Kids' Entertainment
15 Of The Best Story Podcasts For Kids
For car rides, bedtime, quiet time, or whenever you need a boost of imagination.
Before TV, families entertained themselves by listening to the radio. From dramatic serials to comedy hours, music to quiz shows, there was a program for every taste. And now it seems we’ve returned enthusiastically to the idea of audio entertainment via podcasts. No matter what your interest or age, there’s a podcast out there for you. Some of our very favorites are story podcasts for kids. So we’ve gathered 15 of our favorite story podcasts for kids that your kids are going to love (and you might, too).
These charming productions teach valuable lessons, explore a wide variety of cultures and family dynamics, educate, and entertain. From Greek mythology to space adventures, African folktales to silly stories written by kids, these story podcasts do a great job of engaging with audiences thoughtfully, and in a way that often encourages them to get creative themselves.
We’ve tried to include a variety of styles for a variety of ages, but we're confident the whole family will enjoy these thoughtfully made, high quality podcasts. They’re perfect for travel (road trips, flights, or errands around town), bedtime (my kids fall asleep to story podcasts), quiet time (we all need it sometimes), or any time your child wants to take their imagination out for spin.
Greeking Out
The greatest stories in history were told in Greek mythology… or so the theme song for this really excellent podcast goes. Each episode delves into a different tale, usually from Greek mythology though the series will occasionally venture into other cultures (my daughter is especially fond of the episode about the trickster god Anansi from Akan folklore). Hosted by Kenny Curtis and “the Oracle of WiFi,” a cheeky but monotone computer, the pair share kid-friendly versions of the beloved ancient stories, exploring different variations of the stories and encouraging kids to think deeply about the motivations and emotions of the various characters.
Story Pirates
Winner of both the 2020 and 2022 iHeartRadio Award and the Webby Award for Best Kids and Family Podcast, The Story Pirates Podcast features songs and sketches from comedians and musicians based on stories written by kids. Listeners can also expect special celebrity guests–past “stowaways” have included Billy Eichner, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dax Shepard, Bowen Yang, Claire Danes, John Oliver, Lake Bell, and Cecily Strong. But the best party is that the series encourages kids to get creative, giving a story prompt at the end of every episode. Augment the experience by joining the The Creator Club, Story Pirates subscription service that includes activities, live-streamed classes, a weekend radio show, and videos.
Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest
Made in partnership with Adam Gidwitz, bestselling author of A Tale Dark and Grimm, this Webby Award Nominee and Parents' Choice Gold Winner podcast features retellings of European fairy tales. Like the stories we know, they’re full of magic and excitement… but these are the originals, which can be weird, gross, and even a little bit scary. These are grim Grimm Fairytales. (But not too grim; Common Sense Media suggests they’re fine for kids 8 and older.) Gidwitz tells these original tales to”classroom” of inquisitive kids who comment on the story, chime in with predictions, tell jokes, and give their opinions on characters and plot lines.
Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls
Unlike most of the story podcasts on this list, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is based on the popular book series of the same name. Like the books, the podcast features real-life figures from history and today, highlighting the accomplishments of bold, trailblazing, remarkable female and non-binary leaders, artists, scientists, activists, musicians, and more. The biography of each person — from iconic singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell to Hatshepsut, famed female pharoah, activist Marsha P. Johnson to mountaineer Junko Tabei – is narrated as though it were a bedtime story. With a good mix of more familiar figures and lesser known folks, it’s a great source of inspiration for listeners of all ages.
African Folk Tales with Miss Jo Jo
African folk tales have been shared through oral tradition for thousands of years, and the delightful Miss Jo Jo keeps that spirit alive with this upbeat, Webby Award-winning podcast. Featuring stories from throughout Africa, the series shares traditional tales told with a new twist, but always retains an educational or moral lesson. Kids will love hearing stories that have been enjoyed for centuries, from how the fox saved the frogs life, the elephant that wanted to dance, Farmer Mygrow and the fairies, and many more. Each episode clocks in at about 10 minutes, so they’re perfect stories for bedtime or short trips in the car.
The Story Seeds Podcast
This Webby Award-nominated podcast puts kids at the heart of story by allowing them to collaborate with a famous author to come up with an original story. Then the author takes those seeds — story seeds if you will — brings it to life! The series was created by Sandhya Nankani, founder of Literary Safari and is hosted by Betsy Bird, a librarian, blogger with School Library Journal, and book reviewer. In the first half of each episode, kids (ages 6 to 12) and authors discuss their ideas for the story and the second half is the story itself. The stories are always entertaining and it’s a great way to jump start your own kids’ creativity.
