24 really awesome podcasts for teens

These podcasts for teens come highly recommended as a way to get them off their screens and, hopefully, out exercising. Jam in the airpods, hit play on a podcast, and off you go. Once the kids are hooked, it will be super easy to get them out there each day. Just one more episode…

Many of these recommended podcasts for teens are Australian. I was going to single them out, but then I just threw them all in there. I might pull them together separately another time. I think it’s important to feed our US-obsessed teens as much Aussie content as we can. Am I alone in that?

However, there’s no denying that the majority of fantastic podcasts for teens are coming out of the States. Of course, there are plenty of UK podcasts for teens in there too. Actually, I’m sure there are brilliant podcasts coming out of every country on earth, but I’ve stuck with those in English… for now. Who knows where a good podcast could take our teens?

I’d definitely recommending trying some of these podcasts for teens recommendations yourself. I love the Answer Me This!, The Real Thing, Reply All, Life Kit and No Such Thing As Fish podcasts. I should do a podcast posts for mums! Stand by…

24 of the best podcasts for teens

The Radio Adventures of Eleanor Amplified

An NPR family serial, this one starring the irrepressible radio reporter Eleanor Amplified. The great thing about Eleanor’s highly-entertaining exploits is that she opens important conversations about freedom of speech, access to information, privacy and more.

From: USA
Suits: 12-15 years

My Favourite Murder

My Favorite Murder is a hit true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Since its inception in early 2016, the show has broken download records and sparked an enthusiastic, interactive “Murderino” fan base who come out in droves for their sold-out worldwide tours.

From: USA
Suits: 14+ years

Fierce Girls

An ABC podcast that showcases stories of inspiring Australian women like Turia Pitt, Julia Gillard, Helen Reddy, Molly Kelly and so many more. Fierce Girls is into its fourth series and shows no sign of running out of awesome Aussie woman to inspire today’s teens.

From: Australia
Suits: 12+ years

Teenage Dirtbagz

Maddie and Carley are just “two teenagers in their twenties” who are on a quest to watch and dissect the most iconic high school movies of all time. Recent faves include discussion on Easy A, Napolean Dynamite, Freaky Friday, Clueless and Pretty in Pink. It’s fair to say parents will like Teenage Dirtbagz as much as the teens.

From: USA
Suits: 14+ years

Dear Hank & John

Brothers Hank and John Green (of Paper Towns, The Fault In Our Stars and a gazillion other best-selling YA books) answer listener questions with great humour and warmth. The advice they dish out is somehow both practical and funny-as. Teens will appreciate their willingness to dig deep into life’s philosophical questions, plus random gossip.

From: USA
Suits: 12-16 years

Teenager Therapy

Since September 2018, five stressed, sleep deprived, yet energetic teens have talked about the struggles that come with being a teenager. Is high school really as bad as everyone says? Apparently, it is! From mental health, to sexuality, to fave TV shows, this group of five talks about it. They say that vulnerability is their main value for the podcast and Gael, Isaac, Mark, Thomas and Kayla do feel very real.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9BG57gnfoC/

From: USA
Suits: 14+ years

Answer Me This!

Answer Me This! started in 2007 – in fact, it predates the word ‘podcast’, so it’s clearly groundbreaking. Listeners from all over the world submit questions for the hosts Helen Zaltzman and Olly Mann to research and answer. The comedic hosts are super witty and hilarious and the questions, which range from personal problems to ‘how does this work’ often match them for wit.

From: UK
Suits: 16+ years

No Such Thing As Fish

Dan Schreiber, James Harkin, Andrew Hunter Murray and Anna Ptaszynski, the writers of the hit UK show QI, discuss the best things they’ve found out each week. And man, do they find out some interesting stuff! Some random facts from the show:

In the time it takes to listen to the Proclaimers’ I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), the International Space Station travels 500 miles, then 500 more.
The video game Fallout 4 is set in a post-apocalyptic world where you get rewarded for returning library books.
Smartphone users touch their phone 2,617 times a day.

From: UK
Suits: 14+ years

Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!

One for the brainiacs, and anyone wanting to become one. This hour-long quiz podcast lets you test your know-how against weekly guests. You have to figure out what’s real news from the week and what’s made up. Recent guests have varied from rapper Big Boi to Will Arnett to Tracy Letts, so they may or may not appeal to teens. Luckily the host Peter Sagal is always on form and taking part in the quiz is hugely entertaining.

From: USA
Suits: 15+ years

Try a project too: 17 ongoing projects that will help kids grow

Life Kit

Though aimed at an adult audience, Life Kit still has loads for teens to get into in this NPR podcast. Each episode is only around 20 minutes, so they are not a punish on frazzled attention spans. The show covers everything you need to know to lead a healthier, happier, more organised life. Recent episodes include getting into poetry, the awkwardness of puberty and reading food labels.

From: USA
Suits: 13+ years

The Tip Off

A really fascinating look at how investigative journalism works. Each episode digs deep into a recent scoop, talking to the journalist who broke the story about how, when, where and why. The Tip Off is great listening for any teen, but especially those interested in journalism (obviously) or becoming more resourceful. Frankly, I reckon listening to this series will make better students out of every teen.

