Are you a participant?

Top 24 Educational TV Shows For Kids: A Parent’s Handbook

Top 24 Educational TV Shows For Kids: A Parent’s Handbook

Quizzes and Games

Jane Ng 18 Sep 2023 7 min read

Television isn’t just for entertainment; it’s a captivating medium that can also teach us amazing things. If you’re a parent looking for ways to combine education with entertainment for your little ones, you’re in the right place. 

Today, we’re putting the spotlight on 24 educational TV shows for kids that ignite curiosity, foster creativity, and nurture a love for learning. Get ready for a showtime filled with knowledge and excitement!

Table Of Contents 

Educational Program Examples

Before we jump into the exciting world of educational TV shows for kids, let’s take a moment to understand what educational programs entail. 

Educational programs are specially designed TV shows that aim to teach children various subjects, skills, and values engagingly and entertainingly. These programs are carefully crafted to align with children’s cognitive abilities and developmental stages, making learning enjoyable and effective.

Image: freepik

Here is a simple example of an educational program:

Program Name: Math Adventures with Number Pals

Target Audience: Children ages 3 – 5

Educational Objectives:

  • Introduce and reinforce numbers 1 to 10 and their respective values.
  • Introduce simple concepts of shapes, patterns, and measurements.

Key Features: Engaging storylines, vibrant animation, and interactive learning, encouraging children to solve challenges alongside the characters. Repetition reinforces math fundamentals.

Why “Math Adventures with Number Pals” is Beneficial:

  • Encourages a positive attitude towards math from a young age.
  • Enhances problem-solving skills and critical thinking.

Educational Shows For 1 Year Olds

Here’s a list of top educational TV shows perfect for your little one, along with their educational objectives, key features, and the benefits they offer:

1/ Sesame Street: Elmo’s World

  • Educational Objectives: To help children develop early language skills, and social interaction, and introduce everyday objects and activities.
  • Key Features: Fun puppetry, simple storylines, and colorful animation.
  • Benefits: Help children enhance their vocabulary, foster social understanding, and encourage curiosity.

2/ Paw Patrol

  • Educational Objectives: Help children get to know how to solve problems in a fun and interactive way teamwork, and basic counting.
  • Key Features: Adventures, vibrant animation, and positive messages.
  • Benefits: Encourages critical thinking, fosters a sense of responsibility, and basic numeracy skills.

3/ Bluey

  • Educational Objectives: Promote imaginative play, social skills, and emotional intelligence.
  • Key Features: Family