Squiz Kids

Every night, your sleeping brain creates strange new worlds filled with familiar people, powerful emotions and events that make absolutely no sense. But how does it build a dream—and why do we dream at all?

Inspired by a question from Will, Christie explores what happens inside our brains while we sleep and whether animals dream too.

A fun kids vs adults news quiz to test who’s been paying the most attention to the week in news.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Your daily kids news podcast.

Spaceship splashdown near Christmas Island; baby whale shark nursery revealed; a zero-gravity fake; and why otters love to watch.

A SpaceX rocket booster the size of an Olympic swimming pool has splashed back to Earth and is being towed toward Christmas Island.

Scientists think they may have found a nursery for baby whale sharks off Indonesia after tiny youngsters were spotted in a protected cove.

Turns out zoo visitors may be entertaining the otters just as much as the otters entertain us.

Social media...

Your daily kids news podcast.

Parliament takes on betting ads; monkey business in the Scottish Highlands; some picture-perfect animals; and the Milky Way’s ancient feeding frenzy 

Australia is moving to put more distance between sport and gambling.

Luka the macaque fancied a Scottish adventure, escaping his wildlife park and wandering kilometres into the Highlands.

Smile for the camera! More than 800 photos have captured the beautiful, bizarre and downright photogenic residents of British and Irish zoos and aquariums.

Our Milky Way has quite the appetite! Astronomers have uncovered evidence of...

Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for more than 160 million years… then, 66 million years ago, almost all of them disappeared.

In this Shortcut, Christie and Bryce fire up a time machine to visit the final days of the dinosaurs, discover how a thin layer of rock helped scientists work out what happened, and follow the chain of events after a giant asteroid struck Earth.

Then they meet the survivors, including the dinosaur descendants still all around us today.

Listen carefully. There’s a S’Quiz at the end!

For the full episode transcript, click...

Your daily kids news podcast.

Operation Fairy Penguin; Earthquake in Indonesia; Socceroo’s Michael Jackson moment; and the world’s ugliest dog.

Roll up those tiny sleeves! Victoria is launching an enormous operation to vaccinate thousands of fairy penguins against bird flu.

The ground is rumbling again, with powerful earthquakes striking parts of Indonesia following other major quakes and volcanic eruptions around the world.

Nestory Irankunda is taking his fancy footwork to Portugal!

Who is the World's Ugliest Dog for 2026?

For the full episode transcript, click here

It’s National Science Week, and what better time to celebrate one of the most important things about science: sometimes, it gets things wrong.

People once believed the Earth was at the centre of the universe, illness was caused by an imbalance of blood, phlegm and bile, and maggots simply appeared from rotting meat. So how did we go from those ideas to the science we know today?

This week, we’re heading back into the Squiz Kids Vault for our Shortcut to Science That Was Wrong, where Christie and Bryce discover why changing your mind...

Felix, from Hunters Hill, wants to know why slicing into an onion can leave our eyes stinging and tears streaming down our faces.

In this week’s Squiz Kids Science Short, Christie breaks into the onion’s tiny chemical security system, discovers how cutting it releases an irritating mist into the air, and reveals why a blunt knife may make things even worse.

Plus, do any of those strange onion-chopping tricks actually stop the tears?

A fun kids vs adults news quiz to test who’s been paying the most attention to the week in news.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Your daily kids news podcast.

The President, the plane and secret escape; Wallaby on the run in Netherlands; a Bunnings sausage saga; and shark scientists on hurricane watch.

It sounds like a spy thriller: a president, a super-secure jumbo jet and a secret escape involving a catering container!

Catch me if you can! A runaway wallaby has spent six months hopping around the Netherlands.

Forget weather balloons — scientists are recruiting sharks!

No, the Bunnings sausage sizzle hasn’t been replaced by Indian food stalls. AI-generated images are being used to s...

Your daily kids news podcast.

A total eclipse over Europe; Colombia’s earthquake emergency; Aussie teens make their mark; and Brisbane’s underwater light show.

The Northern Hemisphere is getting a cosmic double feature! A total solar eclipse will briefly turn day to darkness before the Perseid meteor shower lights up the night.

Rescuers and volunteers are working through rubble after Colombia’s strongest earthquake this century.

World records, gold medals… and an election campaign! Young Australians Isaac Beacroft, Izobelle Louison-Roe and Hera Sheppard are proving teenagers can achieve seriously big things.<...

