The Secret Kindergarten | For Young Children

Gino Volante, a former early childhood education teacher, created The Secret Kindergarten as an audio program specifically for kids aged 2.5 to 7. The show blends storytelling, music, and nature-focused content into episodes that run 25 to 50 minutes. Volante draws from fairy tales, myths, and stories by classic authors, narrating with the patient, expressive style of someone who has spent years reading to small children in person. The nature emphasis is genuine and runs through almost every episode. Stories about animals, seasons, and the outdoor world connect to a Waldorf and Montessori-influenced approach to early learning -- the show references both Rudolf Steiner and Maria Montessori as inspirations. Musical interludes break up the storytelling, and the overall pace is gentle enough for rest time or quiet play. The show also airs live on Saturday mornings, giving it a bit of a community feel. With 139 episodes in the catalog, there is plenty to explore. The audience is niche but devoted -- this is not a slick, corporate production, and that is part of its appeal. It feels like sitting in on a really good story time at a thoughtful preschool. For families drawn to nature-based and Waldorf-style education, The Secret Kindergarten fills a specific gap that most kids' podcasts do not even attempt to address.