Squiz Kids Shortcuts
Each week we take a deep dive into a high-interest news or current affairs topic, answering kids' burning questions about everything from the Olympics to Islam. A new episode is released every Monday morning.
Looking for curriculum-aligned comprehension activities for each shortcut? We've got you covered. And check the episode notes for more resources to dig deeper.
LATEST SHORTCUT
Your Shortcut to… The 2026 Commonwealth Games
In this Squiz Kids Shortcut, we find out WHAT the Commonwealth actually is, HOW the Commonwealth Games began and changed over time, and WHO will be swimming, sprinting, lifting and rolling their way through Glasgow 2026.
Squiz Kids Shortcuts dive into the who, what, when, where, why and how of the big news stories.
PREVIOUS SHORTCUTS
The World’s Christmas Menu
Depending on where you live, it could involve a sheep’s head… whale blubber… or throwing food at the ceiling! We’ll take you through WHERE you can find some of the most unusual Christmas dishes—to our Aussie palates, at least; WHY some families sit down to a 12-course meal; and WHAT is on the menu for dessert.
Hanukkah
It’s a religious celebration with candles, games, yummy food and sometimes presents… and no, we’re not talking about Christmas.
Toys Around the World
They can cost hundreds of dollars, or nothing at all… they’re important at every stage of childhood… and they. are. FUN! We’ll take you through WHY toys are important…WHAT toys tell us about the culture they come from … and HOW toys have changed over the years..
Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Animals know about them before we do… school kids in the ring of fire practice for them… and they are very tricky to predict. Today, we’ll take you through what earthquakes and volcanoes have in common, where they usually happen, and how people living in those places adapt.
The Nobel Prizes
They’re the most prestigious prizes in the world… the winners get one-and-a-half million dollars … and two people have said “no thanks”. We’ll take you through how the Nobel Prizes got started, who are some of the most famous winners, and what exactly an “Ig Nobel Prize is.
Roald Dahl
He was a British spy… a lover of chocolate… and one of the most famous children’s authors the world has ever known. We’ll take you through who Roald Dahl was, why kids and adults love his books so much, and what you can do to write like him.
The Webb Deep Space Telescope
It cost 10 billion dollars … took 25 years to build… and it’s 1.5 million kilometres from home. We’ll take you through HOW the Webb deep space telescope is able to take such incredible pictures… WHAT we’ve learned so far from them… and WHY scientists say it’s important to look into deep space.
2022 Commonwealth Games
There are 72 teams from 56 member countries… Australia is gunning for the top of the medal tally… and our youngest athlete is just fourteen. We’ll take you through WHAT, exactly, the Commonwealth is; HOW these games are different from the Olympics; and WHO to watch in the Aussies’ chase for gold.
The Deep Sea
Welcome to a place with three-legged fish … snow… and animals that glow in the dark. We’ll take you through HOW deep the deep sea really is; WHAT lives there; and WHY bioluminescence is so important.
Reconciliation Week
It’s a complicated concept with a simple goal: a better Australia. Special guest host Alanna Raymond will talk us through WHAT reconciliation is, WHY we have National Reconciliation Week; and HOW kids can contribute.