Squiz Kids Q+A with kids' author extraordinaire Andy Griffiths. Andy braves the Hot Seat for the fifth time with his new book... You and Me and the Gigantic Knucklehead.

From what Andy's favourite snack is when he's writing, to where he gets his funniest ideas, whether there's an idea too gross to put in a book,  and whether he's ever laughed so hard that he needed to stop writing....

The Squiz Kids crowd ask all the tough questions, and Andy gives some surprising answers!

Your daily kids news podcast.

It’s Census time in Oz; Brazil’s capybara invasion; Mice plague a feast for owls; and Minecraft comes to Switch 2.

Australia, prepare to be counted! Census night is rolling around, giving the country a giant snapshot of who lives where and how we live.

Move over politicians... there are some new rodents in the house! A pair of curious capybaras wandered into a parliament building in Brazil.

Australia’s mouse plague has produced an unexpected winner: barn owls! With millions of mice providing an enormous feathe...

The James Webb Space Telescope has been sending back extraordinary images of newborn stars, distant planets and some of the earliest galaxies ever seen. So, this week, we’re blasting open the Squiz Kids Vault and revisiting our Shortcut to the telescope that some people call the Just Wonderful Space Telescope.

Join Amanda and Bryce as they discover HOW the JWST works, WHAT its first spectacular images revealed, and WHY scientists believe studying distant galaxies and planets could help us better understand the universe, and our own little corner of it.

LINKS:
How the Ja...

Bird flu has reached Australia, but what exactly is H5N1, how does it spread, and what can families do to be prepared?

In this special Science Short, Christie speaks with Dr Tiggy Grillo from Wildlife Health Australia about how bird flu affects birds and other animals, how Australia prepared for its arrival, and what scientists are watching for now.

They also explain whether people and pets can catch it, how families can help protect backyard chickens and other animals, and exactly what kids should do if they spot a sick or dead bird.

A fun kids vs adults news quiz to test who’s been paying the most attention to the week in news.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Your daily kids news podcast.

Rocket crashes into the Moon; Guatemala’s fire volcano erupts; Escaped lion fake news; and New Zealand’s ducks breathe a sigh of relief.

A runaway rocket booster has slammed into the Moon at more than 8,000 km/h, kicking up a giant cloud of lunar dust.

People living near Guatemala's Volcano Fuego have been evacuated as lava and ash pour from the mountain.

After three years on the run, a feral cat nicknamed "Nine Lives" has finally been captured in New Zealand, giving endangered native ducks a mu...

Your daily kids news podcast.

Aussie bird flu outbreak worsens; Spider-Man’s massive weekend; Salty sea dogs ride the waves; and some very Hungry Hippos

Wildlife experts are urging Australians to keep their distance after bird flu was found in wild seabirds. If you spot a sick or dead bird, remember the golden rule: look, don't touch.

One family in the United States has set a lightning-fast Hungry Hungry Hippos world record.

Dozens of talented dogs hit the surf at the World Dog Surfing Championships in California.

Spider-Man: Brand Ne...

Why do humans sort people into groups? What happens when those groups become “us” and “them”? And how can fear, stereotypes and repeated messages make unfair ideas seem true?

With jellybeans, tigers, and magpies, this episode helps kids understand that racism isn’t only found in history books, and it doesn’t always arrive shouting. Sometimes it can show up in everyday assumptions, jokes, exclusions or stereotypes.

We’ll look at Australia’s history, including racism towards First Nations people and migrant communities, and consider how the people once labelled “too different” have helped shape the diverse, multicu...

Your daily kids news podcast.

Curtain closes on Commonwealth Games; Our shortcut to racism; Astronauts float back to Earth; and how polar bears keep cool in zoos.

Australia has wrapped up a spectacular Commonwealth Games campaign, finishing miles ahead on the medal tally.

After eight months aboard the International Space Station, three astronauts are back on Earth!

With Europe sweltering through summer, zoo keepers in Prague gave their polar bears tonnes of ice to roll, slide and play in.

A catchy song about eastern rosellas, written by a seven-year-old...

How are Spider-Man, Iron Man, Black Panther, Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy all connected?

They’re part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, a gigantic collection of movies and TV shows whose characters and storylines exist in one connected world. With Spider-Man: Brand New Day arriving in cinemas, we’re swinging into the Squiz Kids Vault for a Shortcut first released in August 2021.

