Half of our family would sing like the Griswolds in “Christmas Vacation” if given a chance on every road trip we take. The other half could drive in silence the entire way! We must make sacrifices because everyone is different, and we try to keep everyone sane on our trips. One of the significant compromises that our family found was podcasts. We listen to them on every trip we take for probably between one and three hours of the trip. Since we enjoy them so much, we compiled a list of the top five best podcasts to enjoy in the car with kids.
Wow in the World
This podcast is by far our #1. NPR produces it. The content is educational, and the kids love the “comedy.” Very clean jokes with tons of dad humor. Wow in the World has great general science info that our kids tell us about constantly. Nothing is more fun than your children correctly quoting “fun facts” with an air of superiority. We try to encourage a balanced STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) approach to learning and this show helps us round out that education in an age-appropriate manner.
Our kids have LOVED this podcast for years, and they do not get sick of listening to them repeatedly. We have an Alexa, and many times I walk into the kitchen, and my kids are eating breakfast and listening to the newest episode. If you try nothing else on this list, definitely try this one. Watch out the theme song is catchy, and you’ll find yourself singing along.
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is an excellent podcast for young girls but let’s not forget how important it is for the boys we raise to hear these stories. Young men need to respect young women, and what better way than to listen to the stories about how strong and accomplished they are. We raise our children to respect everyone, regardless of the attributes that make them different. Content like this goes a long way to empowering both sexes and makes our top 5.
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls started as a book and is available for purchase. Unfortunately, the free Apple Podcast just turned into an App, although they still have a few episodes on the podcast page. They now require a monthly or annual fee. We highly recommend their stories if you have the extra cash to spend. Our sons and daughter love every episode. As a parent, I enjoy listening and have learned about some strong women.
Circle Round
Circle Round brings to life folktales from around the world with fanciful acting and music. The podcast has won many awards, but we enjoy it because it gives us a chance to discuss important topics with our children. Many folktales throughout history provide allegories for life. These stories allow us to ask our kids questions that help them tease out the greater meaning of the tales. Our kids have enjoyed this podcast since they were three; it is still a hit today. This podcast will undoubtedly be a great addition to your next road trip.
Young Ben Franklin
Young Ben Franklin is a relatively new podcast. There are currently just 22 episodes. As the name suggests, the podcast is a fairy tale representation of Benjamin Franklin as a young teenager. The majority of the podcast is just a storyline. However, they add a lot of factual information, such as that he was an apprentice for his brother and wrote under the pen names Veracity Quince and Silence Dogood. He gets into all types of trouble and always finds a way out using his brain and quick wits.
On our most recent car trip, we listened to all of Season 1. Our 9-year-olds were eager to start Season 2. Now we can’t wait for them to start working on Season 3! The only hold back for this podcast was that our 5-year-old had a more challenging time following along with the story.
Greeking Out
Greeking Out is a podcast that we recently just started. Produced by National Geographic Kids, as you might guess, Greeking Out is a collection of stories about Greek Mythology told in a kid-friendly way. Not all of the stories have happy endings. I would say older kids would like this podcast. My 5-year-old wasn’t as interested in it. Our 9-year-olds already know some characters because they learned about them in school. We will provide an update to this podcast after we listen to a few more episodes but so far, so good.
Podcasts we are excited to try.
There are three podcasts that we are excited to try on our next road trip in a few weeks. Stories Podcast and Whose Amazing Life are two podcasts that get great reviews from our friends that travel with kids. Wondery puts both podcasts out. Brains On! is another podcast that we are excited to try! We’ll have to update this post when we give them a try.
Happy Listening!
What podcasts do you listen to while in the car with kids? This list is our top five, but we want to hear from you. Let us know in the comments below.
If you are interested in more tips about road tripping with kids, check our article out here.