Are you afraid of those long car rides with the kids? Nothing sums up a road trip better than listening to little voices in the backseat asking, “Are we there yet?” or whining, “I'm so bored!” Get ready for car rides without the hassle. We've got just what you need – our top-rated 15 podcasts for kids with English and Chinese options!
Plus, we have Cantonese and Mandarin recommendations too. With these entertaining and educational podcasts, a long drive can be fun instead of tedious!
These podcasts are more than just people talking—they're like radio plays come to life! And best of all – they don't require any screen time.
So before you give up on your car rides, introduce your kids to these fantastic audio adventures today!
Most weekends, we take a 45-minute drive to visit my parents and friends. To ensure our kids don't get bored, we always prepare enough snacks and activities.
Since our two-week road trip in Quebec, one of the best options has been tuning into podcasts together – it allows us as parents to sit back and relax while also learning something new! This is great because the kids are learning, and so are we.
11 Best Chinese Podcasts For Kids
Listening to podcasts in Chinese can be a great way to improve children's language abilities. Not only do podcasts provide an entertaining and enjoyable experience, but they also can help your child learn and practice their listening skills.
Hearing words and phrases used by native speakers in podcasts help give them a better understanding of how the language is used in real-world situations.
6 Children's Cantonese Podcasts We Love
We are excited to improve our Cantonese and love finding children's podcasts that introduce us to the language, Chinese customs, and more!
Related: Top 9 Cantonese Podcasts for Kids to Boost Their Language Skills
For our children specifically, here are five great podcasts worth checking out!
1.懶瞓豬講故事 SleepyPigStory
Availability: Apple, Google, Spotify, Website, Youtube
Level: 5+ years old.
《懶瞓豬講故事》SleepyPigStory is a famous Cantonese podcast for kids of all levels. It features stories from around the world, emphasizing traditional Chinese tales and fables.
This podcast allows children to learn about culture, morals, and history.
Our Review
This is hands down the number one Cantonese podcast for kids I've found. The quality of this podcast is excellent.
I like how they invite many new voice actors (primarily kids) to help develop an episode.
We like this podcast because it's entertaining, engaging, and high quality. Plus, the podcasts are educational as well!
My daughter enjoys listening to these podcasts, and each episode always sparks conversations between us. The best part is she learns a lot of Cantonese vocabulary from this podcast!
2.港人講兒童故事
Availability: Anchor, Apple, Breaker, Google, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify, Website
Level: 6+ years old.
《港人講兒童故事 》is a Cantonese podcast that acts as an audible book for Cantonese storybooks. This podcast is created by a Dad (Leo Lo) who tries his best to teach his son Cantonese.
These podcast episodes are filled with stories from traditional Chinese culture, which helps my daughter learn a lot about Cantonese language and culture.
Our Review
I like this podcast because it has a lot of stories that teach lessons. I especially like the Chinese idiom stories 《成語故事》, such as 《狐假虎威》, 《畫蛇添足》, and so on.
If you go to the website, it will list all the Chinese books for reference according to each episode. This will encourage me to buy these books for the kids to read and listen along!
3.朗媽媽說中文故事Hi Mama Cantonese Story Time
Availability: Anchor, Apple, Google, Spotify
Level: 4+ years old.
朗媽媽說中文故事Hi Mama Cantonese Story Time is an excellent podcast for kids who are interested in learning Cantonese.
This engaging podcast is hosted by a devoted mother and her family, who use it as a creative side hustle to spread enjoyable Cantonese stories with kids!
Our Review
I am surprised that this is my 6-year-old daughter's favorite Cantonese podcast.
Although this podcast may not have the most significant production budget, I still find great joy and companionship in hearing the stories shared.
Knowing that many episodes involve input from their entire family helps to make it even more special. I find that because the host talks slowly, my daughter can comprehend this podcast.
My daughter also thinks some of the stories are funny, especially regarding the dad's voice. Some of her favorite episodes are 《大野狼與七隻小羊》 and the 《聰明狗》 series.
4.夠鐘瞓覺 (廣東話,粵語) 小朋友的睡前小故事
Availability: Apple, Google, KKBox, Spotify
Age Recommendation: All ages.
This Cantonese podcast is perfect for kids preparing to sleep. Although only four episodes are available, it remains one of the top 20 podcasts in Hong Kong for families and kids.
The podcasts are designed to help kids relax and prepare for bedtime while learning Cantonese simultaneously!
Our Review
These four episodes have relaxing music and different sound effects. The voice actor is lively and sounds like he's talking to children. The best part of this podcast is that it puts my daughter to sleep often!
