The Big Fib (formerly Pants on Fire): Fun for kids and their grownups
Update (10.16.2020)
When I initially reviewed this pod, it was called Pants on Fire but is now The Big Fib. I haven't listened in a while, but it seems like the show is the same apart from a new title.
The Premise (from Apple Podcasts):
Can you spot a liar, liar, pants on fire? In the era of fake news, kids must be able to tell what’s true from what’s false. And what better way than with a game show? Each week, a kid faces down two grown-ups, one an honest-to-goodness true expert, the other, well, a dirty, rotten liar! Featuring real kid contestants and a hilarious sound-effects-generating robot, Pants on Fire teaches kids to ask insightful questions, weigh the evidence in front of them, and trust their gut.
Series or standalone:
Standalone
Begin listening to:
Any episode!
Format:
Game show where a kid guesses who the expert is
Host(s):
Deborah Goldstein and LISA, a disembodied male voice that is purportedly a robot
Sound/production quality:
Great! Very goofy game show effects.
Rating/age suitability:
Approximately ages 7-10, but it’s a great podcast to have the whole family listen to on a car trip
Approximate length of episodes:
15-20 minutes
Curricular ties:
Each episode has a theme like primates, sound, martial arts, libraries, photography, trees, nutrition, and many more! There may be an episode that is related to something you already teach, and this could be a fun introduction to a topic, brain break, or reward at the end of a unit. School librarians (hi, friends!) can use this to support information literacy and “fake news” lessons. Even if you don’t teach any of these topics, listening to the podcast could be a bonus activity for individual students or the whole class. How fun would it be on a Friday afternoon before dismissal?
Similar recommended pods:
GenZ Media has lots of other great shows for similar age groups.
The Podcast Librarian’s Review:
Be still, my librarian heart—it’s a show for kids that’s about information literacy! POF is a fun listen for kids and their grownups. If you are old enough to remember the TV show To Tell the Truth, this is a similar premise. Each episode has a topic like dogs or libraries. The hosts introduce a kid guest who is tasked with figuring out who of the two grownup “experts” is telling the truth. The kid gets to ask the “experts” questions and ultimately guess who is telling the truth and who is lying. Add in a couple funny hosts (one of which is a robot) and a whole lot of puns, and you’ve got a surefire way to entertain kids for anywhere from 10-25 minutes depending on the episode. I think kids ages 7-10 would enjoy this the most, but parents will enjoy it, too. I will admit that I have been fooled by the wrong “expert” a couple times! Gen Z Media also produces other podcasts for this age group, which I will be checking out!
