Road Trip Ready: The Best Podcasts to Keep Kids Engaged in the Car or on the Plane
Long trips with kids can feel like a marathon. Whether you’re heading out on a holiday road trip or figuring out how to keep your kid occupied on a plane, one challenge always comes up: how do you keep them entertained without handing over a screen the entire time?
That’s where podcasts come in.
With the right mix of storytelling, science, music, and silliness, podcasts can turn travel time into something your kids actually look forward to. Here’s how to make them your secret travel superpower.
Why Podcasts Are Perfect for Travel
Travel days can feel long. Podcasts help fill that time with something meaningful (and fun).
Podcasts create space for curiosity and conversation
Unlike screens, podcasts invite everyone in.
You can pause, rewind, ask questions, or wonder out loud together. One great episode can spark a whole chain of “wait… what?!” and “wow!” moments—and those are the ones that stick.
Explore all our podcasts that foster curiosity and make you and your listener say, “WOW!”
They’re easy, portable, and ready anywhere
Download episodes ahead of time and you’re set—no Wi-Fi needed! With episodes ready to go, you are set for long stretches of highway, boarding gates and taxiing planes, and the moment when you realize…there is no service.
They make co-listening feel like an adventure
When kids and grown-ups are both engaged, something special happens: you’re not just passing time, you’re sharing it!
Whether your little traveler is really robotics or dinosaurs, we had episodes for every interest in our family podcast collections. Explore now.
They’re a screen-free win
Especially helpful if you’re navigating how to keep your kid occupied on a plane, podcasts give kids something immersive to focus on—without the concern that you’re inflating their screentime just to keep them quiet.
Recommended Shows & Episodes
The best travel listening has range: big laughs, big ideas, and moments to reset.
Here are a few ways to build your lineup:
For Big Laughs & Big Questions: Wow in the World
This is where curiosity meets comedy.
With surprising science stories and plenty of silliness, Wow in the World turns travel time into shared discovery. Join hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz as they take curious kids and their grown-ups on a cartoon for the ear journey filled with laughter, adventure, and wow-worthy stories.
For Energy Boosts and Dance Breaks: Once Upon A Beat
Sometimes you just need to dance to a new beat! Listen as Grammy-winning host Fyütch turns the tables on classic fables like Rapunzel and Goldilocks with a hip-hop twist!
For a Quick Burst of Interaction: Two Whats?! And A Wow!
Get the brain juices flowing with an interactive game show. Play along with three rounds and find out which is the true WOW among the totally made-up WHATs?!
For the Wind-Down Moments: Who, When, Wow!
Dive into the mysteries of history, like Bigfoot, Amelia Earhart, and the Lost City of Atlantis, with time-traveling detective Carly Q. Sure to keep your listeners at the edge of their seats, Who, When, Wow! is perfect for a long car ride or a late flight.
Keep the Wow Going
Already arrived at your destination but now your Wowzers are hooked? We get it! Become a World Organization of Wowzers member and unlock all sorts of activities that you can use during your vacation. It’ll be a trip you won’t forget!
Trips for Road Trip (and Plane and Train) Listening
- Download before you go
- If you’re prepping for a flight, this is key. Having episodes ready means you’re covered from takeoff to landing. No scrambling required.
- Build your listening lineup together
- Invite your kids to help choose what to listen to. When they’re part of the process, they’re more engaged and more excited to press play.
- Turn episodes into shared moments
- “What do you think about that?” and “Why do you think that happens?” or “Tell me what you just learned about!” These small moments turn listening into connection.
- Use episodes as travel markers
- Try out using episodes to mark time by saying “just one more episode until we arrive.” It helps kids understand time and gives them something to look forward to.
- Pair podcast with simple activities to keep their hands busy
- Depending on how you’re traveling, try coloring, drawing, using an Etch A Sketch or Play Doh.
