A battle parents have been fighting for decades now is screen time. Where do we draw the line? What is the “good” amount of daily screen time? How do we balance the benefits (education, harmless entertainment) with the bad (addiction, soulless doom scrolling, harmful content, etc.)? There’s no easy answer, and parents must make this decision for their family. However, there’s been a call for alternative content for children. With the big wide world around us, there are endless screen-free opportunities out there, but rainy days might require inside entertainment.  That’s where the lovely podcast comes in. 

Harken back to the days of radio where families sat around—completely screen free—and received informative and fun entertainment for hours. The modern podcast landscape has made this possible once again, offering kid podcasts that help eliminate screen time!

Eliminating Screen Time

Dr. Jennifer Katzenstein, the director of psychology and neuropsychology at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, has stated that social media and screen usage is definitely taking a toll on children’s mental health. Though all the research is not yet gathered (screen are still rather new), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends withholding screen completely for “children until 18 to 24 months, except for video chatting” and “kids ages 2 to 5 should get an hour or less of screen time per day.” What’s more, screens have proven to be useless teaching tools for children 5 and under, and any excessive use of a screen results in physical and mental health issues. 

In the end, no matter your age, limiting a screen only has benefits. The less time you spend, the better, but it’s hard in this technological age. 

12 Kid Podcasts to Eliminate Screen Time

Real Cool History for Kids

A Biblical perspective on various historical events and people. Episodes are roughly 15-20 minutes long and cover topics from history in all parts of the world. The pacing is slower, with a female host who expressively tells the stories while still being clear. It has a very story-time vibe that is very approachable for all ages.

Super Great Kids’ Stories

A storytelling podcast with tales and legends from around the world, told by a variety of storytellers. A British host introduces each episode and its theme. Each episode is between 20 and 30 minutes and has a fun, upbeat sound. This podcast is intended for kids 5-years-old and above. 

VeggieTales: Very Veggie Silly Stories

The wonderful world of VeggieTales is expanded in the podcast of silly stories. Covering a long list of topics from respect and making the right choices, to making and being friends, the roughly 20-minute long episodes are a fun option for a quick listen. This is a limited podcast, so there are only a few episodes.

The G.O.A.T. Kids Sports Podcast

A kids sports podcast with kid-friendly content and interviews. This podcast covers nearly every major sport with bite-sized episodes that come in at around 10 minutes or less. 

Nature and Science 4 Kids

This is, as the title suggests, a science podcast for kids! Each concept and term is explained in an easy-to-understand way that make this podcast approachable to a variety of ages. The pace is slow, the host is easy to understand, kind, and makes little jokes as he explains the topics.

Games and Giggles

The Games and Giggles podcast is designed for a slightly younger audience and includes a number of games, trivia, and fun facts and information all wrapped around a theme. The host is Ms. Rylee who presents information in a fun, friendly, and upbeat way and keeps kids thinking and engaged in the information. Episodes are about 10 to 15 minutes long.

“A Book A Day” Kids Storytime

The host of this podcast is a mom herself simply reading to her children and recording it. It’s a charmingly simple podcast that is perfect for read-alongs and quiet storytime while you accomplish other tasks. 

Saint Stories for Kids

Specifically produced for Catholics, but available for anyone, Saint Stories for Kids tells the stories of saints in a kid-friendly way. Most saint stories are not always child-proof, but this podcast cleverly tells the story without some of the more grizzly details, making saint stories available to all ages.

The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd

The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd is a classic radio-show style podcast telling of the zany adventures of a Dr. Floyd. Including various voices and a huge cast of characters, this podcast has been around since 2004 which means there’s hours and hours of episodes!

Eleanor Amplified

Definitely a podcast for tweens, Eleanor Amplified is a detective/adventurer who goes on wild adventures with robots, villains, and more. Recorded in a radio-show style, the story is told in an engaging and exciting way, drawing kids in and leaving them wanting to know what happens next.

The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel

Another radio-show podcast, The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel tells the story of Mars Patel and his friends who are investigating disappearances. Students at H.G. Wells Middle School, the students must get to the bottom of the supernatural happenings.

Nightingale

This one is for the tweens and teens. Nightingale tells the story of three teens with cancer who discover a world of sentient machines. Telling a grand adventure, this podcast is a story your older kids will love! 

Screen-Free Podcasts

Eliminating screen time as a parent is hard, but with these podcasts, it just got a little bit easier. There is a wealth of knowledge, information, music, and activities out there and podcasts are just one way to harness it all and present in a fun and screen-free way to kids!