Need educational shows for your children to watch? Here are the 30 best educational shows for your kids that cover a wide range of important topics in any easy format.
1. Sesame Street
Created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisset, Sesame Street is a beloved children’s TV program providing quality educational programming for all ages since 1969. The show dives deep into exploring multifaceted topics with the directed intent of helping prepare disadvantaged children for school. It provides educational content with a colorful cast of characters, often featuring celebrity guests and heavily emphasizing diversity and inclusion. They have won numerous awards and honors, including a Daytime Emmy and a Peabody Award for excellence in children’s programming.
2. Blue’s Clues
Blue’s Clues is an educational TV show about a live-action host and their animated dog, Blue. They both encourage audience participation as they delve into puzzles and clues that center around Blue’s activities for the day. Blue leaves pawprint clues on objects and locations, and it is up to the audience to deduce the answers to the questions. The show aims to promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills for all ages.
3. Dora the Explorer
Dora the Explorer follows the adventures of Dora, a young girl who explores various locations in search of missing items. The show is presented in an interactive format as Dora frequently asks the audience to help solve puzzles or complete tasks. The show emphasizes teaching basic math skills, problem-solving strategies, and language.
4. The Magic School Bus
The Magic School Bus follows Ms. Frizzle and her elementary school class as they embark on magical field trips such as exploring the human body, blasting off into space, or even traveling through time. The show explores STEM topics and promotes essential issues for children, such as curiosity, exploration, and the value of education. Ms. Frizzle’s motto, “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” is a driving ethos of the show, encouraging students to embrace learning opportunities, make mistakes, and learn from them.
5. Dinosaur Train
From Craig Bartlett, the creator of “Hey Arnold!” comes Dinosaur Train, a series following a young group of dinosaurs exploring scientific concepts related to paleontology and natural history. They encounter different species of dinosaurs, marine reptiles, and other ancient creatures, incorporating factual information with educational songs and interactive elements that encourage audience participation. The show also features a paleontologist named Dr. Scott, who provides additional information on the dinosaurs and answers viewer questions.
6. Ada Twist, Scientist
Based on a popular children’s book of the same name, Ada Twist, Scientist follows the adventures of Ada Twist, who uses her curiosity and problem-solving skills to explore the world around her. Each episode follows Ada as she investigates different scientific phenomena and reinforces the core elements of the scientific process, such as critical thinking, the value of curiosity, and perseverance, showing that anyone can be a scientist.
7. Mister Roger’s Neighborhood
Hosted by the late Fred Rogers, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is a show designed to be a welcoming retreat for everyone. Mister Rogers invites you to his home so he can explore important topics. He features frequent guests from all walks of life, such as musicians, artists, scientists, actors, and educators. These guests share their life experiences and often participate in the show with him. Mister Rogers constantly explores essential topics such as friendship, kindness, empathy, and personal growth and ties it in with songs or puppets. His show emphasizes the importance of love, acceptance, and self-esteem for all ages.
8. Peep and the Big Wide World
Peep and the Big Wide World follows the adventures of three curious birds as they explore the world around them. The show aims to introduce preschoolers to basic scientific concepts such as gravity, sound, and the weather. It features hands-on activities, games, and discussion prompts to help reinforce the themes of every episode.
9. Brainchild
Brainchild is an educational TV series that aims to provide various scientific concepts and topics. Hosted by Sahana Srinivasan, the show features young scientists and experts exploring subjects from social media to the ocean. The show heavily emphasizes interactive segments to encourage viewer participation and attempts to examine the relevance of science to everyday life so that viewers can think more critically about the world around them.
10. Bill Nye the Science Guy
Hosted by scientist and engineer Bill Nye, Bill Nye the Science Guy explores various complex scientific concepts and ensures they are accessible and engaging for all viewers, regardless of age. Topics range from chemistry, physics, biology, and astronomy, and he always emphasizes Bill’s propensity for experimentation. The show encourages viewers to conduct hands-on experiments, ensuring they can always try at home or in the classroom. An essential show for STEM, Bill Nye the Science Guy emphasizes critical thinking and how science works.
11. Arthur
Arthur follows the day-to-day life of an anthropomorphic aardvark and his friends and family in Elwood City. The show tackles various issues and challenges, such as bullying, friendship, family dynamics, and self-esteem. A moral or social lesson is presented throughout the episode, but it is always relayed in a relatable and age-appropriate manner. Its humor is great for all ages, and in addition to its social lessons, Arthur provides educational segments to help reinforce essential skills such as literacy, math, and science throughout the show.
12. Wild Kratts
The Wild Kratts follows the Kratt brothers as they explore the world of animals, ecology, and conversation. Through storytelling, the show teaches children about animal behavior, adaptations, food chains, and the importance of conversation efforts to protect each species. The Kratt brothers emphasize the connection of all living things and encourage their viewers to respect and appreciate the natural world. They also offer a variety of educational resources such as online games, apps, and printable resources that allow their audience to explore topics covered in the show.
13. Peg + Cat
Peg + Cat follows the adventures of Peg, a young girl, and her loyal sidekick, Cat, as they embark on math-based missions to solve problems and help their friends in the whimsical world of Numberland. Each episode of Peg+Cat features a unique math problem or challenge that the duo must use their math skills, creativity, and teamwork to overcome. The show promotes critical thinking, logical reasoning, and deduction so that the audience can confidently approach math.
14. Super WHY!
Join four fairytale friends as they embark on a magical adventure and use their literacy powers to tackle their land’s problems. Super WHY! encourages young viewers to develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills through interactive storytelling and engaging activities. The show also features interactive elements such as games, songs, and participation, with each episode ending with the lesson for the episode and how they can apply it to their daily lives.
