When it comes to being a parent, one of the many challenges you face is helping your children cut back on screen time.
Too much screen time can result in issues like obesity, irregular sleeping patterns, attention problems, and exposure to violence.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children under 18 months should have little to no screen time, kids ages 2-5 should have no more than an hour per day, and children above 5 should have no more than 2 hours per day.
That’s easier said than done, of course. With so many different forms of entertainment on tablets, phones, and TVs, off-screen activities face some serious competition.
Sure, time at Mountain Kids or a nice family hike go a long way. But what about the moments in between, like the drive to school or a long flight?
The key to making commutes and other forms of downtime educational and fun is to introduce your children to podcasts. And there are plenty they can choose from!
The Benefits of Podcasts for Children
Believe it or not, the key to providing enriching and engaging entertainment for your kids might be the same go-to you use yourself: podcasts!
Podcasts are for more than business tips or your latest news updates. Podcast creators are getting more and more creative with the platform, and kids are reaping the rewards.
In 2020, 20% of children aged 6-8 reported they were listening to podcasts, as did 48% of preteens and teens.
The popularity of podcasts for kids seems to be growing, and for good reason. Podcasts can aid in your child’s development by:
- Teaching active listening skills
- Educating them on a variety of topics
- Increasing vocabulary
- Increasing reading skills by learning tones and patterns of speech
- Enhancing their imagination
The best part?
Podcasts are a healthy new part of your routine that your family can start incorporating right away! Start a new era of entertainment with our top 5 podcast recommendations for kids.
Noodle Loaf (Ages 3-9)
Noodle Loaf is the brainchild of early childhood music educator and children’s book author Dan Saks.
Dan is an early childhood education specialist who has traveled the world performing for children and even has 2 of his own.
Each episode of Noodle Loaf lasts about 10 minutes and is packed with fun activities the whole family can partake in.
Categories include thematic “Rhyme Times,” “Feel the Rhythm” dances, “Guided Doodle” art activities, and call and response “Echo Songs.” All their favorite parts of school in one fun podcast for kids!
Affirmation Kids (Ages 4-10)
Affirmation Kids is a podcast made for kids, by kids!
The host and co-creator Lori is just 6 years old. In each episode, Lori shares a story from her own life and a lesson it taught her.
She shares affirmations for any scenario: affirmations for when you feel mad, affirmations to help build confidence – there’s even an affirmation to help limit screen time!
Lori will become one of your kid’s best buddies. She’s sweet, smart, approachable, and a great example for kids to relate to. She might even inspire them to try out their own podcast.
Affirmation Kids is one of many podcasts by Kids Listen, so if you like it be sure to check out their whole podcast series.
The Emotion Motion Podcast (All Ages)
Emotions can be tough to navigate, especially for kids. And it’s never too early to teach emotional intelligence and coping mechanisms.
The Emotion Motion Podcast does all that and more. It uses storytelling, movement, and play to teach children of all ages things like empathy, mindfulness, and self-soothing.
You might even learn something with your kids.
It’s easy to see why Emotion Motion is critically acclaimed, with features on CNN, Wallstreet Journal, Parent.com, and more.
Story Pirates (All Ages)
Who doesn’t love being transported to new worlds through the art of storytelling?
Story Pirates is a great way for kids to kick back and enjoy enriching entertainment wherever they are.
This podcast series by Gimlet Media is full of action-packed stories your kids have likely never heard before. Each story features fun characters and voices, music, engaging adventures, and some real cliff-hangers to leave your kids wanting the next episode.
Story Pirates isn’t just a podcast, either. Once your kids become fans of the podcast series, you can introduce them to the full music albums and books.
If they’re feeling extra creative, they can even submit a story or go to the creator camp.
RadioLab for Kids (Ages 10+)
You read that right, your favorite podcast series has a version for kids!
The creators of RadioLab curated some of the most family-friendly episodes into a series called RadioLab for Kids. Now your kids can join in the world-famous audio explorations, too.
They’ll answer fun and interesting questions like “do animals laugh?” or “can dogs see rainbows?”
Your little science lovers who are packed with questions will be hooked in no time.
Supplement Podcasts with Hands-On Experience
Kids are always learning, and any age is a good age to help guide them toward reliable educational resources. Podcasts are the perfect “in” to keep them entertained and growing, whether they’re learning some fun science facts, being absorbed in an adventurous story, or moving around to their new favorite songs.
Keep the ball rolling by enrolling them in fun classes so they can enjoy the hands-on experience once their podcasts are over!
Whether they’re bopping along to music in dance classes or learning sweet parkour moves in NinjaZone, classes are the perfect supplement to podcasts when working on getting your kids off the screen and into real-life experiences.