The Best Podcasts For A Family Road Trip

There’s nothing like a good family road trip. But they can, of course, quickly descend into bickering and anguished wails of ‘are we there yet?’ if not properly planned for. The answer? Swerve the screens that we are all collectively trying to escape on our holidays and, instead, keep everyone riveted with a good podcast that the whole family can get on board with (cue fond memories of the Kenneth Williams voiced Just William tapes that accompanied us everywhere on car journeys in the 1980s). These audio treats will have the biggest and the littlest engrossed – all without a whinge or a moan to be heard.

Greeking Out

Energetic and informative, this retelling of classic Greek myths is designed to keep the whole family quiet. Now in its eleventh season, this treat from National Geographic Kids offers hours of storytelling. With two series a year, this one will amuse you for miles and miles.

Stuff You Should Know Podcast

Hosted by a cheery duo from the US, Josh Clark and Chuck W. Bryant, this podcast delves into the background of… a frankly astonishing variety of topics. Some episodes are more adult than others but the ones on ice cream, popcorn and Sesame Street are guaranteed to please the crowd. Start there and we bet you’ll be hooked.

The Rest Is History

History is made so accessible by Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland in this gripping podcast that even the most apathetic teenager will tune in. A clever trick is to locate the episodes that pertain to what they’ve learned at school or engaged with on TV. The Titanic series is fabulous, as is the one on Evita.

BBC Bitesize’s Shakespeare Retold

In these 10 episodes, well-known children’s authors put their spin on the Bard’s greatest tales. A very clever way to pique the interest of the Key Stage Two pupils (aged seven to 11) that it is aimed at, this series provides a stealthy introduction to Shakespeare’s themes and characters.

The National Gallery Tour For Kids

This podcast, brought to us by the radio station Fun Kids, is as brilliant today as it was when it was created almost a decade ago. Each of the 15 short episodes looks playfully at a different painting, its artist and its history. Shamefully under the radar, The National Gallery Tour for Kids does for great art what Walliams’s Marvellous Music does for classical composers.

But Why? A Podcast For Curious Kids

Because this science show is led by children, it debates the topics that really interest them. If previous themes (why we have to wear sunscreen; why some people like spicy food and others don’t; why pandas are black and white) don’t float your or your offspring’s vote, you can email in their question. That’ll draw ‘em in!