Kid questions get fascinating answers; some heavy topics.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a little
Several episodes have warnings at the front indicating that content may be scary or confusing for some kids. The host encourages adults to preview, listen with their child, or skip the episode altogether depending on the individual listeners. Some of the specific episodes with warnings are on the topics of the Ukraine-Russian war, violence seen in the news, death, and cancer.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Infrequent and unproblematic ads within episodes directed at adult listeners.
Educational Value
a lot
Provides information based on questions asked by kid listeners that are grouped to create topics that become the focus of individual episodes. Each show answers several questions from different listeners. Episode learning guides are available on the show's website for post-listening use; they were created with kids ages 5-9 in mind and are aligned to Common Core standards. A handful of episodes have additional supplemental materials available, like coloring pages, experiments, and recipes.
Positive Messages
a lot
Asking and finding answers to questions is how we understand the world around us. Kids' curiosities and questions are important to address honestly and factually. Questions help us understand history and why things happen the way they do.
Positive Role Models
a lot
A variety of interesting guests join the show to discuss topics with host Jane Lindholm. For example, a linguist joins an episode to share the beginnings of language and how it has evolved over centuries. A chief scientist at NASA joins another episode to discuss space exploration. Show notes detail further information about the guests and artists featured in individual episodes.
Diverse Representations
a little
The show takes questions from kids worldwide and finds a range of interesting people to answer them. The coloring pages provided with a handful of episodes share the work of diverse artists from across the state of Vermont.
Parents need to know that But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids leaves little off the table in terms of answering kids' questions. The show supports kids' curiosity about a range of topics that includes subjects like cancer, death, gender identity, where babies come from, the beginning and end of the world, and violence on TV. While several episodes provide gentle warnings at the front and in episode-specific show notes, parents may want to preview or listen to these episodes together if kids have connections or experiences related to the topics. That said, the way the host tackles the more sensitive topics feels well-researched and developmentally appropriate in terms of explanations and vocabulary. And, of course, other episodes cover lighter questions like why ladybugs have spots and how sugar is bad for the body. Most of the questions are voiced by the kids asking them.
I listen to this podcast in the car with my 4 year old and we love it. It’s a good mix of fun and educational. My kid loves hearing the voices of all the other kids from around the world. I really appreciate the diversity and how they tackle difficult topics in an honest, kid friendly way.
BUT WHY: A PODCAST FOR CURIOUS KIDS is a show in which questions are crowd-sourced by kid listeners. They're asked to call in or email voice-recorded questions that they're curious about. Sample topics range from current events like the reasons behind Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine to the history topics (how did people keep their food cold in olden days?). Kids' questions are grouped by topic and explored, with host Jane Lindholm and interesting guests presenting the answers.
This podcast is an excellent listen for both kids and adults who are fascinated by exciting facts on various topics. On But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids kids source the topics through their questions, and the content is presented via language and explanations that make sense to kid listeners (although it could feel dry to some, and it could be a challenge for all kids to stay engaged during longer episodes or those that don't include guests). While a handful of the topics covered may be uncomfortable for some families (war, illness, etc.), they provide space for adults to further the conversation and field questions after listening to the episodes together.
The show is produced by Vermont Public Radio, and Jane Lindholm is the show's creator, executive producer, and host. She's recognized as an expert in her field and has been noted as "Vermont Public Radio's most recognizable voice." Thanks to its robust number of accessible, Common Core-aligned learning guides, guests from across the world, and a focus on using kids' questions as the driver for content, the show has had a strong following since its inception in 2016.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about questions they would want answered on But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids. Can you share some of your curiosities? Why is curiosity a valuable character strength?
How do you feel when you hear about topics that might seem confusing or scary? Is there anything that makes these topics less confusing or scary?
When was a time you used a question to support your learning? What did you learn from asking those questions?
Does it sometimes scare you or make you nervous to raise your hand and ask a question? Do you think others may feel the same? How can you use bravery to gain the courage to ask questions on your mind?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Mary Field
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
