ABC KIDS News Time

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A weekly wrap-up of all the amazing stories happening at home and abroad, made especially for young children to help them understand the world around them. Join Ruby for News Time as she counts down the week’s most interesting news stories for pre-schoolers. Featuring stories about children, animals, special events, the natural world, and outer space, News Time invites little ones to engage with the wider world in a safe space, with a lot of fun along the way.

  • 13 minutes 32 seconds
    Frogs in spas and winter sports stars

    On today’s episode, we’ll strap our skis on and head to Italy for the Winter Olympics.

    Plus, we’ll bliss out in a spa with some frogs and meet a scientist bringing a little bit of stardust down to planet Earth. 

    Quiz Questions

    1. 1.According to the Chinese zodiac, this year is the year of which animal?
    2. 2.In which country are the winter Olympics being held this year?
    3. 3.How far did Austin swim to get help for his family?
    4. 4.What sort of disease do they hope the frog spas will cure?
    5. 5.Can you name one of the ingredients in the earth-made cosmic dust?

    Answers

    1. 1.It’s the year of the horse
    2. 2.Italy
    3. 3.4km, or the length of 22 football fields
    4. 4.Fungus (Chytrid Fungus to be exact!)
    5. 5.Nitrogen, carbon dioxide or acetylene gas… or 10,000 volts of power!
    12 February 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 14 minutes
    Runaway black holes and movie roles

    Spacesuits on, News Sleuths! On today's episode, Emily is taking you into the belly of a runaway black hole. Plus, we'll meet movie makers, code breakers and magic flowers.

    Quiz Questions

    1. 1.What’s the name of the movie that the children helped shape?
    2. 2.What’s the word, starting with M, for the little things on trees that are eating the harmful gasses?
    3. 3.What is a runaway black hole?
    4. 4.What’s the thing, starting with the letter C, that Neth is helping teach people to do?
    5. 5.What colour are these mostly magic flowers?

    Answers

    1. 1.Imagine
    2. 2.Microbes
    3. 3.A blackhole that travels through space
    4. 4.Coding
    5. 5.Red
    5 February 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 13 minutes 32 seconds
    Ocean saviour and an albino alligator

    Emily has got you covered with five fantastic stories in this week's episode. Hear the quiz questions at the end of the episode, or read them here. 

    Quiz Questions

    1. 1.What’s the name of the condition that made the alligator a light white colour?
    2. 2.What is the first name of the young artist? hint! It’s the same as the name of the alligator!
    3. 3.How many countries have ratified the agreement?
    4. 4.What town is wind surfer Sarah Kenyon from?
    5. 5.What did Veronika the cow use to scratch herself?

    Answers

    1. 1.Albinism
    2. 2.Claude
    3. 3.83
    4. 4.Geraldton
    5. 5.A brush
    29 January 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 14 minutes 12 seconds
    Racquet strings and lost things

    On this week's News Time we'll head to the Australian Open to meet some people making a racquet!

    We’ll also meet an endangered parrot that’s in a total flap, and in our Wow of the Week, we’ll visit a supermarket that’s been quite wild and woolly lately!

    If you'd like to be a News Time Listener Legend, all the details are here.

    Quiz Questions

    1. What was one of the most-borrowed books in Brisbane last year?

    2. What is the name of Australia's grand slam?

    3. Finish this sentence: The kākāpō is the world’s only flightless WHAT?

    4. Where does all the money go that’s raised through auctioning lost luggage?

    5. In which country was there a herd of sheep in a supermarket?

    Bonus Tricky Question

    The male kākāpō makes a booming noise that sounds like what?

    Answers

    1. WeirDo, Wings of Fire, or Cat Kid Comic Club

    2. Australian Open

    3. Parrot

    4. Charity

    5. Germany

    Bonus Tricky Answer

    A cello string being plucked.

    22 January 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 12 minutes 38 seconds
    Basketball praise and robot cafés

    It's your new host Emily's first News Time and she's lined up a rich menu of tasty news morsels for you!

    We’ll meet some basketball players who are about to live out their hoop dreams, and we’ll meet a rare butterfly that survives thanks to some helpful ants. Then, we’ll head to the bottom of the ocean to discover some unusual treasure in our Wow of the Week.

    Quiz Questions

    1. What’s something you’d find in a heat haven?

    2. Which country will the First Nations basketball team be visiting?

    3. We found out people work in Japan as robot pilots… but what do the robots do?

    4. What insect works to look after the caterpillars of the purple copper butterfly?

    5. What was locked in the safe on the ocean floor?

    Bonus Tricky Question

    What is the name of Wiradjuri basketball player we met?

    Answers

    1. Air conditioning, movies, music, colouring in and even volunteers!

    2. The USA

    3. Serve food and drinks, or give people tours of Tokyo.

    4. Ants

    5. A packet of beef jerky!

    Bonus Tricky Answer

    Hugo

    15 January 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 6 minutes 13 seconds
    Breaking News Time news!

    In this special episode, our intrepid News Time host Ruby Cornish has some breaking news to share.

    13 January 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 12 minutes 1 second
    Summer Replay: Amazing animals special

    While we warm up the News Time machine for 2026, we've been looking back at some favourite stories from 2025. This News Time episode is all about amazing animals.

    You’ll hear about a groovy seal, some helpful hounds, and a law-breaking duck!

    Plus, keep an eye on your News Time feed for a very special episode next week! You won't want to miss it.

    8 January 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 11 minutes 16 seconds
    Ruby's Favourites

    As we begin a brand new year, our intrepid host Ruby takes a look back at her favourite stories of 2025.

    1 January 2026, 8:00 pm
  • 10 minutes 37 seconds
    Good News of 2025

    It's getting very close to the end of the year, so we're looking back at five of our favourite good news stories from 2025.

    25 December 2025, 8:00 pm
  • 11 minutes 30 seconds
    WowFest 2025

    If you’ve listened to News Time before, you’ll know that we end each week’s countdown with our Wow of the Week.

    Today’s episode is 100% Wow. It’s WowFest 2025! A countdown of five amazing stories this year that made you go... 'wow!'

    18 December 2025, 8:00 pm
  • 13 minutes 22 seconds
    Banned apps and tiny zaps

    On this week’s News Time, we’ll head to the desert to dig up a haul of significant artefacts. Then, we’ll hear from a News Time listener with a truly life-saving message.

    And, in our Wow of the Week, we’ll blast off to Mars for some rather shocking space news.

    Quiz Questions

    1. How old do Australians now need to be to open a social media account?

    2. What is Rosie asking grown-ups of News Time listeners to do?

    3. What is the name given to the tools the archaeologists found?

    4. Who is the last dog on Christmas Island?

    5. What is the name of the rover on Mars?

    Bonus Tricky Question

    Why are dogs not allowed on Christmas Island?

    Answers

    1. 16

    2. Donate blood, platelets or bone marrow

    3. Tulas

    4. Shiloh the chocolate labrador 

    5. Perseverance

    Bonus Tricky Answer

    To protect Christmas Island's threatened species

    11 December 2025, 8:00 pm
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