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6 Best Circle Round Alternatives for Kids (2026)

Updated October 22, 2026 Β· Based on public parent ratings and reviews

The short answer

If your family has heard plenty of Circle Round folktales and wants more laughs and songs, Nighttime Nathan is the best next step: original adventures for ages 3–10, about 16 minutes an episode. For more classic storytelling, try Stories Podcast or Super Great Kids’ Stories.

Circle Round turns folktales from around the world into radio plays, and parents trust it for bedtime and for car rides with kids of different ages. If your family likes story-led audio with real acting and music, there is plenty more to discover. Some of these are classic tales in the same spirit, and some bring in more laughs and songs. Here are the best places to look next.

What you might be looking for next

  • More laughs. Parents talk about lessons and calm in Circle Round reviews far more than humor.
  • Characters to follow. Every Circle Round story stands alone, so there is no cast to come back to.
  • Stories beyond folktales. If you have heard a lot of them, a different style can feel fresh.

The 6 best Circle Round alternatives at a glance

Tap a name to jump to the full write-up. Scroll sideways to see every column.

Podcasts compared as alternatives to Circle Round
PodcastBest forAgesEpisodeParent rating
Nighttime Nathan cover artNighttime NathanOur pickfunny, imaginative adventures with original songs, for kids of different ages3–10~16 min4.849 ratings
Stories Podcast cover artStories Podcasta big library of calm, classic stories for bedtime3–10~19 min4.312,715 ratings
Super Great Kids’ Stories cover artSuper Great Kids’ Storiescar rides and bedtime, with funny and heartfelt tales1–8~29 min4.51,508 ratings
What If World cover artWhat If Worldimaginative, silly stories that start from a kid’s questionNot stated~22 min4.56,239 ratings
Story Pirates cover artStory Pirateskids who love sketch comedy and silly songs5–12~37 min4.517,471 ratings
Little Stories for Tiny People cover artLittle Stories for Tiny Peopletoddlers and preschoolers who want gentle, original stories2–6~23 min4.66,044 ratings

Our pick

Nighttime Nathan cover art

1. Nighttime Nathan

by RockMedia

4.849 ratings
Ages 3–10~16 min44 episodes

Best for: funny, imaginative adventures with original songs, for kids of different ages.

A new world, a lovable friend and original songs in every episode, with full character voices. Parents say they enjoy it too.

Why we like it

  • Original, not licensedEvery world and character is written for the show, rather than an audio spin-off of something that already exists.
  • Like an audio cartoonFull character voices, sound design and pacing closer to a Saturday-morning cartoon than someone reading a book aloud.
  • Songs kids actually requestOriginal music written for each story. Be warned: they lodge in your head for weeks.
  • No AIWritten, voiced and scored by people. Nothing here is machine-generated.
  • Made by real parentsA small independent studio started by parents making the show they wanted for their own kids.

Keep in mind. A newer show with a smaller library and fewer ratings than the big names. It is not designed to put a child to sleep.

A note on the rating. Its 4.8 average comes from 49 ratings, compared with the 16,987 behind Circle Round. 19 of its 20 written reviews give five stars and 1 gives one or two stars. Read the reviews, and press play on an episode, before you decide.

What parents say

Real reviews, quoted exactly as written.

β€œMy kids love all the silly characters and ask to listen to this every night. The lessons in each story are great to talk about afterwards. Thanks for creating such a fun podcast to end the kids day!”
Hokulani G on Apple Podcasts, Sep 2026
β€œReally fun show that our kids look forward every week. Each episode contains a great message that kids can really relate to. It is creative, funny and can be enjoyed by kids and parents alike!”
GarretT334 on Apple Podcasts, May 2026
β€œAs a elementary school principal, I really appreciate these stories. They’re both fun exciting but also do a great job of painting a visual picture as to what’s going on. They definitely make my wife and I laugh too.”
asfrwtegbhaa on Apple Podcasts, Jul 2026
Apple Podcasts β†—Read all the parent reviews

Nighttime Nathan vs Circle Round

Both are story-led shows with real voice acting and music, and parents use both in the car.

Nighttime Nathan compared with Circle Round
FactNighttime NathanCircle Round
Made forAges 3–10Ages 4–10
Typical episodeAbout 16 minutesAbout 23 minutes
Episodes so far44468
Parent rating4.849 ratings4.516,987 ratings
Parents talk aboutStorytelling & adventure, Humor & silliness, Original songs & musicStorytelling & adventure, Life lessons & values, Original songs & music
Best forfunny, imaginative adventures with original songs, for kids of different agesbedtime and mixed-age listening, with folktales from around the world

Why you might like it

  • It is funnier and faster. Parents mention the humor and the silly characters about as often as the stories themselves.
  • It has original songs, written for each story.
  • It has a running cast that kids can follow week to week.

Worth knowing

  • It has no folktales from other cultures. Nighttime Nathan’s worlds are all invented.
  • Its lessons are gentler. They are there, but they are not the point of the episode.
  • It has a smaller library: 44 episodes against 468.

