It’s January and you know what that means.
Time to think about setting a few New Year’s resolutions!
If one of your goals is to read more with your kids, Pinna’s here for you. With an extensive — and growing! — library of audiobooks and podcasts, there’s always something new to pique your child’s interest.
Below, we’re going to detail 22 ways you and your kids can find time to listen to more audiobooks (or podcasts!) in 2022.
Why might you want to include more audio listening time in your schedule this year?
There are many reasons why listening to audiobooks and podcasts is a beneficial activity for kids. We’ve written on this topic pretty extensively, but here are a few blog posts to get you started if you’re curious.
- 6 Reasons Audiobooks Are An Awesome Teaching Tool For Struggling Readers
- Why You Should Listen To Audiobooks With Your Kids —And A Booklist (Broken Down By Age!) To Get You Started
- Listening To Podcasts Improves Listening Comprehension, Literacy, And Academic Language
22 Ways To Listen To More Audiobooks (Or Podcasts!) In 2022
- Spend your commute time wisely. Choose an engaging podcast or audiobook to listen to on the way to and from school and extracurricular activities.
- Keep a TBR (or rather, a TBL — a “to be listened” list). In the same way you track books you want to read, why not keep a list of audiobooks or podcasts you want to listen to with your kids? This simple tactic helps you plan ahead and think through what you’ll listen to and when. Pro tip: Use the "Create a Playlist" feature in Pinna and add things you want to listen to!
- Follow Pinna’s social media pages and sign up for the email newsletter. Fresh content is being added to the platform all the time. Be the first to know when new seasons of your favorite podcasts premiere.
- Also, be sure to check out the blog weekly for new posts. We’re frequently sharing booklists and podcast roundups broken down by age and/or topic. These recommendations are particularly helpful when you’re stuck on what to listen to next.
- Give your voice a break at bedtime. Pinna has a plethora of beautifully narrated classic children’s stories that will lull your little ones to sleep.
- Share Pinna with your child’s school. We’ve got a blog post sharing 10 ways teachers can fund a Pinna subscription and a whole section on the website dedicated to free printable classroom resources.
- Replace TV and tablet time with an audiobook or podcast once in a while. This helps reduce eye fatigue associated with excessive screen time.
- Pick Pinna as your entertainment of choice the next time you take a family vacation. Whether traveling by car or plane, Pinna is a fun screen-free option to keep kids busy and engaged.
- Turn on a podcast during family chore time. Many hands make light work and engaging audio makes work feel like play.
- Check out curated playlists on Pinna for longer listening time and pre-picked audio content on a variety of topics.
- Take your next family game night up a notch or two with an interactive audio show like Don’t Break The Rules, 5 For 5 Trivia, or ExtraBLURT (and ExtraBLURT Jr. for the younger crowd!).
- Keep kids entertained during weekends or school breaks with art lessons from Anytime Art.
- Encourage a love of reading by listening to The Kid Lit Show together.
- Start your morning off right with a “word of the day” or “joke of the day” — or both! — by HiLL-LaRRy-uS.
- Grab your gamer’s attention with podcasts like The Totally Unauthorized Video Game Fan Show, The Totally Unauthorized Minecraft Fan Show, and The Totally Unauthorized Pokemon Fan Show. Shows like these feed their interests without increasing the time they’re spending in front of a screen.
- Inspire an entrepreneurial spirit by sharing podcasts like Emma-Made Lemonade and providing opportunities for kids to start a business of their own.
- Have a few audiobooks or shows on tap so when you finish one, you can jump right into the next. Knowing what’s coming up will reduce decision fatigue and allow you to invest that time into listening rather than the dreaded “analysis paralysis”.
- Be sure you’re using the “listen offline” feature on Pinna. There will be times when you’re driving and lose signal or you’re somewhere without wifi. If you’ve got a few audiobooks or podcasts downloaded to your child’s device, they can keep listening — no internet necessary.
- If tub time is a constant battle, try purchasing an inexpensive waterproof Bluetooth speaker and letting your little one listen to their favorite audiobook or podcast during their nightly shower routine. We recommend the Pinna Original podcast Kid Wash or explore the Bath Time playlist!
- Try a serialized podcast one or two nights a week instead of TV time after dinner. Work on a jigsaw puzzle to keep hands busy and brains engaged. A few shows your family may enjoy are Opal Watson: Private Eye, The Ghost of Jessica Majors, and Dream Breachers.
- When your preschooler outgrows naps, it’s nice to still keep an established period of rest in the afternoon so everyone gets a chance to recharge. Don’t automatically default to screens to keep your kiddo entertained though. Instead, turn on an audiobook and let your little one color or play quietly.
- Do you have a struggling reader? Try picking up hard copies of some of the audiobooks on the Pinna platform and having your child follow along as the book is read aloud. This is an excellent skill-building tool for kids who need a little extra reading help.
The Takeaway
As you can see, there are many ways to incorporate more listening time into your schedule without giving up other activities you enjoy. Keep this list handy and refer back to it when you need some fresh ideas.
We’re all ears!
What’s your favorite way to sneak in a little extra listening time? We’d love to hear from you! Find us on all our social platforms – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest – or email us at contact@pinna.fm.
