The 15 Best Families Podcasts (2026)

Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz have built something special here. Wow in the World is the kind of science podcast that kids actually ask to listen to again, which says a lot when you're competing against YouTube and video games. Each Monday brings a new episode where Mindy and Guy chase down some genuinely surprising piece of science news and turn it into what they call a "cartoon for your ears" -- complete with goofy characters, sound effects, and enough energy to power a small city.

The show has been running since 2017, produced by Tinkercast (the same team behind other NPR kids hits), and it's grown into a massive catalog of over 1,100 episodes. That's not a typo. They also run companion shows like Two Whats?! And A Wow!, which is more of a science game show format. The main feed covers everything from microbes to black holes, and the hosts have a natural chemistry that keeps things moving without talking down to their audience.

With a 4.6-star average from over 30,000 Apple ratings, the numbers back up what parents already know: this one works. Episodes run about 20 to 30 minutes, which is the sweet spot for car rides and dinner prep. Guy Raz brings his public radio chops (you might know him from How I Built This), while Mindy brings a manic, silly energy that kids absolutely love. The result is a show that somehow makes photosynthesis as entertaining as a Saturday morning cartoon.

Brains On! nails something that a lot of kids' science shows get wrong -- it treats young listeners like they're actually smart. Host Molly Bloom pairs up with a different kid co-host every week, and together they tackle questions sent in by real children. The questions range from silly ("why do feet stink?") to genuinely philosophical ("do dogs know they're dogs?"), and the answers always involve talking to actual scientists who take the questions seriously.

The show has been at it since 2012 and has built up nearly 400 episodes. Each one features a Mystery Sound segment that gets kids guessing, plus original songs that are surprisingly catchy. The rotating kid co-hosts keep things fresh, and Bloom has a warm, enthusiastic style that never feels forced or condescending. She asks follow-up questions that a curious kid would ask, which is exactly the point.

With 13,600 ratings and a 4.5-star average on Apple Podcasts, Brains On! has earned its spot as one of the top educational podcasts for kids anywhere. Episodes drop weekly and run about 25 to 35 minutes. The show is part of the broader Brains On Universe (which also includes Smash Boom Best and Forever Ago), and the whole family of shows is distributed by Lemonada Media. They're even doing a live tour in 2026. If your kid has a habit of asking "but why?" about everything, this podcast will feel like it was made just for them.

Story Pirates takes stories written by actual children and turns them into full-blown comedy sketches and musical numbers performed by professional actors and comedians. That concept alone is pretty brilliant, but what makes it work is the genuine enthusiasm the cast brings to every kid's imagination. A story about a talking pizza that fights crime? They'll produce a three-minute musical about it with original songs and voice acting that sounds like it belongs on Broadway.

Hosts Lee Overtree and Peter McNerney anchor the show alongside a rotating cast that frequently includes celebrity guests. Over 8 seasons and nearly 490 episodes, the show has turned children's raw creativity into polished, laugh-out-loud entertainment. Each episode typically features two adapted stories plus a segment called Story Love where the hosts discuss additional submissions. The whole thing is distributed by Lemonada Media.

The show holds a 4.5-star rating from nearly 17,000 Apple reviews, which puts it in rare company for a kids' podcast. Episodes run about 30 to 45 minutes and release weekly. There are also spin-off feeds for just the songs or just the stories if you want a more focused listen. The real magic is watching (well, hearing) kids realize that their weird, wonderful ideas get taken seriously by grown-up performers. It's the kind of show that makes children want to write more stories, and that's about the highest praise you can give a kids' podcast.

The premise of But Why is deceptively simple: kids ask questions, and host Jane Lindholm finds experts to answer them. But what makes this Vermont Public production so good is how it respects the questions themselves. When a seven-year-old asks "why is the sky blue?" or "what happens when we die?", the show doesn't flinch or water things down. Lindholm brings in scientists, historians, and specialists who give real, thoughtful answers pitched at a level kids can actually absorb.

The show has been running since 2016 and has about 280 episodes in its catalog. Episodes vary quite a bit in length -- some are a tight 8 minutes, others stretch past 45 -- depending on where the topic leads. There are also learning guides available for most episodes in PDF and Google Slides format, which makes this a favorite in classrooms and homeschool settings. Each year wraps up with a fun reversal where the hosts pose questions back to the listeners.

With 5,100 ratings and a 4.3-star average on Apple, But Why has a loyal following of families who appreciate its honesty and warmth. Lindholm has a calm, encouraging voice that puts kids at ease, and the expert guests clearly enjoy talking to a younger audience. The show proves that you don't need flashy production or wacky characters to hold a child's attention. Sometimes all you need is a great question and someone who takes it seriously.

