Here are our favourite family podcasts for family road trips.
Greeking Out
Brought to us by National Geographic, Greeking Out retells the classic Greek myths, illuminating them with fun facts and tidbits on Ancient Greek history and culture. The success of this fab podcast is down in no small part to its host, Kenny Curtis, who has spent decades in children’s radio. Listen here.
Homeschool History
Back in the dark days of 2020, when lockdown tested the patience of every parent, Greg Jenner (who created Horrible Histories) came to the rescue with this fun series of short history lessons for the whole family. From Shakespeare to Dickens and Mary Queen of Scots to Cleopatra, no historical stone is left unturned. We particularly love the short quiz at the end of each 50-minute episode, which keeps you all on your toes. Listen here.
David Walliams’ Marvellous Musical Podcast
If anything is going to get your children into classical music, it is David Walliams’ irreverent sense of humour. His 10-episode Marvellous Musical Podcast magically lifts the lid on a genre that is all too easy for kids to dismiss. The likes of Beethoven, Schumann, Liszt, Ballet and even John Williams are covered with glee. Listen here.
The Week Junior Show
This podcast takes us behind the scenes of the wildly successful Week Junior magazine. A brilliant resource, the show debates the week’s hot topics, dives into its most interesting news stories and provides excellent family talking points. Listen here.
The Rest Is History
Here, historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook attempt to unpack history in order to understand the present. This podcast isn’t specifically designed for children but some episodes – like History’s Greatest Dogs, Columbus: Villain or Hero? and The Rise of the Nazis – work brilliantly for older ones. Listen here.
You’re Dead To Me
The heroic Greg Jenner returns here, bringing together the best names in history and comedy so that we can all learn about the past as we laugh along the way. We especially love the recent episode on Agatha Christie and the one entitled Christmas with Charles Dickens. Listen here.
Everything Under The Sun
In this fantastic weekly podcast, host Molly Oldfield invites knowledgeable celebrity guests to answer the questions that her curious young readers have sent in – about everything under the sun. To understand the flavour, all you need to know is that in April she got Tweedie the Clown, from Giffords’ Circus, to answer the question: Why do we think it’s funny when people trip? Listen here.
By Becky Ladenburg
August 2023
