There are so many podcasts out there. I love writing this On Podcast series because I am discovering so many fun things to listen to. This week I turned from podcasts with more mature content to one of the many teaching and learning podcasts, Brains On. At first I was like, oh this is a kid’s podcast, I don’t want to listen to this…and then 5 episodes later I’ve got 10 more downloaded and ready to go.

There are several things that make this podcast an interesting combination of cute, informative, and entertaining. There are actual children included in the podcast, which I love. Hearing them explore and learn about topics like sleeping, eating, and making music was not only wicked cute but it also made me realize that there were questions about these topics that I had not thought to ask, or reactions to understanding that were refreshing because watching someone learn something and get it is really fulfilling.

I enjoy this podcast because there is always going to be a small part of me that was embarrassed that there were questions on “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” that I couldn’t answer. I graduated high school as 3rd in my class dammit! Listening to these topics reminds me about things I know I learned, but have forgotten because I haven’t used them. In this busy world where ignorance seems to be holding sway, I think podcasts that make things short, sweet, and simple like Brains On does play an important role of reminding us what facts are and to always be learning.

And short and sweet is one of my favorite parts too. Listening to an episode of Brains On is like taking the cutest learning vitamin ever. Episodes range from 10-30 minutes depending on the topic, making them nice to listen to in the car on grocery trips or on the ride to/from school. So whether you have kids or not (I don’t), this podcast is a fast and fun way to learn new things, or remember things you learned before. BRAINS ON! 🙂