I’ve heard it said that an expert level of any skill requires 5,000 hours of purposeful engagement in a particular area. If this is true, that means that my husband is an *expert* podcast listener. Since he drives for work and spends roughly 8 hours completely alone each workday, he has looked to podcasts to fill the void of actual human contact and, at last count, had clocked well over 6,226 hours of listening. As I said, an *expert*.

It was a given that eventually our kids would get in on the podcast action and find their own podcasts that they love. And this summer, they found their podcast when they were introduced to the Six Minutes podcast from Gen-Z Media on our Montana road trip. They have been superfans ever since.

What we found in the past few months is that podcasts are a great alternative to screen time for our {mostly} screen-free family. I love that listening to podcasts together sparks great conversations between our family, and I adore that the kiddos look forward to listening together on the way to our adventures.

Released in easy-to-listen-to six minute episodes, Six Minutes centers around a girl who has no memories of who she is. With all the drama and excitement you’d expect from a family-centered show as well as some of the worst theme music I’ve ever heard {sorry, Gen-Z Media}, they tell the story week by week of Holiday Anders, the girl with no past.

Who is Holiday Anders?

Holiday’s story begins by explaining that a year ago the Anders family found her floating in the icy waters off the coast of Alaska. The family already had two kids, Birdie and Cyrus, and now the Anders have been raising Holiday as their own for the last year. Keeping quiet about anything they knew of her past and the events that led them to take her in, her new parents have been homeschooling her and providing her with a much-needed safe haven.

But, all of that is about to change because Holiday is starting public school for the first time since joining their family. This means a whole new group of people is being introduced to Holiday and she is finding out that what she thought she knew about herself isn’t true at all. To make things even more confusing, Holiday is also starting to notice some strange things about herself… including some mysterious powers she never knew she had. Together with her pseudo-siblings, they are working to figure out the secret of who she is, why the Whittier Corporation is so interested in her, and what exactly her special hoverboard can do.

At its core, Six Minutes is about family: The ones we’re born into, and the ones we adopt. While listening, we’ve had great discussions on who Holiday is and whether Holiday is really an Anders, as well as what exactly makes a family bond. Hint: it’s not always DNA. Sometimes family is as hard to explain as magical flying hoverboards.

Each week on Six Minutes new alliances are formed, betrayals are unearthed, and the Anders kids get into crazy amounts of shenanigans that no kid should ever attempt on their own. But, I guess that’s what happens when young kids take it upon themselves to solve big mysteries with very little parental help.

You can listen to Six Minutes by subscribing at Apple Podcasts and all other podcast platforms, and directly at Gen-Z’s new kid-friendly website BestRobotEver.com. New episodes are available every Monday and Wednesday so you can follow along each week as Holiday’s story unfolds.

Find out more about the Six Minutes podcast and start listening with your family. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about that theme song, though.

The Six Minutes Podcast Gift Guide

Here’s a selection of some of our favorite products that are perfect for your Six Minutes podcast fans. You’ll find science and STEM-based learning toys, novelty items, and of course, a DIY coding robot and a hoverboard.

1.  Sky Rover voice command RC helicopter. Helicopters play a big role in the Six Minutes podcast, so of course I had to have one on our gift list. But, this isn’t just any helicopter toy – this is a voice-controlled RC copter that is fun for parents and kiddos alike. Find out more in our Sky Rover voice command post.

2. My First Lab microscope.  My kiddos love anything science-themed, so for them, a microscope is one of the coolest gifts you can give. We especially love the WOW scope from My First Lab that allows you to check out 3D objects instead of only being able to view prepared slides. It’s amazing how much you learn about even everyday objects at high magnification, and I love that you can even view living things up close like this.  See more in our My First Lab post.

3. Super Sleuth Listening Device. When we’re talking about uncovering deeply held secrets, you can bet there is quite a bit of spying and observing that the kids in the podcast do in order to piece together clues and solve dilemmas. This Sonic Sleuth listening device is the perfect novelty item for the wannabe sleuth.

4. Beakers. Whether you plan to use them for science or for decorating, or maybe for transporting potentially reactive serums, these beakers are just what you need.  Buy the beakers on amazon.com.

5. Hovie. What would Six Minutes be without Hovie, her trusty hoverboard that can seek her out when she’s in danger? By tracking her exact coordinates {through magical ways that haven’t been discovered yet}, Hovie can rescue her and keep her safe. This hoverboard from Razor may not be able to track you and save you from Danger, but you can bet it’s just about the coolest thing a Six Minutes superfan could hope for. With integrated front blue LED light bars, the Hovertrax 1.5 just looks cool. And, it has awesome EverBalance technology that self-balances automagically, 45-minute extended-life battery, and a ridiculously smooth ride. Buy your own Razor hoverboard on amazon.com.

6. Piper Computer. Know what’s better than a computer that your kiddo can play games on? How about a wooden computer that your kid builds all by themselves, so they can customize it and learn the innerworkings of computing in a fun and easy way. See more about the amazing Piper DIY computer in our full post.

7. Circuit Scribe DIY drone. We love Circuit Scribe for its hands-on approach to learning circuitry, but this DIY drone takes it to the next level. Learn how circuits work, follow the instructions, and then master flying your very own DIY drone. You can read more about Circuit Scribe in our full post.

8. DIY a Property of Whitter Labs shirt or patch. I assume that Gen-Z will eventually come out with a shirt or patch similar to the above {are you listening, Gen-Z?}. But until then, I made my own. I’d love this on our Hovie, on a backpack or bag, or even on a shirt or two.

9. Hermione, I mean, JIMU Robot. In the podcast, the robot Hermione plays a big role in the story with Holiday’s older brother, Cyrus. You can make your own Hermione with the JIMU Robot and learn the basics of coding and robotics. Follow the included directions to build your robot or you can create your own unique bot using your imagination. JIMU Robots are a fun way to bring robotics into kid’s day-to-day in three steps: Building, Coding, and Playing. Find out more about JIMU and see all the different sets you can buy.

Happy shopping for all of your Six Minutes fans!