Travel back thousands of years to one of the world’s most fascinating civilisations in this From the Vault episode of Squiz Kids Shortcut — Ancient Egypt.

It was a place where pyramids scraped the sky, powerful pharaohs ruled the land, men and women wore eye makeup for surprising reasons, and the rich were carefully mummified for the afterlife. But how much of what we think we know about Ancient Egypt is actually true?

Perfect for curious kids — and especially handy if Ancient Egypt is popping up in your classroom this year.

Listen carefully… there’s a Squiz at the end!

Link: ⁠How to mummify a chicken

Why does an ice cube melt… water boil… and steam disappear into thin air?

This week’s Squiz Kids Science Short unpacks the states of matter — solids, liquids, gases… and the one you may not know, plasma. What are they really? What’s happening at the tiny particle level? And why does adding heat completely change how matter behaves?

From frozen jumpers to glowing neon lights and the blazing Sun, we explore how energy makes particles move, spread out, or even lose tiny pieces called electrons.

Solid. Liquid. Gas. Plasma.

It’s not magic. It’s motion.

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.

Tillies go for glory; Ukraine’s sad anniversary; Kiwi bird makes berry bounce back; and the cave-dwelling cheetah mummies.

Green and gold fever is here! The Matildas are launching into three huge weeks of Asian Cup action, facing teams from across Asia.

Four years on, the war in Ukraine continues, affecting millions of lives. While leaders prepare for more peace talks, the world hopes for calmer days ahead.

Archaeologists in Saudi Arabia have uncovered ancient mummified cheetahs—up to 4,000 years old!

New Zealand’s quirky, flightless kakapo is having a baby boom! Thanks to a bumper berry season, more chicks are hatching than usual.

AI-made videos pretending to show immigrants saying untrue things are spreading online. Fact checkers sniffed them out! It’s a big reminder to double-check what you see—because not everything on the internet is real.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Your daily kids news podcast.

A pay rise for kids; robots master Kung Fu; the Koala cupid strikes; and a big record for tiny things.

Pocket money is getting a boost — but so are prices! With inflation making snacks cost more, kids in the UK and Australia are earning extra cash for chores.

At China’s mega TV event, robots flipped, kicked and balanced like martial arts masters! Built by tech companies, these AI-powered performers amazed millions.

Scientists at Guulabaa are playing matchmaker for koalas! By carefully pairing healthy, unrelated koalas, they’ve welcomed seven adorable joeys in one year

A Queensland collector has earned a Guinness World Records title for owning 2,656 unique Shopkins items — and more than 4,000 in total!

For the full episode transcript, click here.

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, as we soar to Colombia — a country bursting with colour, rhythm and resilience. It’s home to more bird species than anywhere else on Earth, snow-capped volcanoes that rumble high in the Andes, and a rainbow river that looks like it’s been painted through the jungle.

From ancient civilisations to arepas on the dinner table, there’s so much to explore. So buckle up and get ready to discover Colombia.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Links:
A map of Colombia
Colombia's Rainbow River
How to play tejo
The fabulous Chiva Bus
How to make arepas!

Your daily kids news podcast.

Is the Moon the eighth continent?; Historic tortoise release on Galapagos Island; Aussie Olympic flag bearers revealed; and Punch, the lonely monkey.

Could the Moon actually be Earth’s eighth continent? Scientists think a Mars-sized smash-up billions of years ago created our rocky space buddy! Now four astronauts are gearing up to zoom around the Moon’s far side to uncover its secrets.

Meet Punch — the baby monkey who found friendship in a stuffed orangutan after a tough start in life.

From Aussie champs waving their nation’s flag to figure skater Alysa Liu spinning her way to gold “just for fun,” this Winter Olympics has been packed with sparkle!

More than 100 giant tortoises have waddled back onto their island home after hundreds of years away! Thanks to clever scientists and a breeding program, these slow-and-steady heroes are ready to rebuild their ancient family line

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Ramadan has begun — a special month observed by millions of Muslims around the world, marked by fasting during daylight hours, prayer, generosity, and time with family and community.

So this weekend, we’re revisiting one of our Squiz Kids Shortcuts to help explain more about Islam — what Muslims believe, how Ramadan is celebrated, and why the city of Mecca is so important.

In this episode, Bryce and Amanda explore the basics of one of the world’s biggest religions, unpack traditions like fasting from sunrise to sunset, and discover the meaning behind important practices followed by Muslims everywhere.

It’s a great listen if you’ve ever wondered why some classmates might be fasting this month — or if you’re simply curious to learn more about the world around you.

Listen carefully — there’s a Squiz at the end!

In this Squiz Kids Science Short, Christie explores what makes you… you. From the ancient Ship of Theseus to the science of cell turnover, brain rewiring and your gut microbiome, we discover your body is constantly changing.

So if your cells replace, your brain updates and even your microbes shift… what actually stays the same?

This episode unpacks when babies develop a sense of self, how memory and relationships might form the thread of identity, and leaves you with one big question:

Where exactly does “you” live?

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.