Circle Round
by WBUR
From the publisher
WBUR's Circle Round adapts carefully selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 3-103. Each 15 to 25-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity.
Why we recommend it
Folktales from around the world, performed by real actors — short enough for the school run, rich enough to carry the long way home.
What Circle Round is recognised for
Tops this collection — the show whose reviews point at it most strongly, weighted by how well it's rated. One award per show, so this is the only one it holds.
Staff pick
On our hand-picked "where to start" list. Chosen by us, not computed — these are the shows we would hand a parent who is new to this.
Most reviewed
At least 400 written parent reviews. These are the shows with the deepest body of first-hand experience behind them.
Our note — best for: A first proper story podcast
Folktales from around the world performed by real actors, in 15–25 minute episodes. The production is good enough that adults stop pretending to listen and actually listen.
Every distinction here is either computed from the whole catalogue or picked by us and labelled as such. How each one is decided
Good for
Collections Circle Round landed in, based on what its reviews say.
What parents actually say
High confidence · 210 detailed reviewsPlenty of detailed reviews to work from, so these patterns are pretty dependable. We summarise the 210 reviews long enough to describe the show, out of 404 in total — one-line raves don't tell you much.
Why parents put it on
The moments it actually gets used for.
- Works at bedtimeTop14
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- “I’m 11 years old, I started listening to this when I found out exist, which was probably like very early season one, I listen to every single night to fall asleep.”
- “And every night she falls asleep in an instant.”
- Works for mixed ages14
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- “Why are the older siblings evil and the younger siblings are kind?!”
- “This podcast features immersive, vibrant, and captivating telling of folklore from around the world, and is fun for all ages.”
- Great for car rides9
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- “Totally recommend for car rides, going to sleep, or just listening to for fun.”
- “It is my #1 suggestion to other parents of young children for road trips.”
- Kids ask to replay it7
See what they saidHide
- “I am obsessed with it so sad she left.”
- “Altogether it is an INCREDIBLE podcast and I will listen to it over and over at any time.”
- Great voices & acting5
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- “Why did you have to leave us please come back I want to hear your voice when I listen😭”
- “I love that the quality of the writing, performance, score and production are so good that I can also happily listen for hours on a long road trip”
What it's about
What comes up when parents describe it.
- Storytelling & adventureTop81
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- “The stories are good tho.”
- “I love this show it fun to listen to but the plot of the story’s just kind of keep repeating like when it’s time the adds turn on I already know how it going to end I LOVE your…”
- Life lessons & values17
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- “I am always interested in how parenting works in different cultures and I learned at one point that a lot of cultures don’t reprimand their children but tell them moral stories…”
- “LOVE THE LIFE LESSONS!”
- Original songs & music9
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- “I LOVE THE MUSIC AND ALL THE DETAILS!”
- “We love the stories, the music, the actors, the lessons!!”
- Feelings & empathy5
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- “We started listening to this podcast during the pandemic When Covid hit whenever I have anxiety attack This always calms me down!”
- “Also I’m the youngest so I love the episodes that have the younger sibling being kind also they aren’t leaving 🩷🩵❤️💚”
What it feels like
The mood parents describe.
- EducationalTop10
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- “I am always interested in how parenting works in different cultures and I learned at one point that a lot of cultures don’t reprimand their children but tell them moral stories…”
- “If you wanna learn more visit royareviews.com.”
- Calming6
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- “We started listening to this podcast during the pandemic When Covid hit whenever I have anxiety attack This always calms me down!”
- “Circle round is awesome when I feel stressed It’s a great resource to calm ☺️ me down circle ⭕️ round is one of my favorite podcasts of all time thank you so much for this podcast.”
- Wholesome5
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- “I listen to this every single night every time i clean up my roomit helps me focus 🧘 i love 💕 everything about this podcast You’re the best, Rebecca Spot the difference 😅😅😅…”
- “She loves the stories and the way they’re told, and I love that they have a positive message, she can be entertained without staring at a screen, and I can trust that they’ll be…”
Who's actually listening
From the 11 reviews that name a child's age.
