Do you have childhood memories of listening to tape cassettes on long drives? Or maybe it was stashes of CDs in the glove box? Great audio can turn long drives with the family into exciting adventures, and podcasts are a great way to entertain and engage young minds and stimulate interesting family chats.
We’re big fans of family-friendly podcasts—we even make one ourselves called Yoto Daily! And if you’re looking for the best podcasts for kids on long road trips, then here are five of our favorites.
1. But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids: If you want to spark some interesting drive-time conversations with your kids, then this is the place to start. But Why asks kids to send in their own questions, and then answers them with the help of subject matter experts. Questions vary from the small (why do ladybugs have spots?) to the big (What is the Coronavirus?) and episodes cover a wide range of subjects in between—cooking, science, language, and more. But Why is always entertaining, and breaks down complex subject matter into terms kids can understand and relate to.
2. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: This inspiring podcast isn’t just for bedtime, and it’s not just for girls! The publishers of the excellent Rebel Girls books bring some of their favorite biographies to life in the form of audio fairy tales. Each episode explores the lives of famous (and famously overlooked) women including Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Frida Kahlo, and Margaret Hamilton, and will no doubt inspire some fascinating conversation in your car and beyond.
3. The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian: This interstellar adventure podcast follows an 8-year-old boy, Finn Caspain, who lives on an interplanetary space station with his friends and their pet robots. Each episode is packed with sharp-witted humor and great sound effects, and the creator’s son, Griffin, makes regular guest appearances as the show’s Editor. There are over 100 episodes (around 13 hours) of this podcast available, making it perfect for enjoying over the course of a long family holiday.
4. Story Shed: When he’s not creating Yoto’s own kids’ podcast, Yoto Daily, Jake Harris is at home on the Story Shed podcast. Each episode features a new and original story for kids of all ages, often written with teachable lessons in mind – in fact, Jake was a school teacher himself before joining Yoto! Story Shed stories are great fun, often teeming with Roald Dahl-esque tension and humor. If your kids are into reading, they’ll love listening to these stories and uncovering the deeper meanings hidden within them.
5. Ear Snacks: This podcast is created by award-winning musical duo, Andrew and Polly, and explores the big wide world in all of its absurd, melodic glory. Young kids will learn about simple everyday things (rain, shadows, fruit) and delight in all the funny voices and eccentricities of the two hosts. Each episode features some terrific original tunes which will have the whole car bopping along, and submissions from listeners make the show feel relatable for young listeners.
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