10 Best Podcasts for Your Inquisitive Teen
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Teenagers like to listen.
You know, to things like music.
Videos.
Friends.
And, sometimes parents.
What if you could capture that listening super power,
and harness it for good?
Podcasts for teens.
I found some gems while searching for kids’ podcasts.
So, scroll on and try some of these.
Also, I can’t count. Well, I can count.
I just don’t like to be tied down.
You’ll find bonuses beyond just 10.
Benefits of Listening to Podcasts
Podcasts are audio shows for all ages which can be streamed from a computer, tablet, or smart phone. You can also download episodes and subscribe so you get the newest shows regularly.
Let’s review why listening to podcasts is a good idea.
Even for teens.
Maybe even especially for teens.
- Continues to Develop Listening Skills– this is a nice feature for getting accustomed to listening to lectures in college or hearing directions in the workplace.
- Helps Auditory Learners Thrive– hones skills for teens and is a terrific way to keep them learning
- Offers Portable Learning– you can take a podcast with you anywhere from the van to the store to your favorite cozy listening spot at home. Teens are often on the go as high school wears on. Getting in the habit of learning while moving is a great idea.
- Adds Supplemental Material– for your curriculum or learning goals and you can often find podcasts that really spark an interest for teens
- Provides More Independent Activities– especially for teens who are struggling to work on their own.
- Listen at a Low Cost– most often podcasts are free from their creators. Sometimes a subscription is required, but the ones I’ve listed here are all available for free.
So, when does a busy teen find time to fit in extra listening?
If it’s something of interest, they’ll find the time.
Mine listen while they work on chores or while they engage in creative endeavors.
And sometimes when they just want to be still.
How to Make it Easy to Listen
The best way to get to a podcast fast is to subscribe to the podcast.
Sometimes this is easier said than done.
Especially if you are an Android user.
Pro tip for podcasters: If you are reading, the entire world does not play with iThings. Make sure you don’t alienate users by only offering your podcast on iTunes.
So, how do you find and listen to podcasts?
- Follow these links– and see how you can listen
- Subscribe– using iTunes or whatever app they suggest for Android. I prefer Google Play.
- Stream from the Website– you can simply hit play to hear the episode. Most podcast websites offer a player right on the page. This is a good way to go if you are listening on a Kindle.
- Download and listen– just download the episode to your device and listen right away or later on
The benefit to subscribing is that you’ll always know when new episodes arrive and the interface for the subscriptions makes it easy to find and hit pause on your listening. It’s also great for mobile listening. Which is when a lot of people listen.
Fun with Words Type Podcasts
Podcasts about the nuance of words and language are just plain fun.
They insert little bits of knowledge that go a long way.
- Grammar Girl– this podcast provides short, friendly tips to improve writing brought to you by a magazine and technical writer. She has a lot going on here and the episodes are short and
- The Allusionist– This is an all time favorite for my 17yo daughter who loves words. It’s a podcast about language.
- 10 Minute Writer’s Workshop– a peek at the lives and habits of great writers which makes a fun look at the writing process.
- Writing Excuses– a fast paced, educational podcast for writers brought to us by writers. The goal is to help listeners become better writers. Win.
Science Podcasts
There are many options for science podcast, but I choose two for this list. I subscribe to more.
Once you have the hang of finding podcasts, your teen will be able to search for more.
- SciFri– for science buffs, Science Friday is a topical podcast which releases on…you guessed it, Fridays. You’ll find lots of new research and interesting science tidbits.
- Radio Lab– a podcast that likes to unpack science topics. This one has something for everyone.
Math Podcasts for Teens
Anything that brings up cool things about math is worth our time.
Math geeks unite!
The Math Dude– more quick and dirty tips for math by a self professed math dude. Make sense of math!
More or Less– making sense of the stats we hear everyday. One that caught my eye was determining how wealthy Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice was according to today’s dollar value.
A History of Maths- ten minutes about famous mathematicians and their contributions.
History Podcasts
Next to language podcasts, history is my favorite. Even though I adore science.
History podcasts tell a story.
Like the topic of science, there are loads of history podcasts to choose from.
These are my favorites.
- Byline– This is a go along to the Byline curriculum written by Daniel Shwabauer of the One Year Adventure Novel. The premise of this program is to teach teens to write essays through historical journalism and he provides lots of old news stories as examples.
- The Pirate History Podcast– Ok, so this is a prime example of what happens when someone starts a podcast about their favorite thing. This podcast is all about the golden era of piracy. What’s not to love?
- Under the Crossbones: The Pirate Podcast– all things pirate in pop culture and beyond. Are there really two pirate podcasts? Yes! Which is why I had to include both.
Other Fun Podcasts for Teens
- Genius Dialogues– I found this one on my Audible channels. It’s a gem. The host interviews MacArthur “genius grant” recipients about what they do. I listened to a fascinating episode about Luis von Ahn, who created captcha and DuoLingo and it was fantastic.
- Welcome to Night Vale– a podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring sinister happenings. Not really suitable for younger kids because it’s tense, but highly regarded for the teen crowd and up.
- Dice Tower– this is a gaming podcast. So, if your teen is into games this could be a lot of fun.
- Youth Radio– takes on social issues and current events. This one is for older teens and might provide great talking points for parents and teens.
- TED Talks Audio– You can find TED Talks using the app for Android or Apple or by subscribing to TED Radio. The app includes video while the podcast is audio only, but I enjoy learning from experts in any field. Which really is a good piece of the magic that is a TED Talk.
- Sports Casts– I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the sports connection. My 19yo follows college teams and likes to keep up with college football. I’m not linking to a specific podcast because he listens to a conference podcast the most.
More Posts for Inquisitive Teens
- Best Educational YouTube Channels for Homeschoolers– this is a list of channels we enjoy and there’s a lot of content for teens on this list.
- 10 Best Podcasts for Curious Kids– There’s some great shows here that teens would enjoy as well. Especially if they don’t have much time or their attention cannot be captured for long.
- How to Homeschool with a Kindle– Another great way to enjoy this tool is to use it for listening to podcasts.
- Must Watch TED Talks for Homeschoolers– Speaking of TED Talks, have you seen this list?
Podcasts are cool.
You never know what you’re going to get.
While I was putting this together, my 12yo and I listened to a podcast.
It was devoted to monster prime numbers.
Which led to a marvelous discussion about the Goldbach Conjecture.
Think of podcasts as another way to interject truth and beauty
throughout your teen’s day
and talk about it.
That’s probably the most important piece.
The talking points.
Keeping live connections between you and your teen.
Put it in your teen mom tool box
along with books.
Thanks! We listen to loads more podcasts than music in our house, but I sometimes have to be careful that they are age appropriate. We will try one of these out tomorrow.
Uh yeah…about that…some of these have some language issues, Cherylin! Some are for adults, but I figure older teens can handle it.