Circle Round takes folktales from around the globe and reimagines them as richly produced audio plays, complete with music, sound design, and voice acting that puts most kids' media to shame. Host Rebecca Sheir narrates each story with a warmth that immediately pulls you in, and the production team at WBUR clearly spends serious time crafting every episode. These aren't quick bedtime reads -- they're full theatrical experiences that happen to be 15 to 25 minutes long.

The show has been running for 9 seasons with 429 episodes, drawing from Afghan, Japanese, West African, Palestinian, Greek, Swedish, and dozens of other storytelling traditions. Recent seasons have featured live recordings at Tanglewood and Boston Symphony Hall with orchestral accompaniment, which gives you a sense of how ambitious the production has gotten. Celebrity voice actors pop up regularly, and each episode ends with activities designed to spark conversations between kids and parents.

With over 16,000 ratings and a 4.5-star average on Apple, Circle Round has built a devoted audience of families who appreciate stories that actually mean something. Every tale explores themes like kindness, persistence, or generosity without being preachy about it. The stories themselves do the teaching. For kids ages 3 and up (the show says "3 to 103"), this is one of the most beautifully made podcasts in the entire kids' space, and it's all free.

Stories Podcast has been pumping out a new bedtime story every single week since 2014, and the library has grown to over 770 episodes. That's an absurd amount of content, and the quality holds up across the whole catalog. Amanda Weldin and Dan Hinds host, delivering retellings of classic fairy tales, adaptations of public domain literature, and original stories -- all rated G, all safe for any age. The format is straightforward: pick an episode, press play, and let the story carry your kid to sleep. Episodes average 17 to 20 minutes, though some stretch closer to 30 for longer tales. The production is clean and polished -- good voice work, appropriate sound effects, and narration paced specifically for bedtime listening. It's not trying to excite your kids; it's trying to help them wind down. That's a meaningful distinction from other story podcasts that aim for maximum engagement. Starglow Media positions this show as a screen-time alternative, and it genuinely works as one. Over 12,000 listeners have rated it at 4.3 stars, and the show has built a community where kids submit artwork inspired by the episodes. The range of source material keeps things interesting for families who listen regularly. One week you'll hear a reimagined Grimm tale, the next an original adventure with completely new characters. Parents who've been playing this show for years report that their kids develop clear favorites and request specific episodes on repeat. That kind of attachment says a lot about the storytelling.

Based on the massively popular book series, this podcast brings biographical stories of extraordinary women to life through narration that works just as well in the car as it does at bedtime. With 445 episodes and a 4.5 rating from over 6,100 reviews, the library is deep enough that you could drive cross-country and barely scratch the surface.

Each episode profiles a real woman, from historical figures like Katherine Johnson and Maya Angelou to contemporary athletes, scientists, and artists from all over the world. Episodes run between 9 and 30 minutes, so you can pick longer or shorter stories depending on how much driving you have left. The narration features multiple hosts including Zainab Salbi and Marley Dias, and the storytelling style is engaging without being overly dramatic.

What makes this particularly good for road trips is the standalone episode format. You don't need to listen in order. Just pick a story that matches your kid's current interests, whether that's space, sports, art, or social justice, and hit play. The show recently added a weekly sports show segment, which broadens the appeal for sports-obsessed kids. The content is thoughtfully presented to encourage questions and curiosity. Parents consistently report that episodes spark real discussions in the car, the kind where your kid asks follow-up questions about the person they just heard about. For families who want entertainment that also expands their kids' sense of what's possible, Rebel Girls delivers that in a polished, consistent package.

Sheryl and Clark MacLeod have figured out the exact sweet spot for a bedtime podcast: stories that are engaging enough to hold a child's attention but calm enough to actually help them fall asleep. That balance is harder to strike than it sounds, and Sleep Tight Stories has been doing it consistently across more than 1,100 episodes. The narration is slow, warm, and deliberate without being boring, and the stories themselves range from standalone fairy tales to serialized adventures like The Transfer Student and retellings of classics like Anne of Green Gables.

Episodes come out daily, which means there's always something fresh. Most run between 17 and 30 minutes -- long enough to settle a restless kid but not so long that it keeps them up. The show is part of a broader Sleep Tight Media family that includes Sleep Tight Science, Sleep Tight Relax, and Sleep Tight Sounds, so if you find one format that works for your child, there are more options in the same soothing style.

