As the fall semester approaches and the time to go back to school inches ever-closer with each passing day, both parents and students alike might be interested in an educational refresher or two. For this reason, we’re taking some time to amplify important voices in education — specifically in the form of science podcasts for kids. Whether they’re educational podcasts that focus on the latest science news in terms kids can understand or scripted science fiction podcasts that incorporate real scientific lessons to be learned, these nine kids podcasts are ideal for the curious kids in your life.
Brains On! (American Public Media)
American Public Media’s science podcast Brains On! is one of the longest-running science podcasts for kids around. At over 180 episodes, the show takes the time to dive deep into a different question with each new episode. Featuring a rotating roster of kid scientists and public radio reporters, Brains On! is the ideal scientific podcast for kids with lots of interesting questions and parents who can’t always Google the answers (no matter what they might tell you otherwise). After all, who hasn’t wanted to know the answer to things like “Why does green mean go?” and “Why do kids have more energy than adults?”
Listen to Brains On! here and amplify your favorite parts across social media using the sharing feature on the Backtracks Player.
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Fun Kids Science Weekly
While some science podcasts for kids tend to keep things as short as a child’s attention span, Fun Kids Science Weekly isn’t afraid to go a little longer. Each episode tends to clock in at around 30 minutes, replicating the length of a science lesson a kid might receive in the classroom. Don’t fear zoning out, though — Fun Kids Science Weekly is entertaining, engaging, and educational enough so that kids listen for the entire duration. Stretching from the days of the dinosaurs to the future of space travel, Fun Kids Science Weekly is definitely a must-listen. Just queue up a playlist and it’s like school never ended.
Listen to Fun Kids Science Weekly here and amplify your favorite parts across social media using the sharing feature on the Backtracks Player.
REACH: A Space Podcast for Kids (Soundsington Media)
Instead of broadening their horizons and opening themselves up to anything and everything under the science umbrella, Soundsington Media’s REACH: A Space Podcast for Kids keeps the focus specifically on the final frontier. A new podcast recently debuting a little more than a month ago, Reach has already managed to make quite the impression in the world of science podcasts for kids. Covering topics from the creation of black holes to the temperature of the Sun to the surface of Mars, Reach is not going to run out of things to talk about anytime soon — As long as there’s space to explore, Reach will explore it.
Listen to REACH: A Space Podcast for Kids here and amplify your favorite parts across social media using the sharing feature on the Backtracks Player.
The Show About Science
What makes The Show About Science stand out among the competition is the fact that it was originally created by a five-year-old. On the air for over four years and over 80 episodes now, host Nate still has plenty of big questions to ask. Episodes tackle anything from animals to cockroaches to outer space to technology to the coronavirus to climate change and all sorts of other topics in between, The Show About Science is perfect for curious kids who just want to know everything there is to know about everything.
Listen to The Show About Science here and amplify your favorite parts across social media using the sharing feature on the Backtracks Player.
Tumble Science Podcast for Kids (Gen-Z Media)
Who doesn’t love story time? Gen-Z Media’s Tumble Science Podcast for Kids takes the important science lessons to be learned and turns them into stories the whole family can sit down and enjoy — In fact, that’s exactly what it was intended for. Co-hosts Lindsay Patterson, a science journalist, and Marshall Escamilla, a school teacher, combine their respective expertise in their individual fields to create educational and entertaining podcast episodes that both students and parents alike can learn a thing or two from. Plus, at over 100 episodes hovering around 15 minutes in length, there’s not going to be any shortage of information to absorb together.
Listen to Tumble Science Podcast for Kids here and amplify your favorite parts across social media using the sharing feature on the Backtracks Player.
Aaron’s World
No two kids are exactly alike. As such, no two kids learn in the same way, either. While some benefit from straightforward lessons, others are much more interested in education that doesn’t feel like school. That’s why podcasts like Aaron’s World are so useful: Like educational television shows, Aaron’s World takes the important facts and incorporates them into exciting little audio dramas for kids to listen to and enjoy without even realizing they’re learning in the process. What could be better than that? Focusing on the coolest, most action-packed parts of science — things like dinos and robots and time travel — is Aaron’s World‘s secret weapon.
Listen to Aaron’s World here and amplify your favorite parts across social media using the sharing feature on the Backtracks Player.
The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd (Saturday Morning Media)
One of the most interesting things about Saturday Morning Media’s kid-friendly science podcast The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd is that it’s been on the air since November of 2004 — That makes it the very first (and longest running) professionally-produced scripted podcast around. With over 15 years of experience, The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd has essentially mastered the art of the scientific story time podcasts. Hop in anywhere among the show’s 400-plus episodes and circle round as a family: great podcasts like this one are few and far between.
Listen to The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd here and amplify your favorite parts across social media using the sharing feature on the Backtracks Player.
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel (Gen-Z Media)
Described as The Goonies meets Spy Kids meets Stranger Things, Gen-Z Media’s scripted science podcast The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel is a gripping adventure and one of the best podcasts for middle school listeners. Harkening back to the radio shows of the early 20th century, The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel takes kids along on an exciting (and secretly educational) road trip into the cosmos with characters Mars, JP, Toothpick, and Caddie. Broken up into three seasons, once kids start listening, they definitely won’t be able to stop until they’ve binged through it all. (Plus, they’ll be getting smarter while they do it!)
Listen to The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel here and amplify your favorite parts across social media using the sharing feature on the Backtracks Player.
The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian: Science Fiction for Kids (Gen-Z Media)
Similar to The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel, Gen-Z Media’s The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian: Science Fiction for Kids is a long-running scripted science podcast that has been airing for over 175 episodes now. As the title suggests, it focuses on an eight-year-old named Caspian and his friends Abigail, Elias and Vale as they explore new planets in our galaxy, make new alien friends, and solve the occasional mystery along the way. Not only is it a great podcast for curious kids, but the cuteness and the quality of the podcast itself make for the perfect addition to story time. It’s like a book club for kids!
Listen to The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian: Science Fiction for Kids here and amplify your favorite parts across social media using the sharing feature on the Backtracks Player.
Further Listening
Whether you’re a parent interested in finding more kid-friendly podcasts for your children or an adult looking to discover a completely different kind of podcast entirely, Backtracks has you covered. There’s an endless supply of great shows on our site in addition to many great curated podcast collections like this one over on our blog. For further kid-friendly listening, check out our post on popular podcasts for kids or take a peek at our Kids & Family Charts. For grown-ups, consider taking a look at our recent series Amplifying Black Voices in Podcasts, which includes Women, Society & Culture, Comedy, Health & Wellness, and Black Perspectives, or our series on Amplifying Queer Voices in Podcasts series, which focuses on Black queer podcasts, trans voices, and queer comedy.
