PODCAST · kids
Circle Round
by WBUR
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.
Episodes
-
Encore: A Biscuit, A Basket
Saara Chaudry (The Muppets Mayhem, Holly Hobby) stars in this tale from India and beyond about good deeds, bad intentions, and biscuits. Lots of biscuits. This Circle Round episode originally was released on Aug. 8, 2023. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Encore: The Hiding Place
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…
more -
Encore: The Round Mossy Stone
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
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
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,...
-
Encore: The Seamstress and the Deev
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...
-
Summer Camp: Top Banana
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...
-
Summer Camp: Crocus-Pocus
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…
more -
Summer Camp: The Salmon Famine
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
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",...
-
Summer Camp: The Salmon Famine
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...
-
Summer Camp: The Snow Eater
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...
-
Summer Camp: The Long Crimson Thread
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.…
more -
Summer Camp: The Upside-Down Tree
Welcome back to Circle Round Summer Camp! We're revisiting our favorite stories about the outdoors. Comedian Alonzo Bodden (Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!, Heavy Lightweight) headlines this African legend about how one animal’s mischief created the savanna’s most majestic, magical trees. This…
more -
Circle Round presents: The Midnight Rebellion, Ch. 3 "Into the Machine"
Circle Round continues our special presentation of WBUR's new podcast, The Midnight Rebellion, with Chapter 3, "Into the Machine." If you have not listened to Chapter 1, go back and start there! The Midnight Rebellion tells the story of a girl on an adventure in a watery world where everything is...
-
Circle Round presents: The Midnight Rebellion, Ch. 2 "Get Hart"
Circle Round continues our special presentation of WBUR's new podcast, The Midnight Rebellion, with Chapter 2, "Get Hart." If you have not listened to Chapter 1, go back to the previous episode and start there. The Midnight Rebellion tells the story of a girl on an adventure in a watery world…
more -
Circle Round presents: The Midnight Rebellion, Ch. 1
Circle Round brings you a special new podcast: The Midnight Rebellion, by WBUR, the same place that makes our show! Heads up! This podcast is recommended for ages 7+. The Midnight Rebellion, starring Erika Henningsen (Netflix's "The Four Seasons") and others, tells the story of a girl on an...
-
Summer Camp: The Parakeet’s Promise
Welcome back to Circle Round Summer Camp! We're revisiting our favorite stories about the outdoors. Broadway stars Lorna Courtney (& Juliet) and Shoba Narayan (Aladdin) face off in this Indian legend about a tiny bird who opens up a farmer’s eyes in a big way. This Circle Round episode originally...
-
Summer Camp: The Sunlight Tree
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 members and a star-studded cast, this Swedish tale sheds magical light on kindness, caring, and letting roots run deep. This Circle…
more -
Summer Camp: The Sweet Spot
Welcome back to Circle Round Summer Camp! We're revisiting our favorite stories about the outdoors. Tantoo Cardinal (Killers of the Flower Moon, Three Pines) and Jonathan Joss (King of the Hill, Tulsa King) star in this sweet and sour Wabanaki tale about how people first learned to tap maple…
more -
Summer Camp: The Missing Mountainside
Welcome to Circle Round Summer Camp! This summer, camp counselor Erika Henningsen (The Four Seasons, The Midnight Rebellion) will be reintroducing us to some of our favorite episodes celebrating the great outdoors and spending time with others outside. In this Taiwanese tale starring Karen Huie...
-
Encore: The Four Winds
This Circle Round episode originally was released on Oct. 31, 2023. Kimberly Guerrero (Spirit Rangers, Reservation Dogs) stars in a tale from the Lakota people about one thieving fox and four wise winds. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
The Storyteller
Film, TV and theater star Maria-Christina Oliveras (The Balusters, Cymbeline) headlines a Portuguese tale about the magical ways stories bring us together. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Seven Silver Rings
Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Can You Ever Forgive Me) and Jorma Taccone (The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast, Little Fox and the Wild Imagination) headline a Seneca and Shawnee legend about how the raccoon got its eye mask and tail stripes. Sign up for our monthly...
