These 10- to 15-minute stories are a perfect way to lull your little one to sleep. The podcast is updated every other week and each episode contains a kid-friendly story, read by a soothing narrator. Short and sweet, it is as comforting as listening to your favorite picture book read aloud. 

Best for: Preschoolers and little kids

Thanks to the hosts' soothing voices and a pre-story meditation, your kid might fall asleep to this podcast before the story even gets underway. But if not, the gentle adventures on Ahway Island will also sweep them off to dreamland. This podcast teaches kid-friendly mindfulness practices like "deep dragon breaths" that can be carried into waking life as well. 

Best for: All ages

The catchy soundtrack is the star in this delightful podcast from children's music duo Andrew & Polly. But this funny program also covers a range of topics by talking to actual kids as well as experts, providing thoughtful fun for young ones and their grown-ups. 

Best for: Preschoolers and little kids

Kids are always asking seemingly simple questions that have surprisingly complex answers, such as "Why is the sky blue?" and "Who invented words?" This cute biweekly radio show/podcast takes on answering them. Each episode features several kid-submitted questions, usually on a single theme, and with the help of experts, it gives clear, interesting answers. 

Best for: All ages

Kids like to be informed and engaged, but talking to kids about the news can be a challenge. This podcast, created by moms who are broadcast journalists, offers young listeners five minutes of kid-friendly news (followed by a quick quiz) each day, five days a week. Perfectly timed for waking up, KiDNuz lets you start the day off on a worldly note. 

Best for: All ages

This amusing podcast features people telling interesting, little-known stories from history with an emphasis on fun and humor. Although it is not specifically a music podcast, each episode contains an often-silly song that is sure to get stuck in your head. There's even a quiz segment, so kids will learn something, too. 

Best for: All ages

This fun and fast-moving spin-off of the Brains On! podcast is a family-friendly debate podcast. A kid judge listens to and scores the rousing, fact-based arguments of two contestants. With episodes like "Dragons versus Unicorns" and "Pizza versus Tacos," kids will be hooked, and they won't even notice that they are learning how to defend their ideas along the way. 

Best for: Big kids but will appeal to the whole family

In the era of fake news, kids need to learn to be able to tell what’s true from what’s false. And what better way to do that than a game show that puts kids in the driver’s seat and adults on the hot seat? Each week, a kid interviews two experts in a particular topic, one of which is a genuine, credentialed expert, the other a liar. Hilarious and fast-paced, the show teaches kids to ask insightful questions, weigh the evidence before them, and trust their guts.

Best for: Big kids and Tweens

This excellent biweekly podcast features middle schoolers talking about a popular middle-grade or young adult book as well as sharing their favorite book recommendations. Each episode also includes a passage of that week's book read by a celebrity guest. 

Best for: Tweens and teens

Little-known history comes alive three times a week in this fascinating, podcast from the people at HowStuffWorks. With a focus on weird events, overlooked stories, and underrepresented groups, this popular series is educational, too.

Best for: Tweens and teens

Brothers John Green (a young adult novelist) and Hank Green (a YouTuber) co-host a lighthearted advice podcast where they answer questions on everything from random thoughts to deep, emotional topics. The advice they give out is mostly good and always entertaining. Their easy camaraderie and self-deprecating charm make you feel like you're in on their inside jokes (of which there are many). 

Best for: Teens

A delightful podcast that will get kids of all ages singing, rhyming, moving, and engaging in all kinds of musical games. The segments, games, and songs are so silly and upbeat the whole family will enjoy participating. 

Best for: All ages

This two-hour podcast styled like a DJ radio show features new and old songs that kids will love, many by parents' favorite musicians. Selections are generally high-energy rock, folk, or even punk-inspired songs, but listeners will also hear mellower tunes, as well as bilingual (English/Spanish) songs and hip-hop hits for a well-rounded musical experience. 

Best for: All ages

Families can enjoy rock and roll with this fun radio show/podcast. Each week there is a new playlist combining kids music from artists such as They Might Be Giants, with kid-appropriate songs from artists that grown-ups will recognize, such as Elvis Costello, The Ramones, and John Legend. It is a perfect compromise for parents tired of cheesy kids music. 

Best for: All ages

A sci-fi musical adventure about the most popular band in the universe. Intergalactic musicians travel to new worlds with one goal - to solve all of their problems through their incredible songs. The band consists of Seabass, a twelve-year-old boy from Earth who has the ability to make anything an instrument, Synthia, a synthetic singer with a glitch giving her the ability to feel emotions, DJ Yeah!, a dinosaur DJ with a one-word vocabulary, and Threesa, a three-headed sage with mind-blowing harmonies. Each episode presents a new challenge for the band. 

Best for: Big Kids

NPR's (National Public Radio) first show for kids discusses the latest news in science and technology in a way that's enjoyable for kids and informative for grown-ups. 

Best for: All ages

A curated collection of the Radiolab archives that features its most family-friendly content. From “What do dogs see when they look at the rainbow?” to “Do animals laugh?” the topics are mostly squeaky clean and all about curiosity. Radiolab for Kids is sure to delight and engage the most curious minds.

