The Best Podcasts for Tweens and Teens
In lockdown with teens? You may be ready to rip your hair out right about now. It’s easy to want to call it a day and let them zone out staring into their screens for, well, let’s face it, the entire day… But wait! There’s one mode of teen entertainment that involves listening rather than screen-staring: Podcasts.
Here’s a round up of some great Tween and Teen podcasts many of which are from the US and can be a bit swear-y (for the teens) but all in all there is tons of great content, discussions and thought provoking chat that can inspire, educate and most of all make you laugh out loud!
For the tweens
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
Called the Podcast Stranger Things this is an award winning scripted mystery series for tweens. With a voice cast of actual tweens, a gripping, suspenseful plot, and interactive tie-ins, this story about an 11-year-old searching for his missing friends will keep tweens hooked to the speakers for hours –
5 x 1hour episodes.
Six Minutes
Six Minutes is a suspenseful podcast drama from the creators of the award-winning podcast The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel. Featuring a voice cast of real kids, each six-minute episode continues the story of an 11-year-old girl named Holiday who finds herself in the middle of a mystery adventure with no memory of where she came from.
New updates are released twice a week, and you’ll be counting down the minutes to see what happens next.
2 x episodes a week
Harry Potter and the Sacred Text
What if the Harry Potter series was considered a holy book? While this can feel true to many Potter fans, this thoughtful, spiritual podcast actually puts it into practice. Each episode takes a chapter of a Harry Potter book and looks at it through the lens of a universal theme like love, hope, or destiny. You don’t need to be religious to enjoy this delightful series, but it’s not always spoiler-free, so make sure you’ve read the books ahead of time.
Pants on Fire
Pants on Fire is a silly game show where a tween gets to interview two grown-ups, one who’s an expert on a topic and one’s who’s lying. Hosts Deborah and L.I.S.A. (a sound effects “robot”) guide the kid contestant through the interviews with some goofy jokes and question suggestions, but it’s the kids that make this show worth checking out.
For the tweens and Teens
TED Talks
So many teens and young adults are fans of the TED Talks podcasts. Not only do they cover a huge array of subjects and perspectives, every episode is a perfect combination of informative and inspirational, sure to capture teens attention and provide them with up-to-date knowledge on current affairs.
Stuff you missed in History class
Little-known history comes alive in this fascinating, comprehensive podcast from the people at HowStuffWorks. With a focus on weird events, overlooked stories, and underrepresented groups, this popular series is educational too.
You don’t need to be a history buff to get hooked, but if you’re not, you might become one after a few episodes. You can get your fill with 3 shows x a week.
Science Friday ‘Sci Fri’
Also known as ‘Sci Fri’! This is one of the most popular science podcasts out there, it’s been informing and entertaining listeners for over 20 years. Described as ‘brain fun, for curious people’- it’s the perfect listen for teens interested in science who want to learn about the latest discoveries. Covering everything from octopus camouflage to cooking on Mars!
Playing (of course) every Friday..
#WhoWouldWin
We’ve all played it. Who would win in a fight: Superman or Spider-Man? Finally, someone is taking this question and others like it seriously in a geeky podcast about beloved comic, sci-fi, and fantasy characters.
Okay the audio quality isn’t a match for some of the more established podcasts on this list, but the passionate, well-argued debates between the hosts more than make up for it.
For the Teens
Teen girl talk
Run by two hilarious sisters, Franklin and Susie Cota, this is a safe space for any teen girl. Reality show talk, teen topics, you name it, it’s covered!
New episodes are not uploaded at a set time but Teen Girl Talk offers new content every week
Wait wait…don’t tell me
This compulsive and somewhat wacky combination of news and comedy involves recurring segments about current affairs from a panel of comedians and journalists with a weekly celebrity guest.
This quiz show can be for the whole family together while you’ll try to answer the latest news questions and sort the fact from the fiction. Worth noting some of the jokes are mature and suitable for the older end of the teens.
Dear Hank and John
Brothers John Green (a YA novelist) and Hank Green (a YouTuber) co-host this Dear John type advice podcast, Each episode they answer questions on everything from random thoughts to deep, emotional topics. Light-hearted but always entertaining for listeners.
What’s good games
This weekly podcast is a funny, informative show all about video games. The three female co-hosts have great chemistry and demonstrate clear expertise on the biggest games on the market. They cover news, listener questions, and personal experiences playing games.
To note: While the podcast itself is OK for teens, some of the games they discuss are very mature.
Socially Awkward
A funny US podcast for teens full of interviews that will surely remind them that they are not the only ones walking around this planet feeling like a complete freak. The Socially Awkward Podcast is the discussion by 2 brothers of various things that most sane people would ignore. However, they delve into the wonderful world of the absurd.
Mortified Podcast
This one if for both you and the teens in your house! Mortified is an American storytelling podcast in which adults share the most humiliating things they created as kids and teens — we’re talking those old “Dear Diary” entries, love letters, song lyrics, you name it — with complete and utter strangers. Teens will be able to relate, but its heartwarminly reassuring to listen to their elders talk about mortifying themselves! Hot tip is to listen to this together – guaranteed to spark conversation about your most humiliating teenage moments, so get some old tales polished up and ready to roll.
Joe Rogan Experience
Disclaimer: This is heavily sweary! But teens love it. American comedian, actor, sports commentator, martial artist, and television host, Joe Rogan. has grown to become one of the world’s most popular podcasts, regularly receiving millions of views per episode. He interviews an array of stars and discusses an array of topics!
Whitney Cummings
Again you could argue this delves into some pretty mature and adult themes and discussions and is definitely full of expletives! But teens are fans.
This American Comedian interviews guests (friends, comics, celebs, experts)
Known for her standup comedy specials for HBO and Netflix, Comedy Central Roasts, multiple television series and films, Whitney has a lot of questions for a lot of different kinds of people. She also has opinions.