-
Leader of the Birds
Carolyn Michelle (Familiar Touch, The Chi) and Christopher Rivas (Brown Enough, Rubirosa) headline a Maya tale about lies having short legs... and long tails! Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Chicken Scratches
Musician and podcaster Hrishikesh Hirway (Song Exploder) plays a cocky rooster in this Southern American tale about judging a book by its cover and eating humble pie. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Encore: The Blizzard Wizard
Vivien Lyra Blair (Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Boogeyman) headlines this story from the indigenous peoples of Siberia about a supernatural spirit with a very cold shoulder. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Encore: The Magic Touch
Edi Gathegi ("The Harder They Fall," "For All Mankind") stars in this East African story about twin brothers, enchanted fruit, and the magic of an open heart. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Lighting a Spark
Charlene Amoia (The Breadwinner, How I Met Your Mother) plays a tiny but mighty bird in this French legend about the origin of fire. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Swift Fox and the Coyote Twins
This Is Us co-stars (and That Was Us co-hosts) Sterling K. Brown, Mandy Moore and Chris Sullivan co-star in a multi-cultural legend about two conceited coyotes and the fox who outfoxes them. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
A Tale of Two Neighbors
Recorded live in Cleveland, OH, this Appalachian tale proves that true friends stick together through thick, thin, and everything in between. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Copper and Dumplings
Recorded live in Cleveland, OH, this Japanese story pits a wise baker against two tricky goblins who refuse to face their fears. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Encore: The Laughing Canoe
George Salazar (Be More Chill, Superstore) plays a wise-cracking waterborne vessel in this Brazilian story about the extraordinary things teamwork can bring. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
The Bolt of Silk
Samantha Béart (Baldur's Gate 3, Star Wars: The Old Republic) plays a sorceress with a knack for brewing up trouble in this tale with Sudanese, Egyptian and Palestinian roots. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
The Beech-Wood Box
Krassimira Belev (The Therapy) and acclaimed violinist Christian Hebel star in a Romani tale about how the very first violin came to be. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Stealing Summer
Bestselling children's author Meena Harris (Maya's Big Question, Kamala and Maya's Big Idea) plays an ambitious coyote in this Shoshone, Shasta and Hupa legend about how summer and winter came to be. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Down the Garden Path
Recorded live at Symphony Hall with Boston Symphony Orchestra players and a star-studded cast, this Buddhist story from Tibet and India proves we can all be helpers, no matter our size. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
The Masked Bandit
Recorded live at Symphony Hall with Boston Symphony Orchestra players and a star-studded cast, this Sioux legend follows a rascally raccoon on a gutsy -- and gummy -- quest. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
The Noise Next Door
Recorded live in Glendale, CA, this Haitian tale about two blacksmiths whose banging, clanging, clinking and clanking cause a presidential uproar. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Goodnight Sun
Recorded live in Glendale, CA, this story with roots in India and Vietnam follows a trio of birds on an illuminating adventure to bring back to the sun. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Over the Sea
Tatyana Ali (Abbott Elementary, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) stars as a savvy starfish who outwits a wily whale in this tale from Aboriginal Australia. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
The Fourth Post
Jeff Meacham (Black-ish, Vampirina) plays a hapless hero whose life turns upside-down in this humorous tale from Great Britain, Italy, Russia and the Philippines. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Encore: The Fairy Fort
Taylor Richardson (The Gilded Age) and Alison Wright (The Americans, Snowpiercer) co-star in this Irish tale about mischievous fairies and the power of music. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Encore: The Patched-Up Coat
NPR's Peter Sagal (Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!) stars in this Russian story about how fantastically priceless a little generosity can be. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Encore: Finding the Light
Kennedy Kanagawa (Into The Woods) plays a young man who brings light to a dark world in this tale with roots in Alaska Native and First Nations legends. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Python’s Drum
Gabe Kunda (Marvel Rivals, Apex Legends) and Natasha Rothwell (The White Lotus, Insecure) co-star in a Ugandan legend about friendship, rivalry, and making music. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
Birbal's Barrels
Ravi V. Patel (Animal Control, LEGO Masters Jr.) headlines this Indian tale about distinguishing need from greed with help from grain, gold, and a barrel of lies. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
The Underestimated Beetle
Recorded live in Charlotte, NC, this Brazilian tale pits a round-rumped, fleet-footed critter against a teeny-tiny insect in a surprisingly high-flying race. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
A Sticky Situation
Recorded live in Charlotte, NC, this Japanese legend about a rhyming pine tree puts a (literally) sappy new spin on "poetic justice." Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
-
How the Turkey Got Its Gobble (A Podcast Turducken with Terrestrials and Wow in the World)
Fellow kidcasts Terrestrials and Wow in the World join us for a story-stuffed special about smart chickens, mysterious duck quacks, and how the turkey got its gobble. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, "The Lion's Roar", here.
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
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.
HOSTED BY
WBUR
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Circle Round have?
Circle Round currently has 466 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Circle Round about?
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...
How often does Circle Round release new episodes?
Circle Round publishes regularly with 466 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Circle Round?
You can listen to Circle Round on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Circle Round?
Circle Round is created and hosted by WBUR.
URL copied to clipboard!