I’ll admit we are a little late to the wonderful world of podcasts but during this time of staying home, we have discovered some amazing ones. The list below includes our family’s current favorite podcasts for kids.
Aside from the story and educational side of the podcasts, they have also become something that we can do together or alone when we just need a little downtime. We listen to them in the morning before school, while building LEGO, at lunchtime, during bath time, and sometimes for bedtime when I am just a little too tired to read. Half of the time when we are listening to the podcasts, Sterling is knee-deep in his latest project and I don’t think he is paying attention and then days later he’ll recall some piece of the story or tie it into what we are doing and I will be amazed at how much he absorbed.
For a point of reference, my son is seven years old. The podcasts below would be good for kids ages 4+.

Favorite Silly Podcast
Story Pirates
About: Story Pirates is a group of actors, comedians, and musicians who adapt stories written by kids into sketch comedy and musical theater. Each episode includes the hosts reading word for word a story written by a kid. Followed by the Story Pirates’ adaptation and ends with an interview with the child author.
Average Length: 30 minutes for the current ones, the earlier ones are about 15.
Why we love it: Sterling loves it for the wacky and ridiculous stories that get sillier as the episode progresses. I love it for how it encourages kids to be creative and write their own stories.

Best Classic Stories | Folklore
Circle Round
About: Beautifully adapted folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays. Each episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence, and generosity.
Average Length: 10-20 minutes.
Why we love it: We love discovering timeless tales from around the world and the Circle Round podcasts bring the best of them into our house. As a parent, I love hearing unique stories that have been passed down for generations. Sterling simply loves them because they are good stories.

Best Science | STEM
Brains On!
About: Each week, a different kid co-host joins Molly Bloom to find answers to fascinating questions about the world sent in by listeners. Like, do dogs know they’re dogs? Or, why do feet stink? Plus, we have mystery sounds for you to guess, songs for you to dance to, and lots of facts — all checked by experts.
Average Length: 30-40 minutes.
Why we love it: We have been long time fans of Storybots and Magic School Bus and Brains On! is kind of the podcast equivalent. It’s perfect for all of the weird questions that kids come up with that we as parents may or may not know the answers to. You can listen to them randomly or search for ones that are tied to current hot topics in your home or class. If you like this one, check out its spinoff podcast Smash Boom Best.

Best Serial podcast
Molly of Denali
About:Based on the PBS kids’ show of the same name, Molly of Denali follows Molly Mabray, an Alaska Native girl growing up with her parents, family, and friends. Join Molly and the gang and discover what life is like for a typical kid on big adventures in Alaska!
Average Length: 12-15 minutes.
Why we love it:The serial nature of this podcast leaves you always wanting to click on to the next episode. Sterling loves hearing about the mysteries Molly solves. I love that these are quick, bite-size adventures that we can listen to in a spare moment. Originally, we had a whole season to listen to and went through it fairly quickly. We have now caught up and have to wait for a new episode every Tuesday which makes it a bit of a treat.

Krista Tankoano is the Chief Bookworm and Baker at the Bookakery. The Bookakery’s mission is to promote children’s literacy and help kids and their families explore the world through books and baking. You can check out their Bookakery Boxes at BookakeryBoxes.com.