The 6 Best News Podcasts for Kids

Keep kids in the loop and entertained with these great news podcasts for kids.

By Shana Liebman March 29, 2021

It’s hard enough for adults to keep up with the news—but kids also need to know what’s going on, especially now. And they need to be informed by sources that can filter and craft the stories appropriately. We recently discovered some fantastic news podcasts for kids that manage to enlighten kids while also entertaining them. Here are some of our favorite.

6 Great News Podcasts for Kids

The Week Junior Show

Recommended ages: 8-14
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
From the award-winning magazine The Week Junior, this podcast explores timely topics from each issue. Host Bex from Fun Kids is joined by members of the magazine staff to discuss their favorite stories—for example, could algae hold the secret to successful life on Mars? They also discuss the magazine’s weekly ‘Real or Rubbish?’ report.

The Ten News

Recommended ages: 8-12
Where to listen: iHeart RADIO, Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Each episode, which air on Tuesdays and Thursdays, features 10 minutes of current affairs reporting or “the stuff grown-ups are talking about, explained, and way more fun.” For example, stories include The Rover landing on Mars, what’s up with Groundhog Day, and how Georgia flipped from red to blue. Host Bethany Van Delft expertly explains the events as well as their context, and kids are encouraged to create their own takes on the issues.

ABC KIDS News Time

Recommended ages: 6 and younger
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts
Preschool-age “news helpers” report stories from their own point of view along with Australian Broadcasting Corporation reporter Ruby Cornish. The sometimes silly and always lighthearted discussion of news from around the world includes such topics as why Lunar New Year is celebrated or why some areas are banning single-use plastic. Kids are kept on their toes with the fast-paced but quirky reporting.

KidNuz

Recommended ages: 8-14
Where to listen: Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, Google Play
This professional, 5-minute broadcast is delivered by four Emmy-winning journalists who are also moms. The brief begins at 7a.m. and provides age-appropriate stories from politics, entertainment, science, health, and sports. Little listeners might learn about glow-in-the-dark sharks or who won the Golden Globes—all in bite-sized takes. A flash quiz at the end entices kids to listen closely.

Time for Kids Explains

Recommended ages: 6-12
Where to listen: Pinna with a subscription, TimeforKids.com
Available by subscription only, this weekly news show drops every Monday. Kid reporters from Time for Kids magazine report the stories—which might include the poet Amanda Gorman, the U.S. coin shortage, and training for the upcoming Olympics. There are also weekly quizzes, games, interviews, and debates—like should cursive writing be taught in public schools.

The Big Fib

Recommended ages: 7-12
Where to listen: Disney+
Every week, a robot L.I.S.A. (“Live In-Studio Audience”) and Deborah Goldstein, the show’s co-host, create a fact-or-fiction game show, in which a young contestant must judge which of the two adults who both claim to be experts (on a range of topics from soccer to sailing) is the one telling the truth. The show is always funny and goofy, but it also teaches kids how to be skeptics, especially when it comes to interpreting the world around them.