Looking for age appropriate shows for your kids can be a somewhat difficult task especially because there are hundreds out there to choose from. but how do you know which ones are right for your kids in terms of providing the right amount of entertainment and supplemental education? look no further as this list has gathered some of the best educational shows for them, guaranteed to deliver a fun pastime with added learning on the side.
Ask the StoryBots
photo from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoXIVwYwi64
Award winning children's show Ask The Storybots has everything a parent looks for when it comes to shows for their children to watch. The show definitely has the right amount of entertainment as well as quality educational content that kids will surely love.
Dubbed as the "best kids" show, "Ask The StoryBots" features the titular creatures themselves — StoryBots who are curious little robots living beneath our screens. The gang includes four charming and lovable characters namely: Beep, Bing, Bang, Boop, and Bo who go on an adventure to the human world in order to help answer children's biggest questions such as "Why is the sky blue?" or “How do airplanes fly?” And to make such fun lessons stick even more, they present their answers at the end of an episode through a musical video format. Sounds really neat right?
Currently, three seasons are available on Netflix for your kids to watch! Each season comes with about 6-8 episodes and are 25 mins long or less. If they can't get enough of their small robot friends, other spinoffs of The StoryBots are available on the same platform, namely: StoryBots Super Songs, StoryBots Answer Time, StoryBots Laugh, Learn, Sing, StoryBots Space Adventure and A StoryBots Christmas.
Waffles + Mochi
photo from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS4EGZJLNLs
Waffles + Mochi is a fun way of introducing food as well as cooking to your kids! It is even named as the “Sesame Street of Food TV” by Time’s Judy Berman with its cute cast of puppet designed characters reminiscent of Sesame Street.
The titular characters Waffles and Mochi are two friends who dream of becoming chefs. Unfortunately, they live in a land where everything is made of ice and even the food is frozen. Luckily, they find work at a grocery store owned by Michelle Obama (who is also the executive producer of the show!) and go on a trip around the world accomplishing various tasks while meeting other chefs, food experts, and ultimately learning how to make different kinds of food.
The show is going to be a feast for the eyes for your young one with all that food! Furthermore, not only will they learn about cooking but they will also embark on a fun little trip discovering other cultures through food as well.
If you’re worried about the show being a little too technical, fear not because the Waffles + Mochi strikes just the right balance of being didactic and age appropriate according to The Guardian.
So far, there is only one season of the show available on Netflix. There are a total of 10 episodes with a running time of 30 mins or less for each.
Shimajiro: A Wonderful Adventure
photo from: https://www.netflix.com/sg/title/81235103
Shimajiro is a Japanese children’s slice of life anime that has been airing in Japan since 1993. It is based upon the educational learning program created by Japanese company, Benesse.
The show stars Shimajiro, a curious tiger boy, alongside his family and friends. Meanwhile, the story mainly focuses on Shimajiro’s life as a preschooler. Throughout the series he goes through various adventures with his other pals while learning of the importance of family and friendship. Various lessons are embedded within each episode such as saying sorry, making friends, etc.
While learning about academics is an important part of children’s journey as they grow up to become adults, parents mustn't also forget that it's important for them to also learn about empathy, kindness, and values. Shimajiro offers just that. It is a great show to teach your kids how to navigate through their relationships, develop empathy, and strengthen the values taught to them.
Ada Twist, Scientist
photo from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNHJNMEFMwA
Originally published as a children’s book in 2016, “Ada Twist, Scientist” was finally adapted into a television show in 2021.
Awarded as the Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children at the 2022 Annie Awards, the show and its source material have been praised for its focus towards STEM.
It is definitely a good pastime show for your kids to watch as not only does it teach science and maths but is also a great way of encouraging your children not to be afraid of such subjects which can prove to be difficult in school at times. They may even learn to love it and gain better understanding as well as patience in tackling them later on.
Word Party
photo from: https://www.jimhensonsfamilyhub.com/word-party
If your young one has just learned how to talk or you simply want them to learn more words and expand their vocabulary then look no further because Word Party is here!
Word Party is an animated children’s show that focuses on vocabulary building. It features a group of five baby animals namely: Kip the Wallaby, Bailey the Elephant, Franny the Cheetah and leader of the group, Lulu the Panda, and Tilly the Tortoise.
There’s going to be a lot of singing and music involved as the characters sing, dance, and play every episode. Parents might find themselves getting a little of that last song syndrome which is really the only con (if it can even be considered as one) to this show. On the other hand it’s a great way for children to be a bit more active and spend some of that energy since the show is quite interactive and invites its viewers to teach the baby animals these new words, practise these themselves, and celebrate their achievements with a “Word Party”.
Finally, the show is available on Netflix and there are 5 seasons worth of content to go through with your child if you haven’t yet! Each season has about 10-14 episodes with a runtime of 14 minutes.
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