlipunan can be entertaining? Hell, yeah! That's because historian/stand-up comedian Sab Schnabel and sports reporter/podcaster Ceej Tantengco veer away from what the familiar experience we all had in our classrooms—uninspired story telling, an incessant need to drill dates and names into memory that we lose sight of the bigger picture. 

Filled with current pop culture references, What’s AP? is very relatable to kids and even parents. The episode on the balangay alternatively titled "I Like Big Boats And I Cannot Lie" is peppered with Disney Moana references. Even our K-Pop fixation has a deeper meaning explained through the lens of our important role in the Korean War. 

A bit gossipy but backed with verifiable sources, this podcast is a great way to familiarize yourself with Philippine history and culture.

    3. But Why
But Why comes to the rescue of parents who act like they have all the answers. Each episode begins with a child asking about the hows and whys of things around us—nature, words, objects, the news, and issues big or small. 

Host Jane Lindholm satisfies and encourages curiosity of kids below 10 years old, gathering answers from resource persons well-versed on the topic at hand. Listeners can feel the podcast comes from a place of love and care as a kid's question is dignified with a well-researched answer, even the most challenging ones about death and gender identity.

    4. Stuff You Should Know
If you're a fan of How Stuff Works, Stuff You Should Know is right up your alley and worth sharing with the older kids. 

Hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant explain anything and everything under the sun—conspiracy theories, free speech, space travel, Lego and more! They shine a light on things that you don’t learn in school or everyday topics that people think they know everything about. 

This will surely satisfy your need for trivia, interesting facts, and weird stuff that’s fun to learn.

    5. MeLoreDrama
MeLoreDrama is a podcast created by Denice De Guzman and Juabe Inciong that talks about Philippine mythology and folklore. It covers a wide range of characters from the many ethnic and cultural groups  all over the country—the gods, the fairies, elementals and monsters. The podcast is a treasure trove of folk stories, some of which aren't even discussed in school! 

A few episodes in, your kid will be neck deep in rediscovering our cultural heritage: a perfect antidote to the Koreanovelas and Western dramas that rule our entertainment diets.

    6. Circle Round
If you want to try a different bedtime ritual with your child or just need a break from cocomelon videos, have the kids listen to Circle Round. Folk tales from all over the world come to life as very well-produced audio stories. 

Each 30 minute podcast (or less) explores themes like friendship, persistence, and generosity. It usually ends with an activity to stimulate conversation between parent and child. The fun little bonus? Celebrities are often featured narrators, including Lea Salonga, Ed Asner, Billy Porter, and more.
 
    7. Spare The Rock
For the parent who loves all kinds of music, Spare The Rock may be the best way to introduce your child to great sounds aimed at them from artists like Jonathan Coulton and They Might Be Giants.

Hosted by lawyer and music nerd Bill Childs with his kids Ella and (sometimes) Liam, the show started as a local radio program in Massachusetts but has since turned into a syndicated radio show in the US.

Just because it's kid-friendly does not mean they insulate their target audience from the greats, so don't be surprised if you hear thoughtfully curated tracks from The Ramones, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Elvis Costello, Brian Eno, Pizzicato Five, Earth Wind & Fire and more. It's great music, period, not just great for kids.
 

Reference

•    Kids Listen, Survey Infographic, 2020
•    Tinkercast, Wow in the World, 2021
•    Pumapodcast, What’s AP? Araling Panlipunan Rebooted, 2021
•    Vermont Public Radio, But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids, 2021
•    iHeart, Stuff You Should Know, 2021
•    Podbean, MeLoreDrama, 2021
•    WBUR, Circle Round, 2021
•    Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child, official site, 2021
 

About The Writer

Minnette Gamez-Aquino 

Minnette is an experienced writer in entertainment, celebrity publicity, and social media. 

As a freelance writer, her work has been published in Smart Parenting, FHM, Cosmopolitan Philippines, and Preview Magazine; her extensive coverage often centers around showbiz, parenting, and food; and their interesting convergence in between. 

A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University and mother to one kid and two cats, Minnette can often be found in the kitchen playing with food. 

The views and opinions expressed by the writer are his/her own, and does not state or reflect those of Wyeth Nutrition and its principals.