Brilliant BBC Sounds For KS3

BBC Sounds is a brilliant resource for all things music, drama, comedy and so much more, so it's great for your kids.

Whether you are looking for something educational or something a bit more fun, BBC sounds has the perfect option for you. There is something for everyone.

We've highlighted some of the best BBC Sounds for KS3 children; a mixture of educational resources to help your young children with learning outside of school and some fun and exciting content to make your kids laugh. What are you waiting for?

These are the best podcasts for your kids to listen to if they are looking for some extra learning at home.

Homeschool History

The host Greg Jenner, a historical advisor who has spent most of his life making history fun on the TV show Horrible Histories, continues to teach through the medium of comedy and popular culture. His aim of this podcast is to help kids learn about history in a fun and engaging way so that they want to spend time listening in. Tune into his 15 minutes uploaded episode on The Restoration which guides you through 17th-century Britain and await juicy new content uploaded every Monday at 9:30 am - next one is title The Space Race before the enticing story of Mary Queen of Scots on 4th May.

Primary French - Radio Labo

This is an educational podcast that will help your kids learn French or keep up their lessons from school to ensure they don't forget what they have already learnt. Each 15-minute episode is entirely in French but has the theme written in English under each episode. Why not turn these into good listening activity and maybe even write questions for your child like you would in a secondary school French listening class? Or ask your kids to pick out the words and phrases they recognise and try to translate the audio.

Jekyll and Hyde

Jekyll and Hyde is a book by Robert Louis Stevenson which is often subjected to many school curriculums. So while your child may not have been asked to study it already, it will be likely to creep up on their syllabus later in their school career. Why not get a head start by listening to this 10 episode abridged version of the famous novel so even if your kid never has to study it, they will be able to retell one of the literary classics of our time.

Shakespeare Retold

These fun stories are the retellings of Shakespeare's play which will introduce your children to the basic outline in the world of the Globe Theatre. All read by actors, these stories are animated and extremely engaging. Tune in for a Midsummer's Camps Dream or Macdeath for the ingenious interpretation of these Shakespeare classics.

BBC Sounds have a great comedy section that can be fun for the whole family. Some may feature some strong language so be sure to check it out before you click play.

Now Wash Your Hands

This is a new podcast whose sole purpose is to make you laugh during this time in lockdown. While this will probably mostly be enjoyed by the older children of your family there is a lot to be laughed at, as four hosts drop a phone call into comedians and other famous people's house to have a look into what they have been doing during lockdown.

The Unbelievable Truth

A panel show podcast that is all about the smuggling absurd facts of every day past the other panellists and the listeners at home. You can be sure that there shouldn't be any rude language in these episodes since they usually air on the radio during the day and there are 4 episodes archived on BBC Sounds already. Tune in to listen to theme-based speeches which are full of lies and a few unbelievable truths. Play along as a family to try and sort the fact from the fiction!

Little Britain

Where it all began; Did you know that Little Britain, starring David Walliams and Matt Lucas, started as a podcast? Well, this oddball TV series is reverting back to the old days and the very first Little Britain Podcasts have been uploaded to BBC Sounds. The nature is very much the same so if you and your family love Little Britain then you will certainly love it when the cameras are turned off. While the podcast doesn't have an age rating or warn about any adult content the TV show is widely recognised with an aged 12 rating so you may want to bear that in mind when deciding if this is appropriate for your children.

If your kids are music lovers then I am sure you will find a good podcast that will suit your little one. Plus, some of these great sounds have some learning opportunities along the way.

Music Planet: Road Trip

This clever little podcast transports you on a road trip around the world discovering culture and exploring all the different genres of music. This huge archive of 69 episodes, available now, will take you through a journey from Zimbabwe to Uruguay stopping at so many cool places along the way. Also, this podcast is perfect for all ages from primary school to parents, there is so much to be learnt.

Mindful Mix

A meditative podcast for all your stress-relieving needs. Mindful Mix explores classical music that will help you relax to calming tunes to aid your sleep. This could be the perfect podcast for your anxious children to help them take time for themselves and relax. With hour-long episodes, you could split these up into 4 x 15-minute meditations or even dedicate your family an hour of downtime to listen to this podcast in the background of individual activities that they like to do e.g. reading, drawing, etc.