Podcasts to Prepare Your Kids and Teens for the Future
The world is changing right now as you read this. It’s growing and the populations and cultures housed on this planet are waking up to that fact. We can’t live in our parent’s world. We need to think and prepare the next generation for the future and everything it has to offer.
Whether it comes to climate change, racism, queer identities, or social justice, discussing these topics with kids and young adults is hard. There’s so much information out there it can also be overwhelming. That’s why I wanted to make this list of podcasts and podcast episodes, to help parents, guardians, and adults who have children in their lives find resources to help.
Activist, You!
Through interviews, special guests, and straightforward talk about current events, Activist, You gives kids and parents the tools they need to affect change in their society and communities. Interviews with young activists give children and adults a glimpse into ways they can practice socially conscious parenting and dedicate themselves to the causes they are passionate about. The aim of the show is to get kids talking about the injustice they see in the world and brainstorming ways to fix them at home and beyond. The kids and teens featured on the show take activism and social justice into themselves. It is inspiring to hear the work young people are doing today in climate change, racial inequality, and food justice. This is a show that is great for everyone in the family.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify
African Folktales: Traditional Bedtime Stories for the Modern Kid
More often than not, the folktales and stories that are told to children come from Western cultures, featuring Western ideas, structures, and people. There is a great benefit in hearing stories from other cultures outside of the dominant framework, however. And it’s not just for the people within those cultures but beneficial to people from outside those perspectives as well. Exposing young minds to stories outside of their own culture helps show them that there are more varieties too life than can be imagined and each has value and should be respected. African Folktales is a show just like that, showcasing stories, creatures, and themes from African cultures. This Black children’s podcast is perfect for toddlers and children not just during bedtime, but anytime there’s a spare moment to hear some exciting folktales.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify
Read more: Best Podcasts for Kids and Pre-teens
Ear Snacks for Parents: “Anti-Racist Parenting”
Ear Snacks is a popular children’s podcast about current events, life, and the curious in-between. This particular episode is geared toward parents and adults with children in their lives. It’s an open and sometimes uncomfortable dialogue between parents about the work of anti-racism. For example, they broach topics like police brutality in terms of cop toys. There are tips about parenting in a socially conscious way when it comes to talking about racism and other topics. Ear Snacks has appeared in my previous list of podcasts great for kids. It appears here again because in a time when we are so distant, it is important to hear an honest dialogue about racism and parenting from two very different perspectives.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify
Girl Tales
Girl Tales is a children’s podcast perfect for kids under the age of ten. A lot of these tales are reimagined stories of classic tales like Rapunzel except this Rapunzel is a young Black girl with curly hair. Calling these stories reimagined fairy tales doesn’t really paint a clear picture of what these stories truly are. These stories borrow the names and some other factors, but the actual contents and themes are new and original. Not only does Girl Tales feature stories for young listeners, but they also interview children about their passions. But the biggest thing that I love about Girl Tales is the cast of writers. There’re trans writers, nonbinary writers, and BIPOC writers. This diversity allows for the show to offer original voices and stories to a whole new generation. These stories are aimed at toddlers, kids, and the pre-teen crowd.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify
Flossy Podcast: “Climate Change is Racial Injustice”
Flossy Podcast is a student run teen podcast from the High School for Innovation in Advertising and Media out of Brooklyn, New York. Since it’s led by students, the discussions are real and unhindered by adult direction or interference. The kids on the show talk about how climate change is affecting other Black and brown kids in their neighborhoods and communities. Through their eyes, learn about the deep spread of climate change and how it isn’t just a problem for certain folks but that it touches all of us, no matter our color or age, differently. Though it’s a show by teens, I recommend parents listen to it as well because not often are BIPOC voices at the center of the dialogue on climate change and its racial ramifications. This podcast was also the winner of the NPR Student Podcast Challenge.
So Get Me
If you are a parent or guardian and unfamiliar with the Alphabet Rockers, you might want to get on changing that. Not only do they put out social justice resources for kids and parents, but they host and guest on podcasts, write and perform hip hop with a socially conscious bent, and fosters a safe space for families to learn and grow. So Get Me is the Alphabet Rockers own podcast that features behind-the-scenes talks with performers, children activists working for change in their communities, and music featuring positive messages. This is a great podcast for children and pre-teens to help them foster self-respect, grassroots ideals, and more. Don’t just let the kids listen to it, though, a lot of the information is geared toward both parents and kids so that dialogue doesn’t stop at the end of the episode but can be explored and furthered at home and in the community.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify
Warrior Kids Podcast
Like I’ve mentioned earlier, hearing stories from outside of the Western culture and Western voices is important in developing young minds. The Warrior Kids podcast is another one of those original #ownvoices podcasts that teaches ideals and traditions from Indigenous cultures. The Warrior Kids Podcast, not to be confused with Warrior Kid Podcast, is an interactive podcast aimed at sharing Indigenous cultures, voices, and stories. It is geared toward the whole family with the intent of making more caring and connected families and communities. Social and Earth justice is at the center of a lot of the episodes, but it doesn’t just stop there. There are episodes on natural Indigenous medicines, non-culturally appropriate Halloween costumes, and different types of families. Though the whole family should listen to this podcast, it’s perfect for toddlers and children.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify
Outward, “Kids These Days”
Outward is Slate magazine’s LGBTQ podcast all about contemporary queer identities and their intersections with politics and other topics. So this podcast isn’t for kids or teens but geared toward parents, adults, and guardians. The episode is an open and honest talk about raising kids outside of the heteronormative gaze allowing for more openness and expression. They go into personal stories about queerness and sexuality in relation to their children, offering examples on teaching kids about those topics. A big chunk of the show is spent with a doctor going over trans care for pre-adolescent children. Kids These Days is a must listen for adults with kids in their lives whether or not they are queer. The topics discussed will help give you the words and starting points for having conversations with your child about queer identities and the LGBTQI+ community.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify
But Why, “A Discussion About Race and Racism”
Are you looking for a show for your child about racism? One where you’re taken out of the picture and the child is put at the center of the dialogue? But Why is a science, society, history, language, all-around-curious podcast for kids. They take questions for kids in the audience to help steer their informative episodes. This episode is no different. Released on Juneteenth, A Discussion About Race and Racism takes the current BLM protests and helps children understand what is going on in their world surrounding racism and skin color. They answer kid questions like what is Juneteenth and more while also going into police reform and abolition.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify
Read more: Over 200 Audio Professionals Sign Anti-Racist Open Letter to Public Media
Hey, Black Child
Black history, news, and joy from Black children is what audiences are in for with Hey, Black Child, a show all about Black people and culture. Hey, Black Child is a great show for young BIPOC and non-BIPOC minds alike. How often do we get a chance to hear about what matters to Black children from Black children? Not often enough. Led by a brother and sister team, Hey, Black Child features interviews with prominent Black athletes and more. My favorite batch of episodes is their Kwanzaa series. The kids go into what each day is about and how children can bring those values into their lives and communities.
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify
Within this small sampling of progressive podcasts for children and the adults in their lives, there is a lot to learn and even more to take in. Most of these shows are still airing to offer joy, information, and resources to the younger generation and their guardians and are keeping up despite the state of the world.
Take what these podcasts have to offer but don’t stop there. Go further. Learn more. Be better. Not just for yourself and the children you come in contact with but for your greater community as a whole and for the future generation un-yet seen.
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