From: UK
Suits: 16+ years

True Stories

Each episode of True Stories by SBS explores the intriguing circumstances of an unsolved murder or mystery, told by award-winning Australian investigative journalist and writer, Mark Whittaker. Along the way we are introduced to unique characters who dare to dream, but sometimes their dreams went very wrong indeed.

From: Australia
Suits: 15+ years

Hack

You can listen to the excellent half-hour Triple J program Hack via podcast. It covers current affairs, music, politics and culture in easy-to-digest soundbites. This is intelligent, authentic broadcasting that’s great for older teens to get into. Current host Avani Dias is very cool, but if I’m honest, I still miss long-time host Tom Tilley. Of course, new listeners won’t know the difference!

From: Australia
Suits: 15+ years

What’s Good Games

Billed as an “an up-beat show for the nerd-inclined”, What’s Good Games about everything gaming is hosted by three friends with over 30 years video game experience. Each episode is over an hour long with loads of information to look up online, so this will absorb your teen for a good afternoon.

From: USA
Suits: 16+ years

Who Would Win

Who Would Win is every geek’s dream podcast. It basically settles ongoing debates about who would win a battle between superheroes and villains from the worlds of comics, scifi and fantasy. There are 61 episodes, ready to go, that discuss battles between, say, Mad Max and Rick Grimes, Captain America vs Darth Vader, Buffy the Vampire Slayer against Leonard Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Harley Quinn against the Black Widow and, you guessed it, The Muppets versus Sesame Street. I think they are saving the ultimate “Superman versus Batman” episode for a later date…

From: USA
Suits: 12+ years

The Real Thing

Aussie stories from around the country. All are personal, some are shocking, many are heroic, and every one of these stories is a truly fascinating insight into what makes Australia tick. The Real Thing is a great way for kids to get to know the diversity of Australia’s culture, and potentially plot the next family road trip!

From: Australia
Suits: 12+ years

The Mortified Podcast

A storytelling series where adults share the embarrassing things they created as kids—diaries, letters, lyrics & beyond—in front of total strangers. We’re talking epic moments that change the course of life forever. Teens will find it hilarious (and quietly reassuring) and will no doubt ask their parents some very awkward questions following certain episodes.

From: USA
Suits: 14+ years

Good for younger teens: 16 really good podcasts for tweens

Teen Girl Talk

It’s probably cringe-worthy for some teens to listen to a podcast called “teen girl talk” – bu don’t let that stop you. Sibling hosts Franklin and Susie Cota are extremely amusing as they recall their own teenage awkward moments and share the latest in movies, books, TV, memes and more for teens. This show is easily as entertaining for boys as it is for girls. It’s been on air for YEARS.

From: USA
Suits: 13+ years

Hamish and Andy

They’re complete idiots, of course, but they’re funny, smart, thoughtful idiots, so that counts for a lot. We could do worse than recommend duo Hamish and Andy‘s analysis of life as we know it to our teens.

From: Australia
Suits: 13+ years

Reply All

This is a fascinating look at what you can find on the internet, aka random sh*t we stumble on that mysteriously consumes us for hours. Like the strange rabbit holes the internet takes us down, Reply All is actually really hard to describe. To give you an overview, there’s a very good review of some of the episodes here. Then take episode #96 as another example. A random guy called Alex Goldman agrees to have his every move filmed and taped by the show. What should be utterly boring – listening to someone else live their life – turns out to be unmissable listening. Quirky teens will especially love this one.

From: USA
Suits: 14+ years

Ask Me Anything

Author and Mamamia writer Rebecca Sparrow turns ‘agony aunt’ to deliver this podcast for tweens and teens. Kids write in anonymously and Rebecca unpacks their questions to deep-dive into the issues that are on kids’ minds right now. Episodes of Ask Me Anything range from how to overcome bullying to avoiding drama at school to not hating your body to what to do when you don’t like your friends. Excellent advice from a trusted source.

From: Australia
Suits: 12+ years

Stuff You Should Know

Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about everything. Plus everything else. Hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant are basically the science teachers you wish you had. They can break the most mind-bending things into easily digested instructions. Stuff You Should Know is part of the How Stuff Works megasite. Other popular podcasts that would suit teens include Stuff You Missed In History Class (what you should have learned about the past) and Stuff Mom Never Told You (about feminism and being female).

From: USA
Suits: 12+ years

Try some TED Talks too: 16 inspiring TED Talks for kids

Science Vs

This is a really cool show that used to be an ABC Radio show. It’s now based in the USA, but still hosted by Australian Wendy Zuckerman who has potentially the most annoying Melbourne accent ever (sorry Wendy), but don’t let that stop you – she’s smart!. Science Vs does exactly what it says on the label – pitting common opinions and ‘facts’ against actual scientific evidence. It’s fascinating stuff for any teen who’s into science or just wants to learn more.

Teenage Mixtape

Teenage Mixtape features the music that dragged celebrities through puberty and beyond. Two comedians – Joel Dommett and Steve Dunne who are also childhood friends, so they knew each other during the tumultuous teen years – rework classic 80s-00s tunes in a way that today’s teens will find very comforting.

From: UK
Suits: 13+ years

Please share your recommended podcasts for teens to try in the comments below…

Feature image by Ryan Quintal; Girl with headphones and guy with green phone by Jeshoots; Runner by Andrea Piacquadio.