Squiz Kids

Cute little bunnies. Fluffy cats. Tiny mice. They might look sweet and harmless — but in Australia, some introduced animals are causing big problems for our environment. In this From The Vault episode of Squiz Kids Shortcuts, we explore the fascinating story of invasive species. What exactly makes a species “invasive”? How did animals like cane toads, feral cats and Indian myna birds end up here? And why can they cause so much trouble for Australia’s unique plants and animals? Listen carefully… there’s a Squiz at the end!

Algorithms are quietly running huge parts of the modern world — from the GPS directions that guide you to school, to the videos that pop up on your screen. In this week’s Squiz Kids Science Short, we explore what an algorithm actually is, where the word comes from (hint: it traces back more than 1,000 years to a mathematician often called the Father of Algebra), and how simple step-by-step instructions power computers, coding platforms like Scratch and Minecraft Education, and the apps many of us use every day. Tune in to find out how algorithms work… and why understanding them might just change the way you look at your feed.

A fun kids vs adults news quiz to test who’s been paying the most attention to the week in news. For the full episode transcript, click here.

Your daily kids news podcast. NAPLAN gets underway; Tap water turn off in NT; Tillies do or die match; and satellite crashes to Earth. Huge rains caused flooding in northern Australia, muddying water supplies in Darwin and sending the Burnett River spilling into Bundaberg streets. A 13-year-old satellite called the Van Allen Probe is heading back to Earth. Most of it will burn up in the atmosphere like a giant space fireball. The Matildas battle North Korea in a must-win quarter-final in Perth, while the 2026 Super Netball season kicks off with exciting matches this weekend. Plus, Paralympian Michael Milton showed incredible grit competing just days after surgery. A flood of fake videos online is spreading confusion about the war in Iran. Some are created with AI to trick people. For the full episode transcript, click here.

Your daily kids news podcast. Iran’s footballers seek safety;  NASA nudges an asteroid; an emu at the Paralympics; and a library filled with ants! Five Iranian women footballers made a brave choice after their tournament in Australia. Worried about punishment back home, they asked Australia for asylum. At the Winter Paralympics in Italy, Aussie snowboarder Ben Tudhope won silver — even after dislocating his shoulder! Meanwhile, Australia’s lucky mascot, Bruce the Emu, has mysteriously vanished from the team village. NASA tested a real-life asteroid defence plan by crashing a spacecraft into a space rock called Dimorphos. Scientists say even a tiny nudge could stop a dangerous asteroid from hitting Earth someday. Scientists have created a huge online collection of 3-D ant scans called Antscan. Using powerful X-ray machines, they captured detailed images of over 2,000 ant species. For the full episode transcript, click here.

Squiz the World goes to... Iran Each fortnight, we give the world globe a spin and see where we land. Then we take the kids of Australia, and the world, on an audio excursion to visit that country and its people. Join your captain, Christie Kijurina, on an audio adventure. Today, we're flying to Iran, a country once known as Persia, with a history stretching back thousands of years. From the ancient ruins of Persepolis and the poetry of Hafez and Rumi, to saffron-filled kitchens and bustling modern cities, there’s so much to discover. So, buckle up and get ready to explore Iran. For the full episode transcript, click here. Links: Map of Iran and the Middle East Landscapes of Iran Timeline of the MANY rulers of Ancient Persia A Persian fable - Bozee the goat, and the fox Famous Persian poems and poets Khoresh recipe Saffron facts for kids

Your daily kids news podcast. International Women's Day on the football pitch; Matildas draw with South Korea; Sweden’s lolly Saturday; and news of a new Xbox. International Women’s Day celebrates girls and women everywhere! But one brave soccer team from Iran is in a tricky spot after protesting during a match in Australia. Now they’re worried about going home. Kids in Sweden have a delicious tradition: a big lolly treat every Saturday! Maybe because sweets are mostly saved for that one day, many Swedish kids have super healthy teeth. It was a big sports weekend! The Matildas drew 3–3 with South Korea and now head to the quarterfinals. Meanwhile in Melbourne, George Russell zoomed to victory in the Grand Prix. Gamers are buzzing! Microsoft says a brand-new Xbox console is on the way—and it might play both Xbox and PC games. For the full episode transcript, click here.