Best for: Kids and up

A radio show/podcast that takes kid-submitted science questions and answers them with the help of experts. The show tends to skew a bit older, both in its questions and answers, and has a different kid co-host each week. The result is a fun show that is as silly as it is educational. 

Best for: Kids and tweens

This podcast addresses fascinating topics and also interviews scientists about their process and discoveries. The hosts do not assume listeners have a science background -- but even kids who think they do not like science may change their minds after listening to this podcast. 

Best for: Kids and tweens

Covering the outer reaches of space to the tiniest microbes in our bodies, Science Friday is the trusted source for news about science, technology, and other cool stuff. For curious science lovers who want to learn about the latest discoveries, Host Ira Flatow mixes it up by featuring people in the know and those who want to be. 

Best for: Tweens and Teens

This podcast explains the ins and outs of everyday things from the major ("How Free Speech Works") to the mundane ("How Itching Works"). 

Longer episodes and occasional complex topics, such as politics, make this a better choice for older listeners, but the hosts keep things engaging and relatable. The archive is extensive with over 1,000 episodes providing lots of opportunities to learn new things. 

Best for: Teens

A weekly podcast that explores a weekly theme through three pieces of great art (literary, musical, and visual). For hopers, creators, and learners.

Best for: Young adults & adults

Join beloved icon Julie Andrews for story time! Julie and her daughter, children’s author and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, invite you into their library to read their favorite children's books. Every story comes to life with sound, music and activities. 

Best for: Kids

What happens when rival pets have dueling podcasts? Find out as Jones, a slick cat with a taste for auto tune, faces off with Waffles, a dog who can’t help chewing her microphone.

This comedy series for kids features original music, and a cast of household pets. In each episode, Waffles and Jones navigate a daily drama, such as a chaotic sleepover party, a trip to the vet, and the dreaded cone of shame.

Best for: Kids

With wacky episode titles such as "What if Legos were alive?" and "What if sharks had legs?," this series takes ridiculous "what if" questions submitted by young listeners and turns them into a new story every two weeks. The host uses silly voices and crazy characters to capture the imaginations of young listeners with a Mad Libs-like randomness. 

Best for: Kids

One of the first kids' podcasts to grasp podcasts' storytelling capabilities, this podcast is still going strong with kid-friendly renditions of classic stories, fairy tales, and original works. These longer stories with a vivid vocabulary are great for bigger kids past the age for picture books but who still love a good bedtime story. 

Best for: Big kids

There is a legend in Washington, D.C. that anyone who sees the Demon Cat of Capitol Hill will be cursed. Fina Mendoza, the daughter of a congressman, just saw it. Can she save her family from “cat”astrophe? This podcast is based on the award-winning middle grade mystery “Welcome to Washington Fina Mendoza” by Kitty Felde.  

Best for: Big kids & Tweens

An enthralling, suspenseful audio drama from the creators of 'The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel'. Featuring a voice cast of real kids, each six-minute episode continues the story of an 11-year-old girl named Holiday who finds herself in the middle of a mystery adventure with no memory of where she came from. New updates are released twice a week, and you'll be counting down the minutes to see what happens next.

Best for: Tweens

We're not just book nerds. We're professional book nerds! We are staff librarians who work at OverDrive, the leading app for eBooks and audiobooks from public libraries and schools. It's our job to discuss books all day long so we thought, "Why not share the conversation!" Hear about the best books we've read, get recommendations, and learn about the hottest books coming out that we can't wait to dive into.

Best for: Tweens and Teens

This serialized podcast tells the story of an 8-year-old boy living on an interplanetary space station who explores the galaxy and solves mysteries with his friends. With no violence or edgy content and with two seasons totaling over 13 hours of content, this sci-fi adventure is perfect for long car rides or trips. 

Best for: Big kids and tweens

Reminiscent of The NeverEnding Story, this original fable centers on a magical book that takes its readers to a world where they find the strength to overcome any obstacle. The writing itself is beautiful, and the stories are immersive. Themes can be serious (bullying, homelessness) but are handled with sensitivity and remain appropriate for kids. These powerful, modern stories are sure to entertain and provoke meaningful family conversations. 

Best for: Big kids and tweens

Inspired by old-timey radio shows -- complete with over-the-top sound effects -- this exciting serial podcast follows a plucky journalist who goes on adventures looking for her big scoop. Tweens will love Eleanor's wit and daring and might even pick up some great messages along the way. There is even a "Road Trip Edition" episode with the entire first season in a single audio file. 

Best for: Tweens

This award-winning scripted mystery series has been called a Stranger Things for tweens. With a voice cast of actual middle schoolers, a gripping, suspenseful plot, and interactive tie-ins, this story about an 11-year-old searching for his missing friends will keep tweens hooked to the speakers for hours -- more than five, to be exact. 

Best for: Tweens

Structured like a community radio show for the fictional desert town of Night Vale, the mysterious is ordinary and vice versa in this delightfully eerie series. Both the clever concept and the smooth voice of the narrator have helped the show develop a huge fan following. It is a bit creepy and dark for kids, but older listeners will find it perfect for a nighttime drive along a deserted highway. 

Best for: Teens