Welcome to Kidcasts, a 10-part SLJ series delivering playlists with high-interest, educational podcasts to share with students and families who are learning at home. Each playlist will bring you a collection of episodes we’ve gathered that you can easily share via weblink, RSS feed, or embedded. We compile them using ListenNotes, a podcast search engine. All episodes are appropriate for children and adults to enjoy together.

Look for high-interest themes such as dinosaurs, cooking, and scary stories, as well as educational content areas, including civics, math, science, and language arts. And, if you have favorite episode you’d like to add to any playlist, ListenNotes allows you to become a contributor.

Our first selection of playlists is based on helping kids understand the extraordinary moment we’re experiencing. In these COVID-19–related episodes, kids lead many of the conversations by asking questions. That includes, for example, questions about new words and phrases we’re all learning, like social distancing and flattening the curve, and queries about where the virus came from and how we can all help our communities stay safe.

One episode is hosted by an eight-year-old who has been podcasting since he was four. Nate, the host of “The Show About Science,” gains interview access to some of the top scientists in the world. Other episodes from established, reputable public radio shows include “brains on!” and “But Why?” whose models are built around inquiries from young people. Podcasts from abroad, such as “Fun Kids Science Weekly,” from the UK, help children grasp that people worldwide are affected and have similar questions. Independently produced podcasts include “Curious Kids Podcast” and the science-themed “Tumble,” which answers young people’s questions in English and Spanish.

Listen and learn about the coronavirus

The Show About Science: "The Coronavirus with Tara Smith" 
Ages 5–12: Epidemiologist Tara C. Smith has studied infectious diseases for 20 years in the United States and around the globe. She leads the Smith Emerging Infections Laboratory at Kent State University, which focuses on the transmission and evolution of zoonotic pathogens. Smith joins host Nate on this episode to talk about a topic that's making everyone nervous: the coronavirus.

FunKids Science Weekly: "Coronavirus Questions Answered & The Goblin Shark"  
Ages 5–12: Host Dan is joined by friend-of-the-show Professor Lucy Rogers to separate fact from fiction when it comes to COVID-19. Also in this episode: Lying deep in the ocean is a 'living fossil' that looks like it came from outer space.

Curious Kid Podcast: "Curious About Coronavirus"
Ages 5–12: Hosts Jacob and six-year-old-Olivia discuss and learn about the coronavirus. Why does it have that name? Where did it come from? Why is it spreading so quickly? What happens if you get infected? How can you protect yourself from the virus?

brains on! "Staying Home: How Social Distancing Helps Fight Coronavirus"
Ages 5–12: In this episode, brains on! explains the strategy behind social distancing and flattening the curve. The hosts talk with a doctor on the front lines helping people get better and address questions including “Can our pets get sick too?”

Tumble: "Answering Kids’ Coronavirus Questions" (also available in Spanish)
Ages 5–12: Coronavirus is scary and complicated for kids to understand. Tumble collected questions from listeners and in this episode, Dr. Juan Dumois, an infectious disease pediatrician, answers them and provides more information.

Tumble: "Coronavirus: Preguntas y Respuestas Para Niños"
Ages 5–12: Si tienes preguntas sobre el coronavirus, tenemos las respuestas. El coronavirus nos está afectando a todos y puede parecer peligroso y difícil de entender. Por esta razón, Tumble reunió preguntas de sus oyentes y contactó con un experto para responderlas. Le preguntamos al Dr. Juan Dumois, un médico pediátrico de enfermedades infecciosas, lo que todos nos estamos preguntando, especialmente los niños:

Tumble: "Where Do Viruses Come From?"
Ages 5–12: How do animals get viruses and pass them on to humans? That’s what listener Ian wanted to know. Tumble explores the science of virology, the study of viruses. Virologist Dr. Jasdave Chahal explains how coronavirus jumped through two species to impact humans and where it came from in the first place. Listeners learn how scientists discover viruses before even seeing them, and how they build the tools to fight back.

brains on! "Understanding Coronavirus and How Germs Spread"
Ages 8–12: It’s impossible to miss the news about coronavirus, but you probably still have lots of questions. What exactly is it? How do other people catch it? Can I protect myself? In this episode, brains on! breaks down what we know about this new virus and tells you how to stay safe.

But Why? "Coronavirus For Kids, and The Science Of Soap"
Ages 8–12: As COVID-19 spreads across the globe, the World Health Organization has declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic. But Why answers questions about the virus with infectious disease doctor Krutika Kuppalli, who studies global pandemics. Chemistry professor Palli Thordarson from the University of New South Wales explains why washing your hands with plain old soap and water is so effective against germs.

Note: Understanding and news about the pandemic is evolving rapidly. For the most up-to-date information, head to trusted sources such as the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To link or embed this playlist to share with your students, go to

To add additional episodes, request to be a contributor on the link to the playlist.

Youth technology integration consultant Anne Bensfield helps libraries and schools implement new models for innovation. Librarian and Buttons & Figs podcast creator Pamela Rogers inspires creative expression from elementary school kids by reading, writing, and playing with words. To add additional episodes, request to be a contributor on the link to the playlist.