Many of us are spending way more time on screen than necessary. We all would benefit from “off screen time” (funny that I share this in a post that you can only read… online).
As I am discovering more and more audio resources (audiobooks, songs, stories, podcasts), I thought I’d to share some audio resources that can help our children enjoy our languages.
Especially when we can not provide a language rich context for our children, due to complicated situations that do not allow us to meet with extended family or hire nannies or babysitters who could support our children’s language development in the target languages, we have to find alternative solutions.
Here are some suggestions about podcasts that members of my facebook group Multilingual Families kindly shared with me.
This is an ongoing list which means that I will update this post regularly.
If you would like me to include a podcast that you find particularly useful in your language, I would be very thankful if you could share your suggestions by indicating it in the comments here below:
[Podcast name]:
[language]:
[link]:
[target group (age group)]:
[where one can follow it]:
[main topics]:
[your name – if you wish to be mentioned in the post and]
Update: 12 September 2024
ARABIC
- A post with links to Arabic Podcasts
[Ayesha Nicole]
- Storytime with Teta
[link]: https://www.storytimewithteta.com/
Main topics: An Arabic-language podcast for children
[Ayesha Nicole]
Egyptian Arabic
- Yuhu podcast for kids
[link]: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/yuhuhu-podcast-for-kids-in-egyptian-arabic-f5OrT2DcLhm/
[Ayesha Nicole]
CHINESE (MANDARIN)
- Playful Chinese
[language]: Bilingual in English and Mandarin Chinese.
[target group]: Non-native parents and children, Chinese podcast for ABC parents and heritage speakers.
[listen on]: Apple Podcast at https://apple.co/31m1NJD
Main topics: Everyday Chinese you can use to keep Mandarin active with your children. It is in a playful story/topic format. There are occasional interview episodes with linguists, authors, and language learners.
[Amanda Hsiung Blodgett, “Miss Panda” and I am the host of the podcast and the creator of Miss Panda Chinese]
DUTCH
As I found hundreds of podcasts for children in Dutch, I share the sites where you can find them.
- KinderPodcasts
- Jeugdbieb
- Mamaliefde
- PodcastsLuisteren
- Radio via Internet
- ZAPP podcasts voor kinderen
- 5 leuke podcasts voor kinderen – Kids Week
- 20 toffe podcasts voor kinderen – Go Kids Site
- Podcasts voor kinderen in het Vlaams
Here is a list of podcasts for teenagers ( please, check if the content is ok for your teenager; some are from teenagers for teenagers, others from psychologists; furthermore, there are some from Belgium, dus in het Vlaams)
- Onbespeekbaar: het gaat over mentale gezondheid, kwetsbaarheid, sociale media en zelfacceptatie (Apple en Spotify)
- Kinderpodcast (11-14 jaar)
- Te lui om te lezen
- Creative Minds Podcast
- Waarom? Daarom!
- Wetenschapje (vanaf 8 jaar) (B)
- Geheugenissen (geschiedenis podcast van de Uni Ghent)
- Meiden Praat
- Gewoon wij, tieners
ENGLISH
- Circle Round
[link]: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1246443751
[target group]: 4-10
[main topics]: “Created and produced by parents of young children, WBUR’s Circle Round adapts carefully-selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 4 to 10. Each 10- to 20-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity. And each episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups.”
[Ute Limacher-Riebold]
- Purple Rocket Podcast
[link]: https://purplerocketpodcast.com/podcast/
[target group]: 4+
[main topics]: “Purple Rocket Podcast has a mix of content with quite a few long-running series, including “Grandpa’s Globe,” which is about twins Sawyer and Suzie, who use their grandfather’s magical globe to explore the universe. Other adventures involve everything from aliens to fairies. Mixed in with the series are occasional one-offs, some of which manage to impart little lessons for your kids. For example, “My Homework Ate Me” is a cautionary tale of procrastination.” (quote from WIRED)
[Ute Limacher-Riebold]
- Stories Podcast
[link]: https://storiespodcast.com/
[target group]: 3+
[main topics]: Stories Podcast “performs a new story every week, drawing from a variety of sources and a variety of styles. There are retellings of classics like Snow White, some folktales, and myths from around the world, as well as original stories. Episodes range from 10 to 20 minutes, with most on the longer side. Everything here is G-rated and safe for all ages”.
GERMAN
- Die Unsinkbaren Drei
[link]: https://kinder.wdr.de/radio/kiraka/audio/die-unsinkbaren-drei/index.html
[target group (age group)]: 4+
[main topics]: Bummkopp, Gräte und Kapitän Flitschauge sind die Bestatzung der Sturmhölle und erleben jede Menge Abenteuer zusammen. Und streiten dabei was das Zeug hält. Die unterhaltsamen Geschichten von jeweils etwa vier Minuten machen Spaß und vermitteln ganz nebenbei auch einige Fakten.
