Curated Radiolab episodes are kid-friendly, except for ads.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
A rotating ad for another podcast discusses Viagra and its impact on sex lives. One ad mentions men's expectations for penis performance in the context of sex.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Rotating ads for other podcasts, products, and services directed toward adults are played at the beginning, middle (of longer episodes), and end of episodes. They don't always match the kid-friendly content of the episode topics (i.e. ads for Viagra), and they change to match the timeliness of new episodes of other shows in the same production network, making it difficult to know ahead of time whether they'll be appropriate for kids.
Violence & Scariness
very little
Potentially upsetting topics (like the forced assimilation of Native American children) may be discussed.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Provides research and recent discoveries about topics related to science, art, history, and culture. Individual episode websites (linked in show notes) often offer further details and links to additional information.
Positive Messages
a lot
Investigative journalism shows that curiosity can lead to engaging storytelling and fascinating learning.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Featured experts include an inventor, a paleontologist, a professor of public health, a midwater ecologist, a biographer, and a film editor. The range of many guests' specific roles, experiences, and knowledge support reporting and discussing the topics with the show hosts.
Diverse Representations
some
The show travels the world to hear from a wide range of people. One episode discusses the history of football and how it directly relates to the forced assimilation of Native American children through boarding schools; the grandson of a famous Lakota tribal leader is featured.
Parents need to know that Radiolab for Kids is a curated list of family-friendly (i.e. "clean") episodes from the well-known, long-running podcast Radiolab. While the episodes weren't explicitly created for kids, they were selected as the most kid-appropriate shows from hundreds in Radiolab's archive, placed in a new podcast stream, and given new intros, resulting in content that's appropriate for younger tweens and up. That said, some topics have the potential to be distressing (for example, forced assimilation of Native American children), and the rotating ads at the beginning, end, and sometimes middle of episodes are not screened for appropriateness (i.e. some are for products like Viagra and mention sex).
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What’s It About?
RADIOLAB FOR KIDS is a carefully curated selection of podcast episodes from the long-running Radiolab podcast. These family-friendly episodes are filled with investigative storytelling that shares information from all angles on topics like sound, color, sea life, history, math, and animal science. Shows are paired with sound and narration from noteworthy hosts and fascinating guests. One episode shares research in the area of world languages relating to better vocal tones in singers, while another takes listeners through the history of numbers. Each show links to an individual show website that often includes additional images, resources, and links available for further exploring.
While very young children might have a hard time understanding some of the content, this thoughtfully curated set of episodes lets parents relax and listen without having to screen the content. The award-winning Radiolab has been around since 2002, but it's more known for its dynamic, high-quality storytelling experiences than its family-friendly nature.
Gathering the show's family-friendly episodes in one place supports parents in taking out most of the guesswork and stress of previewing Radiolab's general stream. Radiolab for Kids is a great listen for family trips or at home as an alternative to screen-based media. Each show is filled with sound, music, humor, and discovery. One episode, "Octomon," about a deep-sea octopus' heroic journey toward motherhood, is an absolute must listen that will spark all kinds of emotions!
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Radiolab for Kids approaches journalism. What makes an interview with a guest interesting?
What wonderings do you have still about a topic explored on the podcast? How do you think you could find out their answers?
How does pairing sound and music with investigative reporting support quality storytelling within episodes?
If you were to plan an episode for the hosts, what would be the topic? Who might you have on the show?
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?
