If your child fires off a hundred questions a day — why is the sky blue? how do airplanes fly? who built the pyramids? — a great podcast turns that curiosity into screen-free learning. We make our own shows, but the kids'-podcast world is wonderfully big, and the best thing for your family is usually a mix. Below are the shows we genuinely recommend, grouped by what your child is into, plus how to pick and how to make listening a habit.

How we chose

We looked for shows that are (1) age-appropriate for young kids (roughly 5–10), (2) genuinely educational or imaginative rather than just noisy, (3) a comfortable length (roughly 8–30 minutes), and (4) safe — kind characters, calm pacing, no scary cliff-hangers. Most are free; a few offer ad-free feeds for a small membership.

Best science & STEM podcasts for kids

  • Brains On! — An award-winning science show co-hosted by a different kid each week, tackling big listener questions with humor and real experts.
  • Wow in the World — Hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz turn the latest science and technology news into high-energy, giggly adventures.
  • Tumble — Made by a science journalist and a teacher, it tells the story of how scientists actually figure things out, with real researchers.

If your child loves the "how does that work?" feeling, our own Oliver the Inventor lives right here too — short STEM stories answering questions like how do bridges hold up cars?

Best history & story podcasts for kids

  • Circle Round — Beautifully produced folktales from around the world, gentle enough for bedtime and usually carrying a kind, thoughtful message.
  • The Past and the Curious — Little-known true history stories and unsung heroes, with a silly song and a quiz in each episode.
  • Greeking Out — National Geographic Kids' upbeat retelling of Greek (and other) myths, full of jokes kids love.

For kids who like real history as an adventure, our Hannah the Historian travels through time to uncover how people lived and what they built.

Best story-driven "audio adventure" podcasts

When your child wants to be swept into a story (perfect for long car rides):

  • Purple Rocket Podcast — Award-winning original audio adventures: travel the world with twins Sawyer and Suzie, ride the Space Train, or spend the summer at Camp Dino. Each season is its own series.
  • GoKidGo — A network of narrative shows written by bestselling authors and performed by professional actors. A family favorite is Snoop and Sniffy, where a London dog detective trains a clueless puppy.
  • Story Pirates — Turns stories written by kids into hilarious songs and sketches, with big-name guests. Multi-award winner for best kids & family podcast.

How to make podcasts a habit

  1. Anchor them to a routine — the school run, dinner cleanup, or wind-down time.
  2. Listen together when you can, then ask what surprised them.
  3. Download for offline before trips so you're not buffering on the highway.
  4. Follow the rabbit hole — when an episode sparks a question, look it up together.

Where to start

Pick one science show and one story show from the lists above and try a single episode of each this week. Want a ready-made plan for the car? See our guide to screen-free podcasts for car rides, or browse our own shows and subscribe wherever you listen.