If you have a kid that loves to argue, this podcast is for them: catch up on debates like Pikachu vs. Mario and more on ‘Smash Boom Best’
Journalist, podcaster, and mom of 3 Gloria Riviera stopped by Podsauce and recommended American Public Media’s “Smash Boom Best” for kids. It’s a wholesome series hosting fine debates on two cool topics each episode like pizza vs. tacos, baseball vs. basketball, flowers vs. rainbows, and ghosts vs. zombies.
Start “Smash Boom Best” episodes in any order, running less than 40 minutes each on average. It’s the perfect length for shorter car rides with kids and families on-the-go.
Molly Bloom hosts the series and is joined by guest debaters each episode to state their cases by sharing facts and having passionate-yet-fun arguments. The 60+ episodes also teach listeners how to defend their ideas and share opinions.
The show is broken into 4 rounds of debate: during the declaration of greatness, the debaters share facts to support their side followed by a 30 second rebuttal from their opponent. There’s a micro-round where each team provides a creative response to an assignment they received in advance. In the sneak attack round, debaters are surprised with a challenge they must respond to off the cuff. The last round is called the final six, where each team selects 6 words to wrap up why their side is awesome.
A judge will award points accordingly and keeps the score secret until the end of the debate. After the debaters finish, the podcast lets listeners decide which side they believe is the winner, and you can visit their website to cast your vote.
There are debates on places, mythological figures, planets, sports, games, skills, animals, and characters. For example, in the Pikachu vs. Mario episode, Pokémon trainer and radio producer David Zha verbally dueled with podcast pro and Mario fan Kristina Lopez. Comedian and “Forever Ago” host Joy Dolo battled with writer and comedian Kasha Patel on the coral reefs vs. rainforests episode.
This series is an absolute joy, brought to you by the brilliant creators of “Brains On!” Check out “Smash Boom Best” wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
Discover
