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… Dragons
This is your Squiz Kids Shortcut to Dragons—the podcast where we dive into the who, what, when, where, why, and how of big news stories.
Squiz Kids Shortcuts dive into the who, what, when, where, why and how of the big news stories.
PREVIOUS SHORTCUTS
Real History of Star Wars
It’s a worldwide pop culture phenomenon… its value is estimated to be $70 billion… and even though it’s space fiction, it has some very real historical roots. We’ll take you through how the Vietnam War shaped Star Wars; what the Galactic Empire has in common with Nazi Germany; and on whom the Jedi knights are based.
Listen nowChatGPT
We’ve heard SO much about ChatGPT lately. High schools and universities are really worried that students will start using it to cheat on their assignments. But before we get into that, let’s take you through WHAT exactly ChatGPT is, HOW it works, and then move on to WHY people are worried about it.
Listen nowThe Titanic
It was elegant, expensive, and doomed… the greatest shipwreck of all time. We’ll take you through WHY Titanic is the most famous ship, and shipwreck, in history… HOW it all went so wrong … and WHAT Titanic looks like today.
Listen nowThe Great Barrier Reef
It’s one of the seven natural wonders of the world… the only living thing visible from space … and experts are worried it’s in danger. We’ll take you through WHY the Great Barrier Reef is so famous; WHAT exactly is a coral reef; and HOW one of Australia’s top tourist attractions is in trouble.
Listen nowAll About Autism
It’s a common disability, and some people call it their superpower… Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed than girls… and some people who have it, have no interest in a cure. We’ll take you through WHAT autism is… WHO are some famous people on the autism spectrum, and HOW to be a good friend to someone who is autistic.
Listen nowWater
It covers 2/3 of our planet’s surface… it’s the reason there’s life on Earth… and still, two billion people on our planet don’t have enough. We’ll take you through WHY there’s a water crisis … HOW unsafe water can make you sick… and WHAT kids can do to help.
Listen nowThe Secret World of Maths
We can find it in shells, flowers, pinecones and snails… it’s needed in sport, construction, space exploration and more… and it pairs very nicely with a sweet, flaky dessert. We’ll take you through WHAT pi (not pie) is… HOW else maths is found in art and nature … and WHO has jobs that involve maths.
Listen nowNoodles
You can eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert… if you’re in China, you’ll have a long life if you slurp them … and no, Marco Polo did NOT introduce them to Italy. We’ll take you through why it is that we humans love noodles so much; where in the world we can eat noodles; and—we think you’ll be surprised by this one—when we can eat them.
Listen nowClever Critters
Rats that save lives… frogs that pretend to be insects … and plants that can count? We’ll take you through why some animals have these amazing abilities, how humans are using clever critters, and what we know about plant intelligence.
Listen nowValentine’s Day
It has its roots in an Ancient festival that featured goats… Shakespeare was a fan… and it was changed forever by the Hallmark company. We’ll take you through WHEN Valentine’s Day got started, HOW it is celebrated by different people, and WHAT are some of the craziest real-life romantic gestures we’ve discovered.
Listen now