Time for Kids Explains

Podcast review by Molly Jackel, Common Sense Media
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Common Sense says

age 7+

Weekly news by kid reporters teaches media literacy.

News Various Hosts 2020
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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this podcast.

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What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Time for Kids Explains is a slick, current events podcast that features lots of media literacy along with the news of the week. The podcast is only available with a subscription to kids' streaming service Pinna -- aside from a few freebies on some platforms -- at $7.99 per month. New episodes drop weekly on Mondays. The content comes from Time Magazine's Time for Kids and covers news like the Olympics, lab-grown meat, SpaceX, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Interview segments, quizzes, human interest stories, and games are used to widen kids' understanding of what's happening in the world. Kid reporters are good role models for curiosity, honesty, perseverance as they dig in to news stories. These kids show good active-listening skills and high media IQ, by asking questions like, "Who did you talk to when you wrote the article?" and "What do you hope the reader takes away from your article?" The podcast is rated for ages 7 to 12, which is a decent range, but if they're in listening range, younger kids could listen, too.

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What’s It About?

TIME FOR KIDS EXPLAINS is a weekly, kid-hosted current events news show from Time magazine's Time for Kids. Kids report on the news of the week and kid-friendly topics, like animals and space travel, via interviews and fun games. They explore media literacy and how to weed out misinformation, by asking questions about sources, discussing fact vs. opinion, and what makes a source credible. One segment is called "Hometown Heroes" about local folks doing good; another is "Fact or Fishy," a quiz in which one of the hosts has to figure out whether a story is factual and credible, or fishy, like from an unreliable source, by asking pointed questions.

Is It Any Good?

Despite it's slick, overly layered audio and corny wordplay, this podcasts's tackling of media literacy through teaching journalism principles is admirable. Time for Kids Explains is Time magazine's weekly kid's news podcast and the stories come from the Time for Kids magazine. Story choices are kid-friendly, including fun games and quizzes, and the hosts and reporters are all kids. The hosts are great role models for curiosity, active listening, and enthusiasm.

Kid reporters explore not only the news itself, but where it comes from and how to examine the news for credibility. Interviews with adult journalists involve questions about their sources and their motivation. While expanding children's world through covering global current events, hosts cover terms like "fact check" and "sponsored content" to expand kids' media world, too.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the current events stories covered in Time for Kids Explains. Had you heard about those events already? Did the coverage help you understand the story better?

  • Before the internet, newspapers were the main way people got their news. Does anyone in your family read the newspaper? Do you? If not, how does your family get its news?

  • There are many ways reporters make a news story: research, interviews, eyewitness accounts, talking to experts, visiting a location. Do the reporters on the podcast use any of these methods? Which ones?

  • Is there a story you heard that you'd like to know more about? What follow-up questions would you ask if you had the chance?

Podcast Details

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