Today is International Women’s Day — a moment to celebrate the achievements of women and girls around the world. In this Squiz Kids Shortcut, Amanda and Bryce explore the story behind the phrase “Girl Power” — from its punk music roots to the Spice Girls who made it famous. They also explain why the United Nations created the International Day of the Girl Child, and look at the challenges still facing millions of girls around the world. The good news? Opportunities for girls are growing, with more role models than ever in sport, science, politics and the movies. Listen carefully — there’s a Squiz at the end!

From sports shirts and washing machines to sea salt and seafood, tiny pieces of plastic are travelling through our world in ways scientists never expected. In this week’s Squiz Kids Science Short we investigate microplastics — what they are, how plastic breaks down into microscopic fragments, and why researchers are now detecting them in water, food, air and even human tissue. It’s a fascinating look at the invisible journey of plastic around our planet… and inside our bodies.

A fun kids vs adults news quiz to test who’s been paying the most attention to the week in news. For the full episode transcript, click here.

Your daily kids news podcast. A time machine for the nose; the surprising fashion of black teeth; a footballer’s seagull rescue; and AI fakes in the Iran war. Scientists are recreating smells from the past — from ancient Egyptian mummies to royal cars and even dinosaur breath! By studying tiny scent molecules, they’re building a “time machine for the nose.” Archaeologists in Vietnam discovered a skeleton with shiny black teeth — and it wasn’t an accident! During a football match in Turkey, a seagull was accidentally knocked down by the ball. One quick-thinking player rushed over and performed CPR on the bird. Some shocking videos about world events are spreading online — but many aren’t real. Fact-checkers use clever tools to trace images, detect AI fakes, and reveal the truth. Newshounds TinEyeSnopesReuters Fact CheckAAP Fact CheckPolitiFact For the full episode transcript, click here.

Your daily kids news podcast. Mr Beast tops YouTube charts; London’s hard drive heaters; T-Rex on tippy toes; and human brain cells learn to game. A new survey says nearly nine in ten Aussie kids are glued to YouTube! Gaming tops the charts and MrBeast is the king of clicks. In London, computers aren’t just crunching numbers — they’re warming houses! Heat from giant data centres is being piped into nearby homes. Forget the thunderous stomp — scientists say T-Rex may have tiptoed! Scientists trained real human brain cells to play the video game Doom! Grown on tiny chips, these neurons are learning faster than ever — but no one fully knows how. For the full episode transcript, click here.

It’s a big month for football — with the Women’s Asian Cup now underway and the Matildas already on the scoreboard with a 1–0 win over the Philippines! To celebrate all the action, we’re bringing back this Squiz Kids Shortcut to Women’s Football — where we explore how the game began, what was happening in Australia, and why women’s football has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. You’ll hear the incredible history of women playing soccer — from queens kicking balls in the 1500s, to record-breaking crowds in the 1920s, to the rise of Australia’s very own Matildas. Note for listeners: This episode was originally recorded in 2023, before the FIFA Women’s World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand — so you may hear references to that tournament coming up. 🎧 Perfect for curious kids aged 8–12 — and anyone who loves sport, history, and a great comeback story. Listen carefully… there’s a Squiz at the end! For the full episode transcript, click here. LINKS: Women's football - primary sources: ⁠http://www.donmouth.co.uk/womens_football/womens_football.html⁠ The story of women's football in England: ⁠https://www.thefa.com/womens-girls-football/heritage/kicking-down-barriers⁠ History of women's football in Australia: ⁠https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/history-womens-football-australia⁠ How the Matildas' got their name: ⁠https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/sometimes-you-strike-it-lucky-how-a-25-cent-phone-poll-gave-the-matildas-their-name-20230517-p5d93q.html?instance=2023-06-24-06-06-AEST&jobid=29705766&list_name=E2446F7A-1897-44FC-8EB8-B365900170E3&mbnr=MzE0NDQ1OTU&promote_channel=edmail&utm_campaign=am-smh-weekend&utm_content=good_weekend&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=2023-06-24⁠ Everything we need to know about the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023: ⁠https://www.refinery29.com/en-au/2023/06/11417703/fifa-womens-world-cup-2023-details

