The new audio magazine tackles big ideas and curious questions alongside a dose of original storytelling, helping kids aged 8+ connect learning with everyday life
USA, September 15, 2025 – Yoto, the award-winning audio platform for children, has today launched a brand-new podcast for kids 8-12 called The Download.
Hosted by Jake Harris and Pema Monaghan of Yoto’s award-winning daily podcast Yoto Daily (created for younger audiences), The Download’s audio magazine format dives into fascinating themes through stories, expert perspectives, and fresh ideas, formatted into three unique segments.Tell Me More! follows host Pema as she meets people doing fascinating things, sparking curiosity and encouraging kids to dig deeper into new ideas. Yoto Matters features Jake’s personal reflections on each theme, viewed through a wellness and creativity lens. Finally, the original fiction series, The Teatimers, introduces three friends who gather in a magical tea shop to solve problems. With research showing that fewer children than ever are reading for pleasure, the episodes aim to naturally inspire curiosity and support reading comprehension.
Episodes tackle big ideas in a digestible format designed for curious kids aged 8+. The pilot, Creativity and Tech, breaks down what AI is with insights from a game designer, an informatics professor at UC Irvine, and the creator of the hit video game Stardew Valley. Repair and Maintenance transports listeners to a sock repair art exhibition, and highlights the work of engineers who fix toys to reduce e-waste. In Habitats, listeners will journey to the Walthamstow Wetlands nature reserve in London to get an inside look at the science behind bird ringing and learn more about migration patterns and the environments we call home.
“When creating The Download, we wanted to take the elements that make Yoto Daily so beloved and evolve them for an older audience. The Download doesn’t shy away from complex topics – we want to prove that kids can engage with big ideas if you give them the right tools,” said Pema Monaghan, Junior Producer at Yoto and co-host of The Download. “There are interesting stories everywhere we look, and our hope is that the show fuels endless conversations about the world around us.”
“Launching The Download marks an important step in the development of Yoto’s original podcast offerings,” said Jake Harris, co-host and Executive Producer at Yoto. “Our community’s response to Yoto’s original content has been incredible, and with this show we’re continuing to deliver high-quality audio that grows with kids and adds real value for families.”
The Download was created with older kids in mind, but intentionally designed to be enjoyed by the whole family. The first three episodes of The Download are available from today (September 15th) on the Yoto App and all major podcast platforms, with six new episodes airing in 2026.