Find out how the MCU began, who helped create its best-known superheroes and what goes into making a Marvel movie. Just remember: this episode is a snapshot of the MCU...

We’d love your feedback! Help us make Squiz Kids even better by completing our short listener survey. It takes about 15 minutes, and you’ll go into the draw to win a $250 THE ICONIC fashion voucher.

Just remember to select Squiz Kids. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[Click here to take the survey.]

Faster. Higher. Stronger. From Australian sprint stars Lachlan Kennedy and Torrie Lewis to record-breaking swimmers and sports stars, athletes keep pushing beyond what once seemed humanly possible.

But surely we can’t keep getting faster, higher and stronger forever… can we?

In this Squiz Kids Science Short, Christie investigates why world records keep tumbling, how training and technology help athletes improve, and whether our brains sometimes apply the brakes before our bodies have truly reached their limit. Plus, could you become a world-record holder simply by pulling enough socks onto one foot?

Will huma...

A fun kids vs adults news quiz to test who’s been paying the most attention to the week in news.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

We’d love your feedback! Help us make Squiz Kids even better by completing our short listener survey. It takes about 15 minutes, and you’ll go into the draw to win a $250 THE ICONIC fashion voucher.

Just remember to select Squiz Kids. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[Click here to take the survey]⁠

Your daily kids news podcast.

Japan rocked by earthquake; Australia’s new fastest man; Knights and Demons in fake news scam; and a bee road train to the rescue.

A powerful earthquake has struck southern Japan, damaging buildings, bridges and rail lines.

Australia's sprinters were flying at the Commonwealth Games, with Lachie Kennedy smashing a 23-year-old national record and Torrie Lewis becoming the first Aussie woman to run 100 metres in under 11 seconds.

Thousands of healthy beehives are travelling across Australia to help pollinate fruit trees after deadly varroa mites devastated bee po...

We’d love your feedback! Help us make Squiz Kids even better by completing our short listener survey. It takes about 15 minutes, and you’ll go into the draw to win a $250 THE ICONIC fashion voucher.

Just remember to select Squiz Kids. ⁠⁠⁠⁠[Click here to take the survey.]

Your daily kids news podcast.

Spidey swings into action; Toy Story’s billion-dollar buzz; a Dino-era dinner surprise; and a rescue hero rules the waves.

Scientists have uncovered an incredible fossil showing one prehistoric predator eating another… before becoming lunch itself!

S...

We’d love your feedback! Help us make Squiz Kids even better by completing our short listener survey. It takes about 15 minutes, and you’ll go into the draw to win a $250 THE ICONIC fashion voucher.

Just remember to select Squiz Kids. ⁠⁠⁠⁠[Click here to take the survey.]

Each fortnight, we give the world globe a spin and see where we land. Then we take the kids of Australia on an audio excursion to visit that country and its people.

Join your captain, Christie Kijurina, on an audio adventure to Spain. A country of world-cha...

We’d love your feedback! Help us make Squiz Kids even better by completing our short listener survey. It takes about 15 minutes, and you’ll go into the draw to win a $250 THE ICONIC fashion voucher.

Just remember to select Squiz Kids. ⁠⁠⁠[Click here to take the survey.] Your daily kids news podcast.

Aussie gold rush at Games; Mobile phone alert day; tracking vulnerable koalas; and China’s yak cloning program.

Australia has exploded out of the blocks at the Commonwealth Games, piling on the gold medals in the pool and in gymnastics.

Hundre...

Sharks have been making plenty of headlines lately, but how much do we really know about these ancient ocean creatures?

They live in every ocean, have been cruising the seas since before the dinosaurs and come in more than 600 different species. So why are so many people terrified of them, and why are almost half of all shark species now endangered?

We’re diving into the Squiz Kids Vault to revisit our Shortcut to Sharks. Shark expert and keen surfer Dr Adrian Gutteridge explains how he turned his childhood fear of sharks into a fascination, in...

Dancing dog… football goal… slime video… celebrity prank… and, wait… where did the last 45 minutes go?

In this Squiz Kids Science Short, we investigate what endless scrolling might be doing to our brains. We discover how working memory acts like a little mental whiteboard, unpack new research into heavy short-video use, and find out why exercise could help give our brainpower a boost.

Don’t worry… your brain isn’t really turning to mush… but it might be time to give your thumb a rest!

