In this episode of Squiz Kids Shortcut, Christie and Bryce explore the weird, surprising and sometimes downright bonkers history of money. From giant limestone wheels on the Pacific island of Yap to the first coins stamped by kings, paper money in ancient China, Renaissance banks, gold bars, Bitcoin and beyond.

Discover what actually makes something “money” in the first place, how money changed from shells, salt, giant stone wheels, shiny coins and paper notes, and why something only becomes money if enough people trust it.

There’s also a S’Quiz at the end… so listen carefully!

For the full episode transcript, click here.

This episode was hosted by Bryce Corbett and Christie Kijurina

Research by Christie Kijurina

Your daily kids news podcast.

Amazing cave rescue in Laos; a rare blue micromoon; big weekend for soccer fans; and the world’s best spellers.

Five men trapped underground in a flooded cave in Laos were rescued after a week of tense efforts.

Shrey Parikh, 14, raced through 32 tricky words in 90 seconds to win the world’s biggest spelling bee.

Australia’s Socceroos kicked off World Cup prep with a 1–0 loss to Mexico in front of 78,000 fans, while PSG snatched Champions League glory from Arsenal after a tense penalty shootout.

Last night, a Blue Moon appeared—the second full moon of the month—and it was also a micromoon, looking smaller than usual because it’s at the far end of its orbit.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Written and hosted by Bryce Corbett

Who was Eddie Mabo… and how did one man help change Australian law forever?

In this special From The Vault episode for Reconciliation Week, we revisit the remarkable story of Eddie Koiki Mabo, a Torres Strait Islander man whose fight for fairness led to one of the most important legal decisions in Australian history.

Discover what terra nullius really meant, why land is so deeply connected to culture and identity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and how the landmark Mabo decision changed the way Australia understands land rights.

It’s a story of courage, truth, fairness… and proof that one determined person really can change history.

Researched by Christie Kijurina

Hosted by Christie Kijurina and Bryce Corbett

What if a woolly mammoth wandered past your school oval… or a Tasmanian tiger trotted through the playground?

In this week’s Squiz Kids Science Short, we explore the surprising science of de-extinction... the real-life effort to bring vanished animals back using ancient DNA, gene editing and even giant artificial eggs.

Could scientists really recreate creatures like mammoths, moa birds or the thylacine? And if science can do it… should it?

Listen carefully — there’s no test, but plenty to think about!

Researched and hosted by Christie Kijurina

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.

Written and hosted by Christie Kijurina

Your daily kids news podcasts.

We’re off to the Moon!; Blues win first Origin; Squiz-E sniffs a fake; and Britain’s cheese rolling championships

NASA wants humans living on the Moon by 2032!

In England, brave and slightly bonkers racers chased a rolling cheese wheel down a steep hill.

NSW pulled off a huge State of Origin comeback, beating Queensland 22–20 with a last-minute try.

Squiz-E is warning kids about false claims spreading online about diphtheria.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Researched and hosted by Bryce Corbett.

Your daily kids news podcast.

National Reconciliation Week starts; a student tractor take-over; some furry film stars; and an Aussie astronaut’s invited to space.

Australia is marking National Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week by remembering the Stolen Generations and thinking about how people can listen, learn and move forward together.

Millions of Muslims from around the world are gathering in Mecca for the Hajj, an important pilgrimage filled with prayer, reflection and community.

Forget buses... students in rural Michigan, USA, celebrated finishing school by driving tractors, golf carts and giant farm vehicles to class!

At the fancy Cannes Film Festival, rescue dogs Yuri and Tormenta stole hearts and won the Palm Dog Award for their movie roles.

Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg could be heading to the International Space Station!

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Your Shortcut to Eddie Mabo and Native Title.
Our chat with Katherine Bennell-Pegg.

Each fortnight, we give the world globe a spin and see where we land. Then we take the kids of Australia on an audio excursion to visit that country and its people.
Join your captain, Christie Kijurina, on an audio adventure. Today, we’re flying to the United Arab Emirates, a country where desert traditions and futuristic ambition race side by side. From robot camel jockeys and towering skyscrapers to pearl-diving history, giant shopping malls and skiing with penguins in the desert, there’s so much to discover.
So, buckle up and get ready to explore the UAE.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Researched and hosted by Christie Kijurina.

Your daily kids news podcast.

Hopes for peace in Iran; footy player breaks most games record; the galaxy that ate another; and bringing dino-birds back from extinction.

The world is watching closely as hopes rise for a truce in the Iran conflict.

Scientists are hoping to bring the giant moa back from extinction using super-clever artificial eggshell technology.

AFL great Scott Pendlebury made history by playing a record-breaking 433rd game.

From meteors blazing overhead to galaxies gobbling neighbours and rockets zooming skyward, space has been busier than a school playground at lunchtime.

For the full episode transcript, click here.

Researched and hosted by Bryce Corbett.

This weekend, we’re heading beneath the waves to explore one of the most extraordinary places on Earth... Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

In this classic Squiz Kids Shortcut, Bryce and Amanda unpack why the reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, what coral reefs actually are (spoiler: coral is alive!), and why scientists are worried this incredible underwater ecosystem could be in trouble.

Along the way, discover a dazzling world packed with turtles, whales, sharks, clownfish, coral spawning, tiny creatures called polyps, and more biodiversity than you can poke a snorkel at.

Perfect for curious kids who love the ocean, animals, science… or just really cool facts.

Hosted by Bryce Corbett and Amanda Bower

Researched by Amanda Bower

A blue-whale-sized asteroid zoomed surprisingly close past Earth this week... so naturally, we had questions.

Would it wipe out humanity? Trigger a dinosaur-style disaster? Smash into the ocean and cause giant tsunamis? Or explode in the sky before it even reached the ground?

In this week’s Squiz Kids Science Short, we unpack what would actually happen if an asteroid about the size of a blue whale hit Earth, why where it lands matters, the giant explosion over Russia that flattened millions of trees, and how scientists are already protecting Earth by tracking space rocks and even nudging them off course.

Space science, giant explosions, dinosaurs, NASA and asteroid-bumping experiments? Yep. This one’s a beauty.

Researched and hosted by Christie Kijurina