Podcasts & Books
Get your kids off screens and learning by listening with these entertaining (and educational) audio options. See our favorite kindie music for more listening options.
Wow in the World
Join hosts Guy Raz and the hilarious Mindy Thomas on a journey into the wonders of the world. Go inside brains, out into space and deep into the coolest new stories in science and technology - with lots of wacky fun along the way. One of our family's faves.
Story Pirates
This absurdist sketch comedy show based on stories written by kids features original music and celebrity special guests. Young listeners are invited to submit their own stories that might be brought to live in the podcast or a future live show.
Find comprehensive activity guides for each episode online with recipes, poetry lessons, and more.
Circle Round
Hear sound- and music-rich radio plays geared towards kids ages 4 to 10 based on folktales from around the world. Explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity with guest stage and screen stars. Each episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups.
Ear Snacks
Kindie musicians Andrew & Polly and their friends consider music, science, art and culture in a fun-filled family-friendly podcast enjoyable for kids and grown-ups. Developmentally appropriate & absurdist but never untrue.
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
Learn about extraordinary, inspiring women women in a podcast based on global best-selling book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls (a great purchase for indoor days). Features famous leaders like Harriet Tubman and RBG as well as lesser known heroes from around the world.
AUDIBLE KIDS
Find hundreds of free audio books handpicked by Audible editors. Choose from a mix of stories to entertain, engage, and inform young people, ages 0–18. Spanish, German, French, Japanese and Italian selections also available.
Storyline Online
Watch videos of celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Viola Davis, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more.
Also watch astronauts on the International Space Station read stories to and conduct science experiments at Storytime from Space.
STREAMING STORYTIMES
Storyline Online
Watch videos of celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creative footage of the illustrations. Readers include Oprah Winfrey Viola Davis, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more.
Circle Round
Hear sound- and music-rich radio plays based on folktales from around the world. Explore important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity with guest stage and screen stars.
Each episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups. My daughter’s favorite at bedtime.
Here Wee Read
Find great books recommendations for all ages in all sorts of diverse & inclusive categories, from Harlem Renaissance picture books to graphic novels talking about race. Includes themed collections like Halloween, Weddings,, Kids with Disabilities and RBG.
Find links to buy at bookshop.org, an alternative to amazon that supports independent bookstores.
BRAINPOP
Watch short, well-written animated films on a variety of topics including antiracism & Black history, STEM, arts, math and much more starring a very funny robot.
Take quizzes and play games to test what you learned. Two editions, for ages K-3 or 4th -12th Grade (which can thoughtfully address some weighty topics, so monitor…
Audible Kids
Find hundreds of free audio books handpicked by Audible editors. Choose from a mix of stories to entertain, engage, and inform young people, ages 0–18. Spanish, German, French, Japanese and Italian selections also available.
NEW YORK CITY CHILDREN’S THEATER
Lovely local kids theater company provides entertaining and enriching activities for little ones inspired by past productions including art projects, theater games, storytimes, downloadable activity books and video sing-alongs.
Black Art Picture Books
Learn about African American art history with curated lists from Culture Type, a website exploring art by and about people of African descent. Find gorgeous books about Jean-Michel Basquiat, fashion designer Ann Cole Lowe, Jacob Lawrence and other great black artists on posts Black Art History: 10 Children’s Books Illuminate the…
Starfall
Learn letters, reading and math with untimed, sometimes silly interactive games for preschool through second grade. Includes letter recognition, games, stories, and animations that showcase letter sounds, short reading selections that emphasize vocabulary, and online books that provide fluency and comprehension practice. A favorite of our kids from an early age.
We'll keep adding to this list and our other guides to at-home entertainment and enrichment, subscribe to our email list for updates.