More Circle Round alternatives

In order of how closely each one matches what families who enjoy Circle Round tend to want next.

Stories Podcast cover art

2. Stories Podcast

by Starglow Media

4.312,715 ratings
Ages 3–10~19 min831 episodes
Best for:
a big library of calm, classic stories for bedtime.
Why consider it:
A similar calm pace and a much bigger back catalogue to work through.
What it does well:
A new story every week, from fairy-tale retellings and classics to original tales, all G-rated. Parents call the narration calming.
Keep in mind:
Many stories are retellings of familiar ones, and each stands alone, so there is no running cast to follow.
See what parents say
Super Great Kids’ Stories cover art

3. Super Great Kids’ Stories

by Wardour Studios

4.51,508 ratings
Ages 1–8~29 min175 episodes
Best for:
car rides and bedtime, with funny and heartfelt tales.
Why consider it:
A similar format of standalone tales, with more variety in tone.
What it does well:
Tales to make you laugh and cry, told by storytellers from around the world. Parents mention car rides and bedtime most.
Keep in mind:
Stories range from funny to sad, so it is worth listening first with younger kids.
See what parents say
What If World cover art

4. What If World

by Eric O'Keeffe / Starglow Media

4.56,239 ratings
~22 min533 episodes
Best for:
imaginative, silly stories that start from a kid’s question.
Why consider it:
More playful than folktales, for kids who want to laugh more.
What it does well:
Mr. Eric tells imaginative stories sparked by kids’ questions, and there is a very large back catalogue. Parents mention humor and imagination.
Keep in mind:
It does not state an age range, so it is worth previewing an episode first.
See what parents say
Story Pirates cover art

5. Story Pirates

by Story Pirates

4.517,471 ratings
Ages 5–12~37 min480 episodes
Best for:
kids who love sketch comedy and silly songs.
Why consider it:
A big step toward comedy: much louder and sillier than a folktale radio play.
What it does well:
Turns stories written by kids into sketch comedy and songs. Parents talk about the stories first, then the laughs and the music.
Keep in mind:
Episodes run long, and it is pitched at older kids than most preschoolers.
See what parents say
Little Stories for Tiny People cover art

6. Little Stories for Tiny People

by Rhea Pechter

4.66,044 ratings
Ages 2–6~23 min183 episodes
Best for:
toddlers and preschoolers who want gentle, original stories.
Why consider it:
Gentler and pitched younger, if the folktales are running too old for your youngest.
What it does well:
Original stories with endearing characters for the youngest listeners. Parents mention bedtime, laughs and the voice acting.
Keep in mind:
It is pitched at the youngest listeners, so older kids tend to outgrow it.
See what parents say

How we compared them

  • Ratings and reviews come from public parent reviews, the same ones behind every other page on Pods for Kids. Each rating is shown with the number of ratings behind it.
  • Ages are the ones each show states. Where a show states none, we leave it blank rather than guess.
  • Episode length is the typical length of a show’s episodes, taken from its own feed.
  • What parents mention counts the written reviews that raise a topic in their own words. How our numbers work.
  • The picks and the β€œkeep in mind” notes are our own judgement about fit, based on each show’s description and those reviews. They are not parent reviews.

Questions parents ask

Is Circle Round good for bedtime?

Many parents think so: 15 reviews mention bedtime, and 14 say it works for kids of different ages. If you want something with more laughs, Nighttime Nathan is a livelier wind-down.

How long are Circle Round episodes?

Circle Round describes its episodes as 15 to 25 minutes. A typical one runs about 23 minutes.

What kind of stories are in Circle Round?

Folktales from around the world, adapted into radio plays with sound and music. Many carry themes such as kindness, persistence and generosity.

Is Nighttime Nathan a good alternative to Circle Round?

Yes, for the right family. Both are story-led shows with real voice acting and music, and parents use both in the car. It is funnier and faster. Parents mention the humor and the silly characters about as often as the stories themselves. It has no folktales from other cultures. Nighttime Nathan’s worlds are all invented.

What age is Nighttime Nathan for?

Nighttime Nathan is made for ages 3–10. Parents describe toddlers and school-age kids listening to the same episode.

How long are Nighttime Nathan episodes, and how often is there a new one?

A typical episode runs about 16 minutes, and a new one comes out every week. There are 44 so far.

Is Nighttime Nathan free, and where can I listen?

Yes, it's free. You can listen on Apple Podcasts and other podcast apps, or press play on its page here at Pods for Kids.

Is Nighttime Nathan made with AI?

No. Nighttime Nathan is written, voiced and scored by people, and nothing in it is machine-generated.

So which should you pick?

Try Nighttime Nathan with your kids

It is free, a new episode comes out every week, and an episode is about 16 minutes: long enough for a school run, short enough to try tonight.

Listen and read the reviewsBack to the comparison

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