STEM at home

Numberphile

Ages: 13+ years

Numberphile is a YouTube channel and podcast built on a slightly subversive idea: numbers are fascinating, and mathematicians are some of the most interesting people to listen to. Produced by video journalist Brady Haran, the videos pull in mathematicians from around the world to dig into prime numbers, infinity, famous proofs, puzzles, and the occasional bizarre calculation that takes an hour to unpack. The companion podcast slows down and lets those same guests talk about how they actually think, work, and got hooked on math in the first place. It isn't a curriculum. It's a window into how mathematicians see the world.

Why we like it: Most math content for kids stays inside the textbook. Numberphile does the opposite. It treats math as an open, ongoing human conversation. Your child sees real mathematicians puzzled, excited, and occasionally stuck, which quietly teaches the thing that matters most: math isn't about being fast. It's about being curious enough to keep going.

Solve It! For Kids

by Jennifer Swanson, Jed Doherty & Jeff Gonyea

Ages: 6+ years

Solve It! for Kids takes listeners inside the actual work of scientists, engineers, and experts — not textbook versions of their jobs, but the real, messy, creative problem-solving they do every day. Hosts Jennifer Swanson and Jeff Gonyea get the scoop directly from the experts, then invite kids to take on a challenge of their own. Every episode ends with a hands-on problem to tackle — which means the learning doesn't stop when the episode does.

Why we like it: It models real scientific thinking — not just facts, but process. Your child doesn't just hear how scientists work. They try it.

Wow in The World

by Tinkercast

Ages: 5-12 years

Wow in the World follows hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz as they dive into the latest science and technology discoveries — and somehow make the whole thing feel like an adventure you're tagging along on. The episodes are funny, fast-moving, and genuinely surprising, even for the grown-up in the car.

Why we like it: It sparks the kind of dinnertime conversation that starts with "did you know..." and somehow goes for an hour.