The secret to turn off the television and still keep your children entertained? Try podcasts! But it's surprisingly hard to find podcasts created with children in mind.

These 17 podcasts are designed especially for kids, and cover a multitude of topics. Whether your child is interested in science, the arts, or just wants to listen to stories, there's a perfect podcast out there for them.

Podcasts are an ideal way to keep kids engaged (but not plugged into screens) during car rides, in school, while drawing, before bed, while playing, or while waiting for an appointment. And, unlike certain TV shows, these podcasts are interesting enough that adults won't mind listening along with their children.

Then, try having discussions with your family or classroom after you've finished listening. What did you learn? What was your favorite part? And which podcast do you want to listen to next?

Science Podcasts

Kids have a lot of questions, and it can be difficult to know how to explain different natural phenomena to your kids! Thankfully, these podcasts have all the answers!

1. Wow in the World

Wow in the World is a brand-new NPR children's podcast focused on science and technology. Hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz (from TED Radio Hour and How I Built This) tackle multiple investigations in each episode with an energetic tone and LOTS of sound effects.

  • For Ages: 6--12
  • Average Length: 25 minutes

2. Brains On

American Public Media's podcast Brains On tackles a single, more complex question in each episode. How do pianos work? How do you know how old dinosaur bones are? What is slime? Children and youth participate in interviews with leading experts in the field to answer these questions and more.

  • For Ages: 10+
  • Average Length: 30 minutes

3. Shabam

shabam podcast

Shabam blends scientific facts with a fictional story to create an adventure so fun that kids may not even realize how much they're learning. Follow the engaging journey of Mel (an emergency room doctor) and a trio of intelligent and curious children through their adventure after a pandemic begins. Through this journey kids will learn about how the brain works, how viruses spread, the importance of electricity, transportation, and more.

  • For Ages: 8--12
  • Average Length: 30 minutes

4. But Why (A Podcast for Curious Kids)

Do you have a child that won't stop asking why? They're in good company on this podcast, which answers questions directly from kids. The questions are as random as you would expect, but they're answered by leading experts in their respective fields.

  • For Ages: 7--10
  • Average Length: 25 minutes

5. The Show About Science

Join seven-year-old Nate as he explores science with help from some adult experts. Nate's interests range from tarantulas to climate change and everywhere in between. This podcast is a very cool way for kids to hear information that's interesting to them. After all, it's one of their peers asking the questions!

  • For Ages: 6--8
  • Average Length: 15 minutes

6. Tumble Science Podcast for Kids

Hosts Lindsey and Marshall don't only want kids to understand basic science, they also want kids to understand how science works -- and that it doesn't already have all the answers! Why do cats always land on their feet? Do aliens exist? How do vaccines work? Both kids and scientists get air time while the hosts look for answers.

  • For Ages: 5--10
  • Average Length: 15 minutes

Story Podcasts

Have you exhausted all the stories you've ever learned? These podcasts offer a great alternative to television or movies, and can work especially well for helping children fall asleep.

7. Stories Podcast 

Stories Podcast features fictional stories of varying lengths, from nine-minute short stories to longer multi-episode stories that span several half-hour episodes.

  • For Ages: 3--8
  • Average Length: Varies significantly by episode

8. The Story Pirates Podcast

The story pirates are an education and media organization that dramatize stories written by young authors. These stories are performed with professional acting and singing at writing workshops across America. Now, several favorite stories are performed on the organization's podcast. Each episode features the original story sent in by a child author, the story pirate adaptation, and a phone call to the author.

  • For Ages: 3--8
  • Average Length: 10 minutes

9. The Old Time Radio Superman Show

Whole families used to spend their evenings listening to radio dramas. The Adventures of Superman was originally created in the 1940s and 1950s, and it's wild to experience the same story in the 21st century. With over 300 episodes released so far, you can find hours of entertainment in this podcast!

  • For Ages: 7+
  • Average Length: 15 minutes

10. Story Nory

Whether you're looking for brand new stories or old classics, the Story Nory Podcast has something for you! These short stories are perfect for before bed or while running errands. The stories span several cultures and eras, making this podcast a great way to introduce your children to concepts and tales from all over the world.

  • For Ages: 3--8
  • Average Length: 5 minutes

Arts and Culture Podcasts

While there aren't as many arts podcasts as there are science podcasts, there are still quite a few interesting ones out there. These shows will soon make you more knowledgeable about music, history, and literature than ever before!

11. Classics for Kids

Classical music can be hard to understand for many people, but this podcast does an amazing job of breaking it down for all audiences. Learn about the stories behind famous pieces of music and interesting facts about the lives of composers throughout history. Each composer generally has 3--4 episodes dedicated to their music.

  • For Ages: 5--10
  • Average Length: 6 minutes

12. Book Club for Kids

If your child loves reading, this podcast can be a great way to find new books and discuss old favorites. Each episode features children's opinions about the book, an excerpt from the book read by a celebrity reader, and an interview with the author!

  • For Ages: 8--12
  • Average Length: 20 minutes

13. The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd

Done in the style of old time radio, this hilarious comedy podcast traipses through history. Characters interact with famous historical figures and events while finding themselves in all sorts of ridiculous situations. Will the World's Most Brilliant Scientist (Dr. Floyd himself) ever thwart the plans of his nemesis Dr. Steve? You've got eight seasons to listen to before you'll find out the answer!

  • For Ages: 8+
  • Average Length: 5 minutes

14. The Past and the Curious

Covering swaths of history in a single episode, this topical podcast covers interesting stories about historical characters from all over the world. There are only nine episodes so far (episodes are released monthly), but they're so chock-full of information that you may need to listen to each episode more than once.

  • For Ages: 7--12
  • Average Length: 30 minutes

Current Events

There aren't a lot of kids' shows dedicated to current events or trends, but there are a few! These fantastic podcasts are a great way to start conversations with your children about issues, topics, and people that matter to them.

15. Short and Curly

This unfortunately-named podcast features ethical dilemmas rooted in current pop culture. Is Dumbledore as good as he seems? Should pugs exist? Do you need to love your siblings? The discussions cover more difficult topics than many of the other podcasts on this list, but are discussed at a level that's accessible for younger children as well. Questions are provided by the hosts so that your family can continue the ethical discussions together.

  • For Ages: 7+
  • Average Length: 25 minutes

16. Dream Big

Eva Karpman and her daughter Olga interview all kinds of interesting people. Listen to their podcast to learn about what it's like to play the piano with one hand, be a yo-yo expert, and train dogs. Each episode focuses on what it's like to have a "Big Dream" and how to accomplish it, as well as some silly questions from listeners!

  • For Ages: 6+
  • Average Length: 20 minutes

17. Listen Wise

Intended to be a resource for teachers, Listen Wise can also be a great option for parents. The site features many short audio clips about popular culture, novels, current events, science, and social issues. The clips are collected from NPR sources, and are easily searched by keyword. Discussion questions are included underneath each clip.

  • For Ages: Each clip is labelled with appropriate age groups
  • Average Length: Under 5 minutes

What Are You Listening To?

These 17 podcasts are all fantastic options for your whole family or classroom to learn something new while having fun.

As you may have noticed, none of these podcasts are specific to teenagers. Chances are that your teenager will be more than happy to listen to popular podcasts created for an adult audience. Just be sure to do a quick check before they start listening to be sure that the content is in line with what you are comfortable with them hearing.

Are there any podcasts that your family listens to I didn't mention on this list? Share your recommendations in the comments!

Image Credits: George Rudy/Shutterstock