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

TinEye
Snopes
Reuters Fact Check
AAP Fact Check
PolitiFact

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.