Short & Curly
Short & Curly is the fun and educational ABC Kids and Family podcast that makes philosophy and ethics easy, entertaining, and thought-provoking. Hosted by Molly Daniels, Carl Smith, and philosopher Eleanor Gordon-Smith, the show explores big questions for kids about right and wrong, fairness, truth, knowledge, logic, beauty, and art. Perfect for kids aged 8–12, Short & Curly is loved by families, parents, and teachers worldwide. One of the best kids shows for curious minds, it inspires learning, laughter, and big ideas that help children learn how to think, not what to think. Created by the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), trusted makers of award-winning children's content. Binge this free educational ABC kids podcast series on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts worldwide Classroom Resources: Listen to the podcast in the classroom or as homework and use these resources to explore and expand upon the diverse themes and subjects covered in the show.
Episodes
We test for everything: to get a licence, to move to the next grade, to prove you're ready to use a pen. But when it comes to becoming a biological parent, there's no test to pass. Should there be? Would a parenting test be a good idea?
Brains Trust — Gibbs Street Public School, Perth: Fitzroy, Shahla, Jorja, Nafi, Tabitha, Gumaan
Listen to Short & Curly, the fun and educational ABC kids podcast about philosophy...
We all have thoughts about other people that we’d never say aloud. But do our private thoughts say something about the kind of people we are? Or is it only our actions that count?
Brains Trust - Gibbs Street Public School, Perth: Layla, Avjot, Johanna, Imogen, Sampada, Claudia.
Listen to Short & Curly, the fun and educational ABC kids podcast about philosophy and ethics. Join hosts Molly Daniels, Carl Smith, an...
Ever walked past a spray-painted wall and thought, "That's actually really cool and beautiful!" But is it art or just stylish vandalism? Molly and Carl grab some spray cans and dive into the messy, colourful world of graffiti to ask: when does a rebellious scribble become art, and who gets to decide?
Brains Trust — Gibbs Street Public School, Perth: Fitzroy, Shahla, Jorja, Nafi, Tabitha, Gumaan
Listen to Short &...
There's wild surf at the beach today, but people are still choosing to swim outside the area patrolled by lifeguards. If those swimmers get into trouble out there, should other people put themselves at risk to save them? Or does ignoring the warnings mean you're on your own?
Brains Trust — Gibbs Street Public School, Perth: Fitzroy, Shahla, Jorja, Nafi, Tabitha, Gumaan
Listen to Short & Curly, the fun and educat...
Most dogs are loving companions, but what about the ones that bite, bark, or cause chaos? Is a dog's bad behaviour their own fault or is it down to the way they were raised? From neglected pups to misunderstood mutts, we dig into the debate: Who's really responsible when a dog goes rogue, and what should we do about it?
Brains Trust — Gibbs Street Public School, Perth: Layla, Avjot, Johanna, Imogen, Sampada, Claudi...
The line between truth and deception can be blurry. Is leaving out important information a lie? What about misleading gestures, or half-truths? Babysitting Matt's kids force Molly and Carl to confront these complexities firsthand as they lie to get out of tricky situations.
Summer Hill Public School: Dimitri, Mia, Teddy, Milla, Cleo, Marcus
Join Molly and Carl as they valiantly attempt a world record sailing around the globe on their boat, the Theseus. Faced with a constant need for boat repairs, they are forced to confront a perplexing question: how many changes can you make to something before it's no longer the same thing it started out as?
South Wagga Public School: Noah, Lucas, Jasmine, Hunter, Olivia
Molly and Carl visit Greece in search of the mythical "Scroll of Rights and Wrongs", an ancient guide written by the smartest person to have ever lived: Adamantia The Wise*. The elusive ancient text contains the ultimate guide to morality, but what does it say?
South Wagga Public School: Noah, Lucas, Jasmine, Hunter, Olivia
*definitely not a real person and very much the invention of Molly & Carl.
Have you ever had a fight with your sibling over who should get to keep something? In a small village a long time ago, Queen Ethiconia had to settle a dispute between three siblings fighting over a musical instrument they all want and all think they deserve: a wooden recorder. Each says the recorder should be theirs, but for very different, compelling reasons. So, who should get the flute? You decide.
South Wagga P...
As a kid, Matt, our resident ethicist, was always flat out. He juggled volunteering in the school veggie garden, playing sports, sibling duties, music practice, and chores around the house. After a while, it started to feel overwhelming, even though they were all important responsibilities that he cared about! But do humans try to do too much and is okay to just simply do nothing when there are so many important t...
See if you can work out which episodes these classic Matt moments are from as we say goodbye (but hopefully not forever) to our wonderful ethicist Matt Beard.
You are enjoying a walk with your four-legged friend, when they do a big stinker on the street. Don't worry — you're prepared! You've brought the dog poo bags! But do you really have to carry the smelly parcel of poo all the way home? Is it okay to put your dog poo in someone else's bin?
Thanks to Genevieve for this stinky dilemma!
Everyone says it's good to be kind and that acts of kindness can make the world a better place. But often we aren't as kind as we could or should be. So should we pay people to be kind? Would it make the world a better place?
Thank you to Pepper for this awesome question!
It's fun to hang out with our friends, but sometimes we need a bit of alone time. Maybe you want to listen to your favourite music and sing along loudly. Or curl up in a special place and read a book. So should you always say yes if someone asks if they can come over to your house?
Thanks to Melissa for this curly question!
We all love getting presents, but what about when you get a gift you don't like and will never use? So what should you do with unwanted gifts? Is it ok to give them away or do you have to keep them forever?
Thanks to Oscar for this curious question!
It must be hard work being a teacher and trying to get a classroom of kids to behave. But is it ok for teachers to bribe kids with lollies to get them to be good?
Thanks to Milly for this curious question!
There's drama. There's competition. And there's usually a few tears as well. Reality TV takes everyday people and throws them into weird and exciting and sometimes stressful situations. But is it really real? And is it fair? And should we watch these shows at all?
Brains Trust – Linden Park Primary School, Adelaide – Linda, Elina, Jescinta, Dhyana, Siera, Justine
Right this very moment, are you awake or are you dreaming? You're awake, right? But are you sure? Maybe you're just in the middle of a very realistic dream? Philosophers have been debating this question for centuries. And we are going to solve it today! Or are we?
Brains Trust – Linden Park Primary School, Adelaide – Genevieve, Grace, Alexa, Poppy, Chelsea, Sophie
Molly and Carl have just found out that some people earn a lot more money than they do, and this just makes no cents (pun intended). So how do we decide what different types of jobs should be paid? What about if those jobs are dangerous? If they take many years of training and study? Or if they will make the world a better place?
Brains Trust – Linden Park Primary School, Adelaide – Genevieve, Grace, Alexa, Poppy, ...
Would you like to learn to speak whale language at school instead of Italian or Mandarin? Molly and Carl go on a deep-sea mission to test a new translation device that will let them talk to whales. But even if they manage to make the technology work, will they be able to truly understand each other? Come dive with us and find out.
Brains Trust – Linden Park Primary School, Adelaide – Ivy, Finn, Oliver, Ken, Aaron, ...
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