We’d love your feedback! Help us make Squiz Kids even better by completing our short listener survey. It takes about 15 minutes, and you’ll go into the draw to win a $250 THE ICONIC fashion voucher.

Just remember to select Squiz Kids. ⁠⁠⁠[Click here to take the survey.]

A fun kids vs adults news quiz to test who’s been paying the most attention to the week in news.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

We’d love your feedback! Help us make Squiz Kids even better by completing our short listener survey. It takes about 15 minutes, and you’ll go into the draw to win a $250 THE ICONIC fashion voucher.

Just remember to select Squiz Kids. ⁠⁠[Click here to take the survey.]

Jaw-dropping video from Mars; Amazon has a breather; Commonwealth Games kick off; and why chimps love a cuddle. 

After three years in space, the Psyche spacecraft has zoomed past Mars, sending home spectacular close-up views before using the planet's gravity to slingshot itself to...

We’d love your feedback! Help us make Squiz Kids even better by completing our short listener survey. It takes about 15 minutes, and you’ll go into the draw to win a $250 THE ICONIC fashion voucher.

Just remember to select Squiz Kids. ⁠⁠[Click here to take the survey.]

Your daily kids news podcast.

New UK PM kisses hands with King Charles; speed cubing comp in The Netherlands; board games for the ancient afterlife; and a rhino poo glitter bomb.

Britain has a brand-new prime minister!

Spain's World Cup champions returned...

Your Shortcut to... The 2026 Commonwealth Games

They started life as the British Empire Games… now Para athletes compete alongside the rest of the field… and Australia has won more gold medals here than any other nation.

In this Squiz Kids Shortcut, we find out WHAT the Commonwealth actually is, HOW the Commonwealth Games began and changed over time, and WHO will be swimming, sprinting, lifting and rolling their way through Glasgow 2026.

Listen carefully... there’s a S’Quiz at the end!

For the full episode transcript, click here.

This episode...

We’d love your feedback!
Help us make Squiz Kids even better by completing our short listener survey. It takes about 15 minutes, and you’ll go into the draw to win a $250 THE ICONIC fashion voucher. Just remember to select Squiz Kids. [Click here to take the survey.]

Your daily kids news podcast.

World Cup serves up thrilling finale; Canada’s wildfires’ smoky problem; Luke’s lightsaber sets a new record; and giant earthworms lurk beneath.

After 39 days of football excitement, it all comes down to one match! Argentina and Spain are battling f...

With winter making itself felt across Australia, we’re heading somewhere even chillier... all the way to Antarctica.

This week, we’ve dusted off an old favourite that explores who lives and works on the coldest, windiest and driest continent on Earth. Find out what scientists are studying, how Antarctic expeditioners survive the long, dark winter, what they eat — and why even a two-minute shower can feel like a luxury.

Rug up and get ready for a seriously cool Squiz Kids Shortcut… From the Vault.

Want to learn more?

Two Aussie doctors...

Could humans ever talk to animals?

You’ve probably seen videos of dogs pressing buttons marked “play”, “outside” or “treat”. Some cats use them too, although they may have understood us perfectly all along and simply decided not to answer.

In this Squiz Kids Science Short, we discover how scientists work out what animal sounds mean, whether elephants call each other by name, how sperm whales build messages from clicks, and how AI is helping researchers search for patterns hidden inside animal chatter.

So, are pets really talking? Could we one day translate a whale conver...

A fun kids vs adults news quiz to test who’s been paying the most attention to the week in news.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Your daily kids news podcast.

Beluga whale rescue mission; Spain smashes France in World Cup semi; Fake sunscreen claims; and the world’s most expensive T-Rex.

Thirty beluga whales are preparing for an incredible journey from Canada to new homes in the United States and Spain.

A giant 67-million-year-old T. rex skeleton has sold for more than $50 million!

Spain shocked football fans by beating tournament favourites France to book a place in the World Cup final.

Squiz-E is shining a light on false online claims about sunscreen.

Fo...

Your daily kids news podcast.

The countdown to World Cup glory; Europe’s mantis menace; the messiest parking spot in space; and Indian posties deliver better vision

The World Cup is almost over, with France, Spain, England and Argentina battling for a place in the final. One more win and they'll be just 90 minutes away from football's biggest prize!

Post offices in India are doing more than delivering mail—they're giving free eye tests and glasses too!

Two invasive praying mantis species are spreading across Europe, gobbling up insects, frogs and even...