The free version has ads, and Sleep Tight Premium ($6.99/month) removes them and adds bonus episodes. With 2,300 ratings and a 4.3-star average on Apple, this is one of the most relied-upon bedtime tools in the kids' podcast world. Parents in the reviews say things like "this is the only thing that gets my child to sleep" -- and when you're in the trenches of bedtime battles, that kind of endorsement means everything.

Pikachu vs. Mario. Cats vs. Dogs. Volcanoes vs. Earthquakes. Smash Boom Best takes two things, pits them against each other in a structured debate, and lets the audience vote on the winner. It sounds like a simple concept, and it is, but host Molly Bloom and her team at the Brains On Universe have turned it into one of the smartest shows for kids on any platform.

Each episode features two debaters -- comedians, writers, journalists, scientists -- who argue passionately for their side using facts, opinions, and a healthy dose of humor. There's a recurring segment called State of Debate that teaches kids to spot logical fallacies, which is sneakily one of the most useful things any podcast has ever done for young listeners. After the episode, kids can vote at smashboom.org for their pick.

The show has over 200 episodes and carries a 4.6-star rating from more than 14,000 Apple reviews. Episodes run around 35 minutes and come out weekly. It's part of the same family as Brains On!, and Molly Bloom brings the same warmth and smarts she shows on that program. The genius here is that kids are learning critical thinking and argumentation skills while genuinely laughing. They're picking up how to build a case, consider counterarguments, and evaluate evidence, all while debating whether ninjas or astronauts are cooler. Hard to beat that.

Forever Ago takes things kids think are boring and ordinary -- ice cream flavors, video games, baths, toothbrushes -- and reveals the surprisingly wild stories behind their origins. Host Joy Dolo brings an infectious enthusiasm to each episode, teaming up with a different kid co-host every week to trace how everyday objects and ideas got their start. The results are consistently fascinating. You'll learn that ice cream was once served only to royalty, that early video games were built on military technology, and that people used to clean their teeth with twigs and crushed bones. Each episode runs about 25 to 30 minutes, and Joy's warmth and humor make the history feel accessible rather than academic. She has a gift for meeting kids where they are and pulling them into the narrative without lecturing. The show comes from the Brains On Universe team, which means the production quality is strong -- clean audio, good pacing, fun sound design. With about 100 episodes and a 4.5-star rating from over 6,400 listeners, Forever Ago has built a dedicated following. The show recently went independent and is set to return with new episodes in spring 2026 after a brief hiatus, which speaks to how committed the team is to keeping it going. For families who want their kids to develop a genuine interest in history, this is an ideal starting point. It teaches kids that everything has a backstory and that the past is far stranger and more interesting than any textbook would suggest.

Dorktales Storytime is what you get when a professional voice actor with 20 years of experience decides to make a kids' podcast with absolutely no restraint on the fun. Jonathan Cormur hosts alongside the fictional Mr. Reginald T. Hedgehog, and together they guide listeners through three types of tales: geeky retellings of classic fairy tales and fables, original stories set in a magical realm called Once Upon a Time, and inspiring true stories about hidden heroes from history. The voice work is the standout feature here. Cormur is a SAG-AFTRA voice actor with serious theatrical chops, and it shows in every character he brings to life. The show bills itself as being made for all ages, with big laughs for kids and clever nods that go over their heads and land with the parents. That dual-audience approach works because the writing is genuinely witty, not just surface-level puns. Episodes run 9 to 21 minutes, releasing every two weeks, and the show is currently in its sixth season with over 160 episodes. Common Sense Media has given it their seal of approval for quality and impact, and Cormur earned Voice Arts Awards nominations in both 2024 and 2026. The podcast has a smaller but fiercely loyal audience -- 4.6 stars from about 200 ratings -- which reflects its indie spirit. For families who love fairy tales but want something with more personality and pop-culture flair than a traditional storybook reading, Dorktales fills a niche that bigger shows tend to miss entirely.

Husband-and-wife team Lindsay Patterson (science journalist) and Marshall Escamilla (teacher) created Tumble as a way to make science discovery feel like storytelling, and 302 episodes later, it's become one of the most respected kids' science podcasts around. It's a Common Sense Media Selection and AAAS Kavli Award winner, which sounds impressive but what actually matters is whether it holds a kid's attention in the backseat. It does.

Episodes run 16-29 minutes and typically start with a listener question that spirals into an investigation. The show interviews actual working scientists across fields like marine biology, planetary science, animal behavior, and cognitive research, and Patterson and Escamilla are skilled at translating complex ideas into accessible conversation without condescending to their audience. The questions themselves come from kids, so the topics are things children genuinely wonder about rather than what adults think they should learn.