In this special edition of Squiz Kids, Bryce hits pause on normal programming to explain the big news out of Iran. Over the weekend, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, and Iran retaliated with its own attacks across parts of the Middle East. Leaders say the strikes were aimed at stopping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, and the biggest shock was the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has ruled for decades in a strict religious system. Bryce breaks down what all that means, what might happen next, and why it’s extra important to use your Newshounds “Stop, Think, Check” skills when misinformation spreads online. For the full episode transcript, click here.

Travel back thousands of years to one of the world’s most fascinating civilisations in this From the Vault episode of Squiz Kids Shortcut — Ancient Egypt. It was a place where pyramids scraped the sky, powerful pharaohs ruled the land, men and women wore eye makeup for surprising reasons, and the rich were carefully mummified for the afterlife. But how much of what we think we know about Ancient Egypt is actually true? Perfect for curious kids — and especially handy if Ancient Egypt is popping up in your classroom this year. Listen carefully… there’s a Squiz at the end! Link: ⁠How to mummify a chicken

Why does an ice cube melt… water boil… and steam disappear into thin air? This week’s Squiz Kids Science Short unpacks the states of matter — solids, liquids, gases… and the one you may not know, plasma. What are they really? What’s happening at the tiny particle level? And why does adding heat completely change how matter behaves? From frozen jumpers to glowing neon lights and the blazing Sun, we explore how energy makes particles move, spread out, or even lose tiny pieces called electrons. Solid. Liquid. Gas. Plasma. It’s not magic. It’s motion.

A fun kids vs adults news quiz to test who’s been paying the most attention to the week in news. For the full episode transcript, click here.

Your daily kids news podcast. Tillies go for glory; Ukraine’s sad anniversary; Kiwi bird makes berry bounce back; and the cave-dwelling cheetah mummies. Green and gold fever is here! The Matildas are launching into three huge weeks of Asian Cup action, facing teams from across Asia. Four years on, the war in Ukraine continues, affecting millions of lives. While leaders prepare for more peace talks, the world hopes for calmer days ahead. Archaeologists in Saudi Arabia have uncovered ancient mummified cheetahs—up to 4,000 years old! New Zealand’s quirky, flightless kakapo is having a baby boom! Thanks to a bumper berry season, more chicks are hatching than usual. AI-made videos pretending to show immigrants saying untrue things are spreading online. Fact checkers sniffed them out! It’s a big reminder to double-check what you see—because not everything on the internet is real. For the full episode transcript, click here.

Your daily kids news podcast. A pay rise for kids; robots master Kung Fu; the Koala cupid strikes; and a big record for tiny things. Pocket money is getting a boost — but so are prices! With inflation making snacks cost more, kids in the UK and Australia are earning extra cash for chores. At China’s mega TV event, robots flipped, kicked and balanced like martial arts masters! Built by tech companies, these AI-powered performers amazed millions. Scientists at Guulabaa are playing matchmaker for koalas! By carefully pairing healthy, unrelated koalas, they’ve welcomed seven adorable joeys in one year A Queensland collector has earned a Guinness World Records title for owning 2,656 unique Shopkins items — and more than 4,000 in total! For the full episode transcript, click here.

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, as we soar to Colombia — a country bursting with colour, rhythm and resilience. It’s home to more bird species than anywhere else on Earth, snow-capped volcanoes that rumble high in the Andes, and a rainbow river that looks like it’s been painted through the jungle. From ancient civilisations to arepas on the dinner table, there’s so much to explore. So buckle up and get ready to discover Colombia. For the full episode transcript, click here. Links:A map of ColombiaColombia's Rainbow River How to play tejo The fabulous Chiva BusHow to make arepas!