9 Podcasts for Toddlers and Preschoolers
If you're struggling to find a way to include media in your child's day without adding more screen time—or just need to get through a road trip without listening to Cocomelon 500,000 times—then podcasts might be the perfect answer.
Podcasts are a great way to help kids learn how to sit still while listening, just like stories at bedtime. They are ideal for long drives or commutes, quieting down energy levels, and even when you need to distract your child long enough to cook dinner or get the laundry put away uninterrupted.
There are so many marvelous podcasts that cater to little kids nowadays that it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming trying to slog through a catalog to pick out something just right for your toddler. But don't worry, we did all the slogging for you. Here are nine podcasts for toddlers and preschoolers that we think your child will love.
Your Classical Kids Storytime
This brilliant podcast from Minnesota Public Radio gives kids a fabulous introduction to classical music by weaving it through stories like "The Gingerbread Man" and "The Emperor's New Clothes."
Noodle Loaf
We love how Noodle Loaf gets kids physically involved in music. Your budding musician will have a ball with each episode through echo songs that get kids clapping, singing, and learning patterns and musical themes.
Kinderling
Kinderling is beloved by parents for its developmentally appropriate content, curated just for your family. Kids will love settling down for bedtime and listening to guided meditations that help them calm down from a busy day. Or they can check out a lovely bedtime story that will activate their imaginations as they drift off to sleep.
Girl Tales
Are you looking for something new and different? Girl Tales is a podcast with a feminist twist on fairy tales created and operated by women and non-binary playwrights and actors. You can find classic characters like Rapunzel and Snow White, but you'll also meet fun new characters like Una and her unicorn.
Earth Rangers
Follow wildlife biologist Earth Ranger Emma as she explores jungles, the frozen Arctic, and wetlands worldwide. Kids will love learning about all the cool and mysterious ways that nature works. For older kids, each episode has a fun interactive component for kids to learn hands-on science. One of our favorite episodes is "Steam blasting beetles and other animals with chemical superpowers."
The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian
For kids who can handle a serialized podcast, this is a wonderful one to check out. Finn Caspian is a sci-fi adventure podcast that follows an enigmatic 8-year-old boy exploring space while aboard the Famous Marlowe 280 Interplanetary Exploratory Space Station. Kids will love the stories that blend adventure and science in these short episodes that don't tend to go over 20 minutes in length.
Ear Snacks
Ear Snacks is a podcast for the whole family about the big wide world. Hosts Andrew and Polly talk to little kids and big experts to learn about all kinds of different things that they then turn into catchy tunes. With song titles like “Dancing Pants,” “Ghostbusters,” and “Forever Young,” who wouldn't want to listen along?
Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
If you love rock music, but you're not super keen on your little kids hearing some of the edgier aspects of the genre (looking at you, cuss-y language), then this is a great podcast to check out. Kids will love these family friendly, curated songs from music legends like The Ramones, Mike Doughty, Ella Fitzgerald, Brian Eno, and more. The host Bill Childs and his two kids, Ella and Liam, will take your kids on a wild, rock and roll ride that just might be the new soundtrack to your kids' childhood.
Smash Boom Best
Smash Boom Best is a fabulous podcast that teaches kids how to debate, which is a critical thinking skill every kid should learn. Each episode takes two fun things like a swamp and desert and "smashes" them together in a debate. Podcast debaters use facts and moving opinions to try and convince you which side is best. The coolest part? Kids learn how to defend their idea and to understand the difference between facts and opinions.
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