[Ute Limacher-Riebold]
- Do Re MiKro
[link]: https://www.br.de/mediathek/podcast/do-re-mikro-die-musiksendung-fuer-kinder/517
[target group (age group)]: 6+
[main topics]: If you want your children to have access to classic music, try to listen to the podcast Do Re Mikro from the BR (Bayerischer Rundfunk)
[Ute Limacher-Riebold]
- Geolino Podcast
[link]: https://open.spotify.com/show/0o5qbxarbs5TCegnJ3e6GA
[target group (age group)]: 6+
[main topics]: Facts for young discoverers
[Ute Limacher-Riebold]
- Mikado
[link]: https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/info/sendungen/mikado/mikado_am_morgen/podcast4223.html
[target group (age group)]: 6+
[main topics]: Ein Thema und dazu vier Sendungen, eine täglich von Montag bis Donnerstag – das ist das Konzept von Mikado. Themen sind dabei beispielsweise das Wetter, „Drinnen Spaß“ oder Tiere im Winter.
[Ute Limacher-Riebold]
- Radio Mikro
[link]: https://www.br.de/kinder/hoeren/radiomikro/podcast-rss-itunes-radiomikro-102.html
[target group (age group)]: 6+
[main topics]: radioMikro is a daily broadcast for children (on the radio channel Bayern 2) Monday – Saturday at 18.30 CET and on Sundays at 7.05 CET. The podcast is accessible via iTunes, the ARD Mediathek or in your browser.
[Ute Limacher-Riebold]
- Schaulicht
[link]: https://schlaulicht.info/
[target group (age group)]: 6+
[main topics]: All kind of topics: dragons, myths, journalism…
[Ute Limacher-Riebold]
For 6/8+ year olds and teenagers
- SWR2 Wissen
[link]: https://open.spotify.com/show/76IHUGox6bXwXrCjDW63a1?si=497469007d4b495c
Follow our playlist for 6-12 year olds on PEaCH Spotify set up by Jessica Paolillo, content creator at Multilingual Families.
PORTUGUESE (BRAZIL)
- Era uma vez um podcast
[link]:https://open.spotify.com/show/4q8oXx83A2mlflTmKzjTWH?si=65b06a0c1dc34914
[language]: Portuguese Brazil
[where one can follow it]: Spotify, Podcast app
[main topics]: stories
[Aline Brownjohn]
- Histórias infantis de pai para filha
[link]: https://open.spotify.com/show/0CjRGovFGolnDgztRbVIbf?si=f5c79131ddad4d8c
[language]: Portuguese Brazil
[where one can follow it]: Spotify, Podcast app
[main topics]: stories
[Aline Brownjohn]
SPANISH
- Eat your Spanish
https://www.eatyourspanishpodcast.com/
[language]: target language: Spanish ( lingua ponte : English)
[target age]: 3-6 years I think
[main topics] “is a podcast created Evan and Vanessa to share their deep love of music and the Spanish language with children everywhere. Their goal is to provide a constant source of warmth and comfort for all who listen and to make sure the Spanish content feels fun and easy to learn. “
[Jessica Paolillo; content creator at Multilingual Families]
On Spotify you can find PEaCH for Bilingual Children Spotify with more audio material (songs, stories, podcasts) for your children in a great and growing range of languages – have a look at our playlists! This is an initiative started and coordinated by Jessica Paolillo (content creator at Multilingual Families) (click on the picture):
Jessica Paolillo
Jessica Paolillo has always focused on cultural studies, earning a degree in Cultural Heritage and scholarships, including one at Madrid’s Museo del Prado. After promoting young artists and artisans, motherhood led her to combine passions for art, language, and identity. Enthusiastic about bilingualism and reading promotion, she collaborates with PEaCH and Il Giardino Multilingue. She holds specializations in intercultural education and, in 2023, completed a postgraduate course in Children’s and Young Adult Literature at the University of Padua.
Her commitment to fostering inclusive and stereotype-free literature is one of the objectives she holds most dear. She collaborates with Piano C Milano, curating the Scintille di Libertà column to promote children’s and young adult literature that breaks free from traditional molds. She is also actively engaged in independent reading projects, working with libraries, providing bibliographic guidance, and volunteering for Nati Per Leggere. In addition, she trains preschool and nursery school teachers in Merano as part of the Libri liberi project (2025), which promotes a gender-stereotype-free bibliography from early childhood. Through these initiatives, she continues to explore the intersection of literature, education, and cultural identity, striving to create a more inclusive reading landscape for future generations.
Ute Limacher-Riebold
Ute Limacher-Riebold, PhD, is the founder of Multilingual-Families.com and Owner of Ute’s International Lounge & Academy.
She empowers internationals to maintain their languages and cultures effectively while embracing new ones whilst living “abroad”.
She grew up with multiple languages, holds a PhD in Romance Studies and has worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of Zurich (Department of Italian Historical Linguistics). She taught Italian historical linguistics, researched Italian dialects and minority languages, and contributed to and led various academic projects.
Driven by her passion for successful language development and maintenance, and personal experiences with language shifts, Ute supports multilingual families worldwide in nurturing their languages and cultural identities in the most effective and healthy way.
