Our family loves road trips. For the past few years, we have taken a 16-hour road trip to a family home on the east coast of Canada. And with kids, that often looks more like an 18-hour road trip.
To make it out as an intact family, we need to find good ways to keep ourselves busy. I pack backpacks filled with anything to entertain two kids stuck in a car for hours at a time: puzzles, activity books, travel games, and cards, along with lots and lots of snacks.
Of course, we have iPads but there are only so many movies the kids can watch before they start going a little wonky.
Even more so than movies or video games, podcasts actually really help the hours go by.
Our kids love podcasts and I’m always on the lookout for good ones that will entertain my kids (and not drive the adults nuts.) Lucky for us, there are tons of great podcasts out there, but we definitely have our favourites. Here are a few.
Story Pirates
I love storytelling podcasts but what I love most about Story Pirates is that the stories are written by real kids. Kids are able to submit their own stories to Story Pirates and then actors perform the story for the podcast. The stories are imaginative, funny and great for kids! My kids’ favourite episode is “Fart Out Loud Day”, is that a surprise?
NPR – Wow the World
This fast-paced podcast keeps kids entertained for hours. They tackle tons of subjects like The Science of Popping Knuckles and How to Talk to a Dog (my kids fave). The podcasts give scientific information in a fun and energetic way with lots of laugh-out-loud moments.
Five Minutes with Dad
This podcast is actually just a real-life Dad having amazing conversations with his kids. They talk about life situations like telling the truth and teamwork. I love listening to the dynamic between dad and child and I love that my kids hear other parent-child dynamics. We take the time to talk about some of the topics after each podcast is over.
Short and Curly
I won’t lie, the title of this podcast made me pause for a second. But this one gives us something to talk about. It’s an ethics podcast geared towards kids and their parents. Each episode presents an ethical dilemma and you hear other kids’ thoughts and opinions, but it also gives you an opportunity to discuss it with your kid. Some of the topics seem a little deep, such as ‘who gets saved first in a fire’ or examining if it’s ever ok to lie, but they present them in a way that makes kids think. I love to hear how my son rationalizes his thoughts while listening to this podcast. The subway train episode especially stuck with me.
Brains On
Each episode of Brains On explores cool topics for curious kids and explains the science behind it. Everything from Circadian rhythm, volcanoes, sunburns and even the science of slime is discussed by both experts and kids. Even I learn something new in each episode.
Whether you’re heading on a long road trip, stuck in traffic or just don’t have the energy for bedtime stories, podcasts are great to introduce to your kids.
If you go to your favourite podcast streaming app and search ‘kid and family’ you’ll find a long list of great podcasts. These are my families’ favourites. I would love if you would share your great podcasts finds with me too.
Tagged under: travel,family vacation,road trips,podcasts,family friendly podcasts
Category: travel
