How Does Your Kid Keep Up with Current Events?
ISO your podcast, publication and website recommendations.
The other day, a friend of mine posted in a group text chain that her son has recently become very interested in politics and current events. They have lots of conversations at home, she said, but she’d also love to introduce him to other good resources, too.
So today, I want to crowdsource, because I’m sure many of you have had the same question: What are your favorite kid podcasts, publications, and websites about current events and politics?
In our house, we are big fans of The Week Junior. My 10-year-old reads it from cover to cover each week, and my 13-year-old often thumbs through it too. They also love The New York Times For Kids, a monthly print-only section of the paper that is written for kids. (Full disclosure, I have written for the section before.)
What about your family? What do your kids enjoy? Please share you favorite resources along with your kids’ ages (and/or thoughts you have about appropriate age ranges for each recommendation)!
Our local newspaper is great and always on the kitchen table, so my kid (12) catches pieces from that. I think my spouse and I are the main sources of news, though. My kid hears us talking and asks about it and we answer. Or kiddo will join us to watch news clips. They asked to see a clip from a MAGA rally recently, after seeing Harris-Walz speak: “I really want to understand for myself the vibe of the other side.” So, a little curated YouTube will join the mix.
Mostly they hear about things from us or ask questions when we are listening to NPR. That said…we just started getting the local paper delivered in print because our kiddo was constantly asking us for our phones/the computer to look at sports stats. Now he can spend as long as he wants with the sports section. But he’s paying attention to the rest of the paper, too, and had started asking questions about some articles. And my daughter (who is 4.5 and not yet reading) asks about some of the pictures she sees in it. Fwiw, we are also LOVING having a print newspaper! We read so many more articles than what the algorithms show us and we can read the news in front of them without them feeling like we’re ignoring them/feeling guilty for being on our phones. It has been a total delight.