- Early elementary (6-8)7
- Babies & toddlers2
- Preschool (3-5)2
- Tweens (9-12)2
How to read this: each number is how many reviews raised that topic in their own words — not a percentage or a score. Bars compare topics within a box only, so the longest bar is whatever came up most here, marked Top. The dots above show how much evidence we have, not how good the show is.
This summarises what reviewers said. It isn't our verdict, and we don't write reviews ourselves. See exactly how every number is calculated.
About Circle Round
In the publisher's own words, as they describe the show on its feed.
WBUR's Circle Round adapts carefully selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 3-103. Each 15 to 25-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity. And each episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups.
Parent reviews (404)
Real reviews from real parents — the ones we gather from public sources link back to where they were written, and the ones written here are marked as such.
Listened to Circle Round?
Tell other parents what you thought. It takes a minute and genuinely helps.
ok
im only giving 4 stars cuz Rebecca sheer is not the host Ps.new host is to kiddie (like treating listeners like kindergartners )(no offense) pps octos rule
LIZALFOS rule so do octopi · Oct 2026
I’m Apollo I love your episodes❤️❤️❤️
I’m going back to bed 🛏️🩷🩷🩷 now
A-poll · Oct 2026
Za dude’s I’m just chillin
Ok confession time I am not a cool person but I like 👍 It Even though I only listened to one episode.😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🫥🫥😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🙄😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🫥🫥😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🙄😐🙄😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🙄😐🫥😐🫥🫥😐🫥😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🫥😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🙄🙄😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🙄🙄🙄🙄😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🙄😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🫥🙄😐😐😐😐😐😐🫥😬😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🙄😐😐🫥🫥😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🫤😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🫤😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🫤😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🫥😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🫥😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🫥🫥🫥🫥😬😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐😐🫥😐😐😐😐😐bye. P.s I can’t feel my fingers anymore
A man who is also a dude · Sep 2026
This is amazing 🤩
😁😁😁😃😄😀😀😃☺️😉😉😉😌😌😊😊☺️☺️😉😌😌😍😍😍😍🙃🙃🙃🙃Just it’s the ad’s
Huytrtffdty · Sep 2026
Love this
I have been listening to this pod since I was at lest 8 on my yoto when there was not that many eps and now that I am 12 and have a iPad I can listen to more eps! And Love you Rebecca
GZMLOVER120 · Sep 2026
I’VE LISTENED SINCE IT CAME OUT!!!
I’m 11 years old, I started listening to this when I found out exist, which was probably like very early season one, I listen to every single night to fall asleep. It is my favorite thing ever me and my parents have donated to your show and bought books and we buy the coloring book and the stuffed animal. I am obsessed with it so sad she left. but the other podcast is really good too. Keep going!!
Noah_duzstuff🪲⭐️ · Sep 2026
Really awesome podcast!
Why are the older siblings evil and the younger siblings are kind?! That’s not true!! Also the goofy ah ads about DoorDash are like 3 minutes long! The stories are good tho. I am not a Karen I am speaking the truth. I’m 11
Ducks and dogs will eat me · Sep 2026
❤️❤️❤️😭😭❤️❤️😭😭❤️❤️
love.！！
🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🐭🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄 · Sep 2026
Showing the 120 most recent of 404 reviews we analysed. The summaries above use all of them.
Questions parents ask
What age is Circle Round for?
Circle Round is aimed at ages 4–10. In their reviews, parents most often mention early elementary (6-8) and babies & toddlers.
How long are Circle Round episodes?
Most episodes run about 23 minutes, so an episode fits comfortably into a school run or a bedtime routine.
Is Circle Round any good?
It holds 4.5 out of 5 from 16,926 ratings, with 404 written parent reviews, which works out to an A- on our scale.
Is Circle Round appropriate for kids?
Circle Round is marked clean, with no explicit content flag. Parents describe it as educational, calming, wholesome.
Where can I listen to Circle Round?
Circle Round is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music and other podcast apps. It's free to listen to.
Why do parents recommend Circle Round?
The point that comes up most is "works at bedtime" — mentioned in 14 of the 210 reviews we analysed.