15. WordGirl
WordGirl follows the adventures of the superhero WordGirl, who fights crime and saves the day with her extensive vocabulary and linguistic skills. The show promotes literacy and language skills by slowly introducing its audience to new words and encouraging them to expand their vocabulary.
16. Helpsters
The Helpsters are a team of vibrant monsters who love to solve problems. Led by their leader, Cody, the Helpsters are ready to assist anyone who needs help solving their problems. These obstacles include teamwork, critical thinking, and basic coding principles. The show is aimed at preschoolers and focuses on teaching them problem-solving skills. It reinforces basic coding concepts with songs, interactive activities, and puppetry.
17. Reading Rainbow
Hosted by LeVar Burton for over twenty years, Reading Rainbow focuses on teaching reading skills and educating its young audience on many important literacy works. Each episode features a central theme, such as friendship, animals, space, historical events, or nature, and provides several related book recommendations. It also features reviews by other children so they can share their thoughts and opinions about books. The show’s overarching goal is to instill a passion for reading in young children, regardless of genre.
18. Ready Jet Go!
Ready Jet Go! follows a young boy named Jet Propulsion and his friends, Sean and Sydney, as they explore scientific concepts related to space, astronomy, and Earth science. The show also explores themes of friendship, diversity, and environmental stewardship.
19. Julie’s Greenroom
Julie’s Greenroom features Julie Andrews and her family as they guide a diverse group of puppet characters through various performing arts activities and lessons. Throughout the series, Julie and her team teach valuable lessons about creativity, collaboration, self-expression, and the importance of the arts. The show features various celebrities and performers who join Julie and the puppets to provide their expertise and experience in their field.
20. Wallykazam
Wallykazam follows the adventures of a young troll named Wally and his pet dragon, Norville as they explore a magical forest. They encounter obstacles meant to show educational elements such as literacy, problem-solving, and basic math skills. Wally can only use his magic wand to overcome these obstacles with the help of the viewers at home.
21. Our Planet
Our Planet showcases the world’s natural beauty, following animals across the globe as they survive. The show reinforces the beauty of nature with hard science to explain how animals deal with pressing challenges in their world.
22. Planet Earth
Planet Earth uses state-of-the-art technology to bring you breathtaking footage of nature. From oceans to deserts and the polar ice caps, Planet Earth features the beauty and wonder of life and educates children on the science behind it all.
23. Ask the Storybots
Ask the StoryBots follows a group of curious and colorful robots known as StoryBots who explore a digital world inside a computer. Inspired by Sesame Street, the show follows the Storybots as they explore topics such as the human body, geography, math, science, or art. The show features celebrities and experts in the field to explain each topic and uses catchy songs and interactive elements to reinforce these topics.
24. Alma’s Way
Alma’s Way features a young Puerto Rican girl, Alma, who navigates the challenges of everyday life with the help of her friends and family. The show explores critical topics such as friendship, family dynamics, cultural traditions, and social-emotional learning. It celebrates diversity and encourages children to embrace their unique identities and approach life with kindness.
25. Team Umizoomi
Team Umizoomi follows the adventures of Milli, Geo, and Bot, who form a team of tiny superheroes called Umizoomi. They live in Umi City and use math skills to solve everyday problems and help their community. The show is designed to introduce preschoolers to foundational math concepts and critical thinking, using songs to help reinforce these concepts.
26. The Joy of Painting
The Joy of Painting features Bob Ross as he guides viewers through creating beautiful landscapes and natural scenes using oil paints. Each episode typically has Ross against a blank canvas as he demonstrates various painting techniques and educates his audience on creating realistic and visually striking artwork. The show’s highlight is Bob Ross and his jovial personality that encourages mistakes and refers to his own as “happy accidents”. He emphasizes the importance of enjoying the painting process rather than worrying about perfection, which can easily be attributed to any other artistic discipline.
27. Sid the Science Kid
Sid the Science Kid follows the adventures of Sid, an inquisitive young boy who explores the world around him, introducing basic scientific concepts to preschool-aged children. Each episode revolves around a specific scientific theme or concept, such as the human body, the weather, or exploring different species of animals. Sid and his friends conduct experiments, make observations, and invite their audience to participate, fostering a strong sense of discovery. The Emmy-nominated show always features catchy songs and musical segments to help reinforce the episode’s topics.
28. Earth to Luna
Earth to Luna is an animated TV series that premiered in Brazil in 2014. It follows the adventures of a curious little girl named Luna, her brother Jupiter, and their pet ferret, Clyde, as they explore the world and learn what things are and the science behind them. The show explores STEM topics and presents them in an accessible format for all ages.
29. Doc McStuffins
Doc Mcstuffins follows the adventures of Dottie “Doc” Mcstuffins as she navigates the world with her aspiration to be a doctor. She is assisted by her stuffed animals and toys that she can bring to life, which help her explore essential themes such as basic health, hygiene, nutrition, and safety. These animals have diverse backgrounds and cultures, from Stuffy the Dragon, Lambie the Lamb, and Hallie the Hippo, all with unique personalities and quirks. The show’s lessons are reinforced with musical numbers that encourage children’s participation.
30. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a flash animated musical TV series aimed at preschool children aged 2-4. It debuted in 2012 and is inspired by Mister Rogers’s Neighborhood, focusing on social and emotional life skills for adolescent development. Using an interactive format that encourages viewer participation and engagement, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood attempts to bridge the gap with its young audience and uses songs and musical segments to reinforce critical lessons on the show, such as dealing with emotions, making friends, and trying.
These shows provide a great launching point for any child’s education, but remember to watch with them and make them think critically about the lessons so they can learn to grow their knowledge fully.
