7 family-friendly Halloween podcasts for ghouls and goblins of all ages

Alternatively celebrate Halloween with a family-friendly podcast! Podsauce has rounded up podcasts for ghouls and goblins of all ages. Throw on one of these shows if you’re getting ready to go trick-and-treating, sharing the Halloween spirit, or looking for ways to incorporate spooky season in the classroom.

We’ve picked shows to answer kids’ questions about folklore and legends, why Halloween exists, and how the holiday arrived to America through ancient Celtic origins. Also, if you’re looking for not-so-scary tales, this list has you covered with fictional shows! Huddle around the fire, break out the flashlights, and tune in for some friendly fun with these podcasts.

Unspookable

Soundsington Media’s “Unspookable” explores mysteries, urban legends, and the history of well-known spooky topics and scary stories. Are your kids curious about unicorns, ghost ships, witches, dragons, or aliens? Look no further than this podcast, as these are some of the topics covered. Also listen in for spooky-adjacent episodes on topics like Charlie Chaplin, spiders, the illuminati, pandemic histories, and more.

Scary Stories for Creepy Kids

The Rybicki family presents “Scary Stories for Creepy Kids,” a weekly podcast featuring short stories written by kids for kids, voiced by kids! Ayla and Calla host and read their own stories, and will select listeners’ submissions for upcoming episodes. Hear about werebobcats, a mysterious doll that comes to life, an odd place in the woods where bones are found, and more. All episodes are under 10 minutes long.

The Creeping Hour

Pod Squad and WGBH’s “The Creeping Hour” is a scary story anthology series for all ages. Episodes are told by The Creeps, a fictional group of kids who became monsters as a result of reading so many scary stories. Listen in with a group or alone to Axe’s story of a Halloween party with scary music, Weta’s visit to a polluted beach, and how Toro’s school dealt with bullying. All episodes are now available to stream.

The Hollow

“The Hollow” is an eight-part adventure series based on Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. On the 200th anniversary of the classic tale, three 6th graders are attending Sleepy Hollow Middle School. Their class revisits history, Ichabod Crane, and The Headless Horseman, when suddenly the students find themselves in the center of their own ghost story. They come face-to-face with ghouls, find themselves following the Headless Horseman, and celebrate Halloween differently than before. What do the 6th graders learn from the Horseman? And does the Horseman find out who betrayed him? This podcast is a Gen-Z Media/Wondery presentation.

The History of Halloween on Bedtime History

In this 11-minute episode, hear about the ancient Celtic origins of 2,000 year-old Halloween traditions. You’ll learn why people would dress up in costumes, hold parades, and light bonfires for festivities originally celebrated on November 1 for Celtic New Year. In another Halloween-themed episode, “Bedtime Stories” explored author Mary Shelley and the history of the novel, Frankenstein. For additional educational stories, check out “Bedtime History’s” weekly episodes.

The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian: Science Fiction for Kids

Travel through space with 8-year-old Finn, a resident of The Famous Marlowe 280 Interplanetary Exploratory Space Station. Follow Finn’s mysteries, time with friends, new planet explorations, and alien encounters. All episodes run from 15 to 20 minutes in length. Ideal for road trips, bedtime, or anytime you’re looking for a story, the 200+ episodic saga is also an excellent Halloween listen. This series is a Pod Squad presentation, written and performed by Jonathan Messinger. His 7-year-old son, Griffin, is the story’s editor! Griffin frequently appears in episodes with story predictions and fun conversations with his father in the series’ 10 seasons.

Halloween Art and Travel Podcast

If you and your family appreciate spooky art and travel, check out the “Halloween Art and Travel Podcast.” Kristen Stafford speaks with art creators and collectors and shares Halloween-themed travel destinations. Tune in to hear about a crafter who specializes in witchy broom designs, doll makers, spooky gallery owners, art curators, professional eccentrics, spooky storytellers, and more. Kristen and her guests will share Halloween facts and history throughout interviews. The average episode’s length is an hour.