Squiz Kids

Your daily kids news podcast.

The Sensational World of Civics

Gang-Gang's Guide to Referendums

Turns out, primary school kids are beating high schoolers when it comes to understanding civics! A national test showed only 28% of Year 10 students passed.

Scientists found deep scratches on ancient Megalodon teeth—marks that could only have been made by another Megalodon! These giant sharks might have battled each other for food, territory, or just to prove who had the biggest chomp.

NASA’s Curiosity rover spotted shimmering, colourful clouds drifting across Mars! These "night-shining" clouds pop up at the same time every year, suggesting Mars might have seasons like Earth.

A New York woman spent her 104th birthday in jail—on purpose! Loretta Chamberlain wanted to experience life behind bars, so police handcuffed, fingerprinted, and even locked her up.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

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Politics … a total snoozefest, right?  Wrong!

How our government works and the decisions it makes reaches into almost every part of our everyday lives. How and why you go to school, the sports you play, the roads you drive on, the hospitals you rely on, the kind of society you’re going to grow up and live in, and so much more...

So settle in as we explore the history of Australian democracy and pull apart how our system of government works .. it’ll be heaps more fun than it sounds. Promise!

Find all of the episodes and accompanying classroom resources for The Sensational World of Civics series, here.

Why not also check out Gang-Gang's Guide to Referendums?

Humans have been creating them for thousands of years… some are fluffy, some are bald… and some even glow in the dark. This is your Squiz Kids Shortcut to Designer Pets—the podcast where we dig into the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the big news stories.

Classroom resources

For the full episode transcript, click here.

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Your daily kids news podcast.

A massive Category 4 cyclone has ripped through Western Australia, tearing off roofs and flooding homes! Luckily, no serious injuries have been reported. Meanwhile, Tasmania has both bushfires and snow.

How cyclones form

Your Squiz Kids Shortcut to Cyclones, Hurricanes and Typhoons

A kayaker in Chile got the surprise of his life when a giant humpback whale scooped him up—before realizing, oops, wrong snack! Experts say it was just a case of mistaken identity, not a seafood craving. Luckily, the whole thing was caught on camera.

Aussie teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout has done it again! The 17-year-old blazed through the 400m in a record-breaking 46.2 seconds—the fastest in 35 years!

Paris has them, and now Sydney might too—robot dogs that help fix train tracks! These mechanical mutts don’t bark, don’t shed, and won’t chew your homework. Best part? No need to pick up after them!

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Check out the Squiz Kids website for all of our other Fun, Free and Fresh offerings!

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Who's smarter, kids or adults?

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Check out the Squiz Kids website for all of our other Fun, Free and Fresh offerings!

What is Newshounds - video explainer.

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Your daily kids news podcast.

Prince Harry’s Invictus Games are in full swing in Canada! This special Olympics-style event features incredible athletes who have served their countries and overcome injuries.

One mischievous monkey had the whole of Sri Lanka in the dark—literally! The little troublemaker climbed into a power station, causing a countrywide blackout for 22 million people.

A rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was found in a trash bin—and later sold for over $41,000 at an auction!

Squiz-E the Newshound has been sniffing out fake news around the world! Thanks to a special Churchill Fellowship, he and the Squiz Kids team travelled to different countries to see how kids are learning to STOP, THINK, and CHECK.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Check out the Squiz Kids website for all of our other Fun, Free and Fresh offerings!

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Your daily kids news podcast.

An Indigenous-owned business in Darwin, EcoMob, is tackling food waste by turning scraps into plant-loving soil boosters!

The gorgeous Greek island of Santorini is getting a serious shake-up! Over 12,800 earthquakes have hit in just weeks, and scientists are watching closely for signs of a volcanic eruption.

Forget the Super Bowl—this showdown was all about adorable pups! Team Fluff edged out Team Ruff 68-66 in the cutest game ever. The best part? Every puppy playing was adopted into a forever home!

Watch Puppy Bowl

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A massive corpse flower has bloomed in Canberra, releasing a stomach-turning stench of rotting meat and sweaty socks!

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Check out the Squiz Kids website for all of our other Fun, Free and Fresh offerings!

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LINKS

Interactive volcano and earthquake mapping: https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/buac17-68-sci-ess-quakevolint/earthquakes-and-volcanoes-interactive/

Build your own seismograph: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/shaky-science-build-a-seismograph/

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. Today, we’re heading to Norway, a breathtaking country known for its stunning fjords, forests of trolls, and Viking history.  So, buckle up and get ready to discover Norway!

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Links:

Troll's Path: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohwZDAv5ICc

How to make a Norwegian packed lunch https://norwaywithpal.com/norway-travel-blog/how-to-make-a-norwegian-matpakke-packed-lunch/

Fårikål recipe (Norway's national dish): https://scandinaviancookbook.com/farikal-national-dish-of-norway/

Check out the Squiz Kids website for all of our other Fun, Free and Fresh offerings!

What is Newshounds - video explainer.

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Your daily kids news podcast.

Watch your step, Australia! With warm weather and rain, snakes are popping up everywhere—even sea snakes are turning up in weird places!

102 red-bellied black snakes!

In the Czech Republic, a beaver family did what humans couldn’t—built a dam in just two days! Officials spent years trying to get approval for a $2 million project, but these furry engineers got it done for free.

Beavers at work.

Scientists built a microscopic universe inside Minecraft! Players can zoom through human cells, explore bacteria, and even zap cancer cells.

It’s the biggest day in American sport—Super Bowl Sunday! The Chiefs and Eagles battle it out. Plus, Aussie Jordan Mailata is chasing his first championship ring! Who will take home the trophy?

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Check out the Squiz Kids website for all of our other Fun, Free and Fresh offerings!

What is Newshounds - video explainer.

Find out more about Newshounds.

Get started for free HERE.