Quell the insistent “Are we there yet?” questions with entertainment that inspires and teaches kids something new. These podcasts have adventure at their core, so your young travelers will get excited about their audio journey, and destination.
Camp Adventure is a 12-episode series filled with camp-themed segments such as mail time, sing-alongs, and games. Counselors Ben and Hannah take listeners through silly and educational tales with themes such as caring for nature and snorkeling, Spanish lessons, even hands-on creative challenges.
Dorktales Storytime features two kinds of storytelling that listeners can choose from: wacky retellings of classic fairytales that incorporate important life lessons, and lesser known stories about hidden heroes of history. There’s Evelyn Cheesman who collected over 70,000 undiscovered species of insects and plants, and Tenzing Norgay who served as a guide on the first ascent of Mount Everest. Families can also sign up for bonus materials online.
Aaron’s World is full of time-traveling adventure and dinosaur science as told by a kid, Aaron, who spent five years (from age six to 11) putting together this 50-episode drama. The story follows a young boy and his computer companion as they explore a prehistoric world and learn about different creatures and science topics. Each episode is self-contained, but a larger arc pulls the series together and leads listeners to an anticipated finale.
Circle Round for storytime! This podcast from Boston’s NPR station introduces kids ages four to 10 to folktales from cultures around the world, including a story about a busy bird from the Native American traditions of the Hitchiti, Cherokee, and Navajo people. Each 10- to 20-minute episode teaches kids life lessons about perseverance, generosity, and kindness; they also end with activities that inspire conversation between kids and adults.
Purple Rocket Podcast was created by a father of three who needed an outlet for the wild stories floating in his head, and who wanted to invite kids along for the ride. The result is a mix of story series, including “Grandpa’s Globe,” a nine-episode tale about kids who use a magic globe to explore the world (similar to Magic Treehouse books); and “Space Train,” which follows Doug and friends onto a flying locomotive that takes them through the universe.
Greeking Out, by National Geographic, features original retellings of Greek mythology—with some forays into other tales from Loki and Norse origin—in a kid-friendly form. Stories of gods and goddesses, monsters, and heroes transport listeners to a different time and place. Because myths can include complex themes that might be hard to explain to a child (sacrifice, for example, or getting pregnant from eating fruit), each episode begins with an overview content so parents can decide if the story is appropriate for their child.