The Two Princes
This podcast, with high production values, star-studded cast is a sweet, swashbuckling, fantasy about two princes from rival kingdoms — Prince Rupert and Prince Amir — who must work together to confront monsters, villains, and other enemies who seek to destroy their realms. But even in these dark times, love is in the air as the two find themselves falling in love. Starring Noah Galvin and Ari'el Stachel as the princes, Christine Baranski and Shohreh Aghdashloo as their mothers, and Samira Wiley and Mathew Rhys as their brave comrades, this exciting but wholesome fairy tale comprises three seasons of adventure and romance the whole family will enjoy.
Circle Round
WBUR's Circle Round adapts folktales from around the world into exciting, diverse, musical radio plays for children between the ages of 4 and 10, and explores important themes like kindness, persistence, and generosity. At the end of each episode (which often features voice actors adults might recognize from TV, stage, and film) kids will be given an activity that connects to the story and its themes, and provides excellent conversations between children and caregivers. Each episode runs between 10 and 20 minutes and, good news, there’s more than 200 episodes so it’ll take a while before your kiddos run out of new content!
Planet Storytime
With a great blend of classic children’s stories and original content, Planet Storytime is just the kind of calm, narrated story podcast you’re looking for on car trips or quiet time. Thomas Mitchell soothingly narrates the tales, which are accompanied by original (pretty rad!) music by Paxton Stanley. The stories come from all around the world, and emphasize important life lessons and social emotional learning, like building confidence, tolerance, and the transformative power of hard work and self-awareness. As an added bonus, at the end of each month, the series features an extra long episode, which is great to hold in reserve for those times when you need a little extra entertainment!
Stories Podcast
This podcast is considered by many to be the Gold Standard of story podcasts, and we can see why. Each week, they release a new story – some will be familiar (Snow White, Peter Rabbit) and some are completely original. Many are more esoteric fairy tales from all over the world but have no less appeal than the “classics.” All stories are rated G (so no real worries about things being to spooky for littles). Another great feature of this series is that some of the stories are one-and-done tales whereas others are told over the course of several episodes, meaning you have lots of options depending on how long you want to listen!
The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian
This serialized science-fiction story tells the story of 8-year-old Finn Caspian and his friends Abigail, Elias, Vale, and a whole bunch of robots and their adventures aboard The Famous Marlowe 280 Interplanetary Exploratory Space Station. The children Explorers Troop 301, who spend their time exploring new planets, helping taliens, and solving a strange mystery that threatens to destroy the Marlowe. (Think Scooby Doo in space!) This is a podcast is not only made for kids, it’s made (in part) by a kid. Creator Jonathan Messinger’s son Griffin, 7, serves as editor of the story, and pops in from time to time to chime in about the action of the story.
Storynory
This eclectic collection of stories — from iconic folktales and myths to classic fairytales to originals — is great for when you need a quick, five minute story, or an epic several episodes in the making! So whether you’re in the mood for a story about Katie the Witch (a Storynory original character) or the epic Ramayana, the Sanskrit epic from Ancient India, this charming podcast offers 60 episodes (and counting) of lively, sophisticated stories, songs, educational interviews, and even a dash of ancient history. Episodes run anywhere from10 to 30 minutes (though they usually hit somewhere between 15 and 20).
Little Stories Everywhere
This collection of mostly original, fictional stories (though there are some classics sprinkled in there for good measure) often contain a moral or demonstrate personal growth in characters. Narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Virginia Madsen and acclaimed voice actor Robbie Daymond, these stories emphasize the importance of family, celebrate heritage, and honor intergenerational relationships through magical adventures from around the world. The series also explores everyday challenges, like facing fears. While intended for grade school children, the whole family can enjoy these 15 to 20 minute stories that not only feature great stories and thoughtful characters but show-stopping songs.
Bearily Bear Stories
This cute podcast, appropriate for preschoolers and older, reimagines fairy tales with a modern twist. Stories are written and narrated by mom of three Miral Sattar, who is committed to updating "outdated fairy tales" with "problem-solving, smart princesses who save themselves." No damsels in distress here! The series also pays particular attention to making these stories more inclusive, highlighting stories from around the world (or setting familiar stories in different geographic locations) and different family dynamics, emphasizing open communication between child and adult characters and recurring themes of compassion and empathy.
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
This Peabody-winning podcast is a high-quality serial mystery story performed by actual kids and describes itself as “Goonies meets Spy Kids meets Stranger Things.”
Mars is an 11-year-old kid who with his friends JP, Toothpick, and Caddie embark on an incredibly adventure in search of their missing friends, but it won’t be easy. There’s also a mysterious tech billionaire, Oliver Pruitt, who just might have a hand in the fate of their quest... Common Sense Media recommends this podcast for kids age 8 and up, and praises its positive messages, strong role models, and diverse cast. Overall, it's a fun radio play for the whole family.
Happy listening, everybody!
