As mentioned in the introduction to this series, I’m a huge fan of podcasts even though I only started listening to them in the past year. Last week I shared my list of favourite podcasts in Portuguese but it was not until recently that I found out there are also podcasts for children!

The hidden world of podcasts for children

It had not even occurred to me to look for podcasts for children, especially in the target language. However, it seems like it’s a thing. For example, radio channels and other media outlets often repurpose their programmes as podcasts. Others are just stories, like audio books.

It can be a good alternative to TV and tablets, to have playing in the background, or even to listen to purposefully. I’ve got to be honest, I’ve downloaded a few but the girls were given tablets last Christmas and it’s hard to compete with that!

How to find podcasts in your traget language

Below are some podcasts I found in our target language: Portuguese. Most are in European Portuguese, two in Brazilian Portuguese.

You too can try to search in your own target language. I made some suggestions at the end of my last post as to how to find podcasts in your target language. Not all of them apply to podcasts aimed at children as often they have unexpected, less descriptive titles. It helps to know what you’re looking for.

Try to think of media outlets back home that produce content for children and search their website for podcasts – there is often a menu at the top or bottom of the page that includes ‘podcasts’ listed.

Podcasts in Portuguese for children

Pequenas historias de grandes músicos

Very short stories about the lives of well-known musicians. Each episode is only three minutes long. The voices are very clear and it has a good pace so that the children can understand. It includes music excerpts and it’s a nice introduction in Portuguese to music education. It can also be listened to on a browser

There is also a version of well-known films (image below) called Grandes Fitas. It follows the same three-minute format but it’s a lot more animated, with dramatised voices and I’m not sure it’s quite as clear for children who do not have Portuguese as a first language, but it’s worth a try for older children or those who are very perfectly bilingual.

You can find these and many more different podcasts from Zig Zag on the browser, or search for ‘Zig Zag’ on your podcast platform (e.g. Pocket Casts or iTunes).

Histórias de Ninar para Garotas Rebeldes

I cannot tell you how happy I was to have found this podcast in Portuguese! We’re huge fans of the best selling book Night time stories for rebel girls. In this podcast, the stories are narrated in Brazilian Portuguese. You can also listen to it on a browser.

Uma Aventura

When I first found this podcast I was overcome with nostalgia. Uma Aventura was THE book collection we used to read when I was a child in Portugal. Unfortunately, the voices in the podcast are too animated and fast so my girls can’t appreciate it just yet – but it may be enjoyed by others.

P de Porque

Short episodes where three children answer questions in a child-friendly way. The questions are ‘real’. For example: “what is brexit?”. It’s a new podcast, only launched in November 2018. In the podcast the children say ‘see you next week’ but it appears that a new episode is only published monthly.

It’s a great concept but personally I think the children speak too fast and not as clear as it would be helpful for children who may not live in Portugal. Or maybe it’s aimed at older children…? I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below.

I couldn’t find it on a browser, but if you search for the title on your podcast platform, you should find it easily.

Portugal por Miudos

Portugal por Miudos is a rhyming dramatised storytelling podcast of episodes of the history of Portugal. Very handy history lessons!

Coisa de Crianca

Coisa de Crianca is a science podcast in Brazilian Portuguese. Short five minute episodes, where two grown-ups explain concepts such as why does it rain, why is the sea water salty or where does the sun go at night?

Eu e que sei

This one is told by real children. Radio Comercial went into schools and got children to explain phenomena in their own words. Trocado por miudos by Radio Renascenca offers a similar concept: children are asked by a grown up ‘what are allergies’ etc. Concepts are explained by kids to their peers but I would be cautious with this one. I only heard an episode and there were slightly politically incorrect references by the children. Maybe I’m becoming too Britishly PC?!

Radio miudos

I’m a huge fan of Radio Miudos, a Portuguese browser-based radio station for children. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it’s podcasts on Pocket Casts which is the podcast platform I use, but if you go to the website you can listen to the programmes online.

Also of interest…. Radio stations in various languages

A while ago I wrote a post about radio stations for kids which includes a link to another great blog which lists a huge number of radio stations in different languages:

Radio stations for bilingual kids

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Do you have any podcasts for children you can recommend? Drop it on the comments below.