Episodes
60 to play, newest first
Encore: The Hiding Place
Sep 29, 2026 · 27 min
Broadway's Aaron Bartz, Erik Christopher Peterson and Cara Ricketts (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) headline a Jewish and Egyptian story about a high-stakes game of hide and seek. This Circle Round episode originally was released on Oct. 1, 2024. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
Encore: The Round Mossy Stone
Sep 22, 2026 · 25 min
Béchir Sylvain (Jurassic World Rebirth) stars as trickster Anansi in a West African tale about a magic stone, a major trick, and getting a taste of your own medicine. This Circle Round episode originally was released on Sept. 9, 2025. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
Encore: The Stork King
Sep 15, 2026 · 29 min
Julian Lerner (The Wonder Years, Alma's Way) stars in a Ukrainian tale about how high-flying risks can pay off in the end. This Circle Round episode originally was released on Oct. 3, 2023. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
Encore: The Cleverest Person in the Room
Sep 8, 2026 · 26 min
Vanessa Aspillaga (Dora Saves the Snow Princess, Leave the World Behind) stars in this Puerto Rican and Chilean tale about baby basil, cuddly kittens, and how two heads can be better than one. This Circle Round episode originally was released on April 2, 2024. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
Encore: The Seamstress and the Deev
Sep 1, 2026 · 29 min
Recorded live at Tanglewood with Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians and a star-studded cast, this Afghan tale follows a savvy seamstress and her chatty kitty on a royally epic adventure. This Circle Round episode originally was released on Aug. 5, 2025. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
Summer Camp: Top Banana
Aug 25, 2026 · 26 min
Welcome back to Circle Round Summer Camp! We're revisiting our favorite stories about the outdoors. Tatyana Ali (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Abbot Elementary) and Jack De Sena (Lego Monkie Kid, Avatar: The Last Airbender) headline this Filipino story about getting the upper hand by taking the lower half. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
Summer Camp: Crocus-Pocus
Aug 18, 2026 · 21 min
Welcome back to Circle Round Summer Camp! We're revisiting our favorite stories about the outdoors. Jacob Laval (The Unbreakable Boy, John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch) and Amanda Warren (The Night Agent, East New York) headline a Sicilian tale about sowing the seeds of kindness, compassion and crocuses. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
Summer Camp: The Salmon Famine
Aug 11, 2026 · 20 min
Welcome back to Circle Round Summer Camp! We're revisiting our favorite stories about the outdoors. Recorded live at The Aladdin Theater in Portland, OR, this high-flying tale explains how the islands of the Philippines came to be. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
Summer Camp: The Bird of a Different Feather
Aug 4, 2026 · 23 min
Welcome back to Circle Round Summer Camp! We're revisiting our favorite stories about the outdoors. Recorded live at Round House Theatre in Bethesda, MD, this African tale explains how the guinea fowl got its distinctively speckled feathers. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
Summer Camp: The Salmon Famine
Jul 28, 2026 · 24 min
Welcome back to Circle Round Summer Camp! We're revisiting our favorite stories about the outdoors. Recorded live at Symphony Hall with Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians and a star-studded cast, this indigenous Pacific Northwest tale follows a wily coyote on a daring rescue. This Circle Round episode originally was released on Feb. 18. 2025. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
Summer Camp: The Snow Eater
Jul 21, 2026 · 23 min
Welcome back to Circle Round Summer Camp! We're revisiting our favorite stories about the outdoors. Cree Summer (Good Times, Abbott Elementary) headlines a Blackfoot legend about fast friends, warm winds, and why bears hibernate during the winter. This Circle Round episode originally was released on May 7, 2024. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .
Summer Camp: The Long Crimson Thread
Jul 14, 2026 · 21 min
Welcome back to Circle Round Summer Camp! We're revisiting our favorite stories about the outdoors. Jessika Van (Seoul Searching, Awkward) and Mark Pellegrino (American Rust, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley) co-star in a Welsh tale about a girl, a drought, and a mouse with a life-saving secret. This Circle Round episode originally was released on May 14, 2024. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here .