The Unspookable podcast investigates myths, superstitions, and scary stories that spark kids' curiosity.

The podcast's host, Elise Parisian, is a clinical associate at a therapy center. She was also a crisis counselor and an assistant elementary school teacher. Elise knows how to talk about things that frighten yet interest kids in an educational way. It's a wise concept, as creatures like ghosts and vampires are prevalent in kids' books and films. In each episode, kids share what they know about that week's topic. Their youthful voices and fun interpretations make the spooky content less intimidating. Elise provides historical context about the intriguing subjects.

The Unspookable podcast includes traditional frights, like clowns, werewolves, witches, and goblins. It also features modern threats, including artificial intelligence. Elise says robot fears are nothing new. Humans have had a fascination with automatons since ancient times. She talks about the imposing Greek god Talos, who had a bronze body. Hephaestus built Talos to protect Crete and powered him with Ichor fluid, not blood or oxygen. Elise also shares a Jewish legend about King Solomon. It claims the king made a throne with a complex system of mechanical animals. An artificial eagle put a crown on his head, and a dove handed him a holy book when he stepped on the throne.

In episode 53 of Unspookable, Elise talks about Halloween traditions. She shares the origins of the words "Halloween" and "jack-o-lantern." Elise reveals that people used to carve turnips instead of pumpkins to ward off evil spirits. She describes the original pagan festival with animal sacrifices. Listeners learn how spooky trick-or-treating was before electricity. They also discover why candy became part of the holiday.

The Unspookable podcast explores the stories circulating at lunch tables, camps, and sleepovers. Instead of telling kids not to mention them or saying they aren't true, Elise explores them. She says many spooky legends have historical facts involved. Exposing those makes the stories more interesting. Most episodes are less than 30 minutes, which works well for busy kids. New episodes come out each Tuesday.