I've missed a month since the last time I looked at ranking podcasts for kids. (For those of you interested, here is March's list of top-ranked kids and family podcasts.) If you're looking for a podcast for kids, you could of course look at my list of podcasts for kids (inching ever closer to reaching triple-digits), but if that's a bit overwhelming, try the podcasts listed below. Popularity isn't always synonymous with quality, but you could do much worse than dipping into the shows ranked below to start out.
The biggest news since the last time out is the release of NPR's first-ever podcast for kids, Wow in the World. You can learn much more about the show in my interview with the show's creators, Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz, but unsurprisingly, even after just one full episode released this week, it's camping out at the top of the charts.
Even setting aside Wow in the World's arrival, this would still be a big deal sort of list, because there are 16 shows on the ranked list below, meaning 16 shows that appeared in the top 100 of both the iTunes and Stitcher "kids and family" charts. That is a record by a wide margin. The total number of podcasts listed below is 32, which ties the record high. And there are 3 podcasts below which hit the overall iTunes Top 200, while in the Top 200 Kids & Family chart on iTunes, the total there (33) tied the record. So there is clearly some increasing awareness of family-friendly podcasts.
As always: this is a blunt instrument, combining pure rankings from two fairly opaque charts, and for a variety of reasons has only marginal value as a measure of quality. (Results compiled from Top 100 podcasts on iTunes and Stitcher "kids and family" charts on Tuesday, May 16, 2017. Podcasts that appear on both charts are listed with numbers; remaining podcasts only appeared on one list.) So: grain of salt noted.
Two other reminders:
1. If you're looking for a list that has most (or all) of these podcasts, check out my comprehensive list of podcasts for kids.
2. If you're interested in the future of podcasts for kids, you might be interested in Kids Listen, a grassroots organization of podcasters and folks like me interested in helping high-quality audio for children thrive. We're looking for other interested folks -- producers or otherwise -- to join in!
With that out of the way, let's get to the chart.
1. (tie) Brains On!
1. (tie) Stories Podcast
1. (tie) Wow in the World
4. Storynory
5. The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
6. Tumble
7. Story Pirates
8. The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian
9. Dream Big
10. Story Time
11. The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd
12. But Why
13. The Radio Adventures of Eleanor Amplified
14. Peace Out
15. Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child
16. Short and Curly
Others (listed alphabetically): 1001 Classic Short Stories and Tales, Activated Stories, Barefoot Books, Book Club for Kids, Children Stories and Joyful, Disney Story Central, Ear Snacks, Family Folk Tales, Little Stories for Tiny People, Molly and the Sugar Monster, Official Adventures in Odyssey, Podcast Kid, Saturday Morning Theatre, Sparkle Stories, The Story Home, That Story Show