The dynamic between the two hosts keeps things moving. Patterson brings the journalistic curiosity while Escamilla contributes the classroom-tested instinct for what explanations actually land with young minds. They release episodes biweekly, there's a Spanish-language version called Tumble en Espanol for bilingual families, and a Tumble+ subscription tier offers ad-free listening. With 2,600+ ratings at 4.3 stars, the audience is loyal and engaged. For road trips, the episode length is ideal for stretches between stops, and the content sticks. Your kids might actually remember what they learned three states later.

Greg and Rachel Denning host this parenting podcast from a perspective most families can only dream about: they have seven children, homeschool all of them, run a location-independent business, and travel the world together. That's not aspirational fluff -- it's their actual daily reality, and the podcast walks through how they make it work in practical terms. The conversational format between the two of them feels natural and unscripted, like listening in on a couple who have genuinely figured out some things about family life through extensive trial and error. Episodes run 30 to 56 minutes and cover topics like connection-based parenting, building resilience in kids, eliminating tantrums, and balancing personal ambition with being a present parent. The show targets families who feel stuck between wanting a conventional stable life and wanting something bigger, and Greg and Rachel speak to that tension honestly. They don't pretend everything is easy or that their approach works for everyone. With nearly 370 episodes and a 4.7-star rating, the podcast has found its audience among parents who are willing to rethink conventional approaches. Their take on authoritative parenting is nuanced -- they push back against both permissive and authoritarian extremes with specific examples from raising their own kids. The biweekly release schedule means each episode feels substantial rather than rushed. This is not a podcast for families looking for quick parenting hacks. It's for parents who want to think deeply about what kind of family culture they're building and who appreciate hearing from a couple that's living out an unconventional approach with real results.

Bilingual Avenue fills a specific niche that very few podcasts address well: the practical, day-to-day challenges of raising bilingual children. Marianna Du Bosq hosts from personal experience as a bilingual mother, and her interviews with experts and fellow parents go far beyond the typical surface-level advice. She tackles the real questions families face -- how to move a child from passively understanding a language to actively speaking it, when code-switching is normal versus a sign of struggle, and what to do when a child refuses to speak the minority language at home. Episodes are relatively short, usually 10 to 15 minutes, with occasional longer consulting-call episodes stretching past 40 minutes. That brevity works in the show's favor. Busy parents get actionable strategies without committing to an hour-long listen. Across 175 episodes, Marianna has covered bilingual parenting from infancy through the teenage years, and the advice evolves as the challenges change. She interviews linguists, educators, speech therapists, and parents from dozens of language backgrounds, creating a resource that applies regardless of which languages your family speaks. The show has earned a remarkable 4.9-star rating from listeners, and the reviews consistently highlight how encouraging and practical the content is. Marianna never makes bilingual parenting sound effortless -- she acknowledges the frustrations, the setbacks, and the moments of doubt -- but she provides concrete next steps rather than vague reassurance. For any family navigating the bilingual journey, this podcast feels like having a knowledgeable, supportive friend who has been through it all before.

Best of Storytime comes from Radio New Zealand and offers something you won't find in most English-language kids' podcasts: stories and songs rooted in Aotearoa -- New Zealand's own literary and cultural traditions. The show collects the best entries from RNZ's broader Storytime library, featuring professional narration by voice actors like Matt Whelan, Calvin Tuteao, Helen Pearse Otene, and Jasmine Wiki. Episodes are short, typically 5 to 15 minutes, and cover a surprising range of tones and topics. You might hear a whimsical tale about Oscar the cat one day and a more emotionally complex story about loss aimed at older children the next. What sets this podcast apart is the bilingual dimension. Many episodes incorporate te reo Maori, the indigenous language of New Zealand, weaving it naturally into the storytelling rather than treating it as a separate educational segment. For families outside New Zealand, it's a genuinely refreshing change from the North American perspective that dominates kids' audio. The stories introduce children to kauri trees, kereru birds, traditional kites, and other elements of New Zealand culture that most young listeners have never encountered. The show ran from 2019 to 2023 with 133 episodes, so the catalog is complete. Professional narrators deliver each story with care and personality, and the production values reflect RNZ's broadcast standards. It's a smaller show -- only a handful of ratings on Apple Podcasts -- but the content quality is strong, and the cultural perspective makes it a valuable addition to any family's podcast rotation.