So, to conclude, this is one of my favorite podcasts, and I understand why it stays in the top podcasts with only four episodes!
5.經典粵語兒歌
Availability: Apple, Google, Spotify, Youtube
Age Recommendation: All ages.
This podcast has a large number of Cantonese children's songs. Featuring old and modern songs, both children and parents can sing along and enjoy. Its wide range of songs is sure to meet all your Cantonese learning needs!
Our Review
This podcast offers an incredible selection of well-known Cantonese kid's songs that my kids love singing along with! Thanks to this podcast, they can hear classics such as 《月光光》、《落雨大》、《雞公仔》. It fills me with joy to sing these songs once more alongside my kids, allowing me to relive my childhood days but this time around accompanied by them!
6.八爪魚講故事Octopus Telling Stories
Availability: Apple, Youtube, Spotify, Radiopublic
Age Recommendation: All ages.
This podcast has a large number of Cantonese children's songs. Featuring old and modern songs, both children and parents can sing along and enjoy. Its wide range of songs is sure to meet all your Cantonese learning needs!
Our Review
This podcast offers an incredible selection of well-known Cantonese kid's songs that my kids love singing along with! Thanks to this podcast, they can hear classics such as 《月光光》、《落雨大》、《雞公仔》. It fills me with joy to sing these songs once more alongside my kids, allowing me to relive my childhood days but this time around accompanied by them!
5 Mandarin Podcasts We Love
The Mandarin podcasts for children contain entertaining and educational episodes that introduce young listeners to the language.
These podcasts feature presenters who speak Chinese and English and provide a fun, interactive learning experience.
The topics range from basic conversations to pronunciation and grammar points. Through these podcasts, my children can learn Mandarin and gain a greater understanding of everyday life experiences.
Here are the top 5 Mandarin Chinese podcasts we recommend for kids:
1. Mandarin Bean. Podcast for all Ages!
Availability: Website
Age Recommendation: 5+ years old.
This website has different difficulties based on the HSK levels and can be filtered based on your child's level. Mandarin Bean also offers grammar exercises for beginners, intermediate and advanced levels.
Pinyin practice may be available for those who subscribe to their website.
Our Review
We love this podcast for its unique and interactive features – traditional, simplified, or pin yin that you can read along to.
Plus, when you hover over the text with your mouse cursor, English translation is provided immediately! This helps us comprehend new vocabulary quickly and easily.
2.海外兒童中文頻道 Mandarin Podcast for Kids
Availability: Anchor, Apple, Google, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify
Age Recommendation: 6+ years old.
This podcast has 28 episodes and provides podcasts for kids living overseas. It covers stories about different cultures, celebrations, and festivals worldwide.
It also shares stories from other countries to promote understanding and appreciation of different cultures.
This podcast is suitable for children ages six and up, featuring various topics such as animals, geography, science, and art. Each episode is created with special care.
Our Review
We adore how Miss Misa interconnects with children overseas and educates them on different cultures.
Sadly, her channel hasn't been updated lately – let's give our warmest wishes that she will provide us with more content shortly!
3. ABC Storytime
Availability: Apple, Google, Podbean App
Age Recommendation: 3+ years old.
The ABC Storytime Podcast reads translated English books and in Mandarin for young children. Each episode contains a different story covering all sorts of tales in Mandarin.
Ms. Grace and Ms. Jane have chosen these books to read aloud. They want to make learning Mandarin fun for their listeners.
Our Review
With these stories so easy to comprehend, my kids and I have a wonderful time learning Mandarin. The tales always leave us with vivid imaginations as we explore the themes together.
It's also exciting for them because they get to practice their language skills! As we listen, literacy and pronunciation are improved simultaneously – a delightful experience that brings us closer to understanding these stories in Mandarin.
4. 無尾香蕉動物學校｜校園故事
Availability: Apple, Google, KKBox, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Soundon Player
Age Recommendation: 6+ years old.
From Kaohsiung, Taiwan comes NoTail.Banana's captivating tale of their two cats and the incredible adventures they encounter every day!
These stories will pique your curiosity and arouse your imagination as you explore the wonderful world through these feline friends' eyes.
Our Review
We love how NoTail.Banana teaches us how to care for animals and interact with other animal friends. They will have stories about their cats and other dogs and their interactions.
5. 心蓝姐姐说故事
Availability: Apple Music, KKbox, Spotify, Youtube
Age Recommendation: 5+ years old.
《心藍姊姊》 describes multiple topics, providing readers with a thoughtful perspective on how to navigate daily life experiences through simple daily fun facts as well as classic Disney stories, such as Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and the Little Mermaid.
Right now, you have more than 160 episodes of Podcast to select from – the possibilities are endless!
Our Review
This is one of our favorite Mandarin podcast creators. My 6-years old daughter’s favorite is their 《十萬個為什麼》 series.
My kids had a blast listening to these fun facts during our two-week summer vacation! They were amazed to find out why stars are countless or why mosquito bites cause itching.
Listening to these intriguing snippets of knowledge was an educational experience they won't forget!
For more Mandarin podcasts recommendations:
- Chinese Podcasts for Parents & Kids – Spot of Sunshine
- Podcasts to Learn Chinese – Mama Baby Mandarin
5 Favorite English Podcasts For Kids
There are a lot of English podcasts in Canada that talk about different topics like science and history.
These are good for kids because they can learn more about things they're interested in, or even things they don't know anything about.
Here are our top five podcasts for kids:
1. Brains On!
Availability: Amazon Music, Apple, Google, NPR, Spotify, Stitcher
Age recommendation: 7+ years old.
This podcast is one of the most downloaded podcasts globally and for a good reason! Each episode focuses on a different topic, from dinosaurs to robots to outer space.
The hosts often feature guest experts who help explain exciting and engaging things so kids can understand.
Our Review
We like this podcast because it is easy to follow and there are always exciting facts. We like that there is some humor, and they interview experts to provide facts and explanations.
This podcast is more suitable for older kids, so I need to explain the content to my 6-year-old daughter.
2. Circle Round
Availability: Amazon Music, Apple, Google, NPR, Spotify, Stitcher
Age recommendation: 4+ years old.
Circle Round is an excellent podcast for younger kids as it features stories from around the world that are told in 10-20 minute episodes.
The podcasts also feature original music and sound effects, making them more enjoyable to listen to. The stories are narrated by theatre, film, and TV actors.
Every episode talks about important themes, like being a good friend, never giving up, being creative, and being generous.
Also, each episode ends with something fun that kids and grown-ups can do together to discuss the show.
Our Review
We like this podcast because the stories are engaging, and they focus on teaching kids morals, values, and life lessons.
This podcast helps spark conversations about different cultures and even talks about how we can learn from them.
3. Who, When, Wow!
Availability: Amazon Music, Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher
Age recommendation: 7+ years old.
Who, When, Wow! is a podcast that focuses on helping kids understand the basics of history and global events.
Every episode talks about a different story or event from the past that can help children make connections to their everyday lives.
The podcasts also provide plenty of podcasts to help kids understand different moments in history and its context.
Our Review
We like this podcast because it’s a great way for kids to learn about the past, while also helping them make connections to what they see in their everyday lives.
The podcasts are easy to follow and provide plenty of information.
4. Stories Podcast
Availability: Amazon Music, Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher
Age recommendation: 5+ years old.
Stories Podcast is an award-winning podcast that features stories from around the world for kids to enjoy. Each episode typically lasts about 15 minutes and each one tells a different story with beautiful music and sound effects. The podcasts feature a mix of both classic tales and original stories.
Our Review
We like this podcast because it’s a great way for kids to get exposed to different stories worldwide.
The podcasts are engaging, and each episode provides plenty of material for further conversations with your child!
I also like how it tells classical stories from Snow White to Winnie the Pooh.
5. What If World
Availability: Amazon Music, Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher
Age recommendation: 6+ years old.
What if World is a unique podcast that explores different “what if” scenarios in each episode.
Every story starts with the main character asking what would happen if something bizarre were to happen.
The podcasts also feature sound effects and fun music, which makes them even more engaging.
Our Review
We like this podcast because it’s creative and imaginative. The podcasts are also filled with funny scenarios that can get kids thinking about different possibilities in life.
It also helps to spark conversations between parents and children as each episode leaves plenty of room for questions and discussions.
In Summary: 15 Best Podcasts for Kids in 2023 (English & Chinese)
In summary, podcasts can be a great way for keeping kids entertained and engaged during long car rides.
Many options offer educational content and fun stories if you’re looking for kids' podcasts in English or Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin).
From neuroscience tips to Cantonese children's songs, these podcasts have something for everyone!
We've tested these 15 podcast recommendations on our kids and trust they'll be just as enjoyable for yours!
But first, assess these podcasts' comprehension levels as they may differ for your child – don't hesitate to ask for clarification if confusion arises.
Please let us know if there are other children's podcasts you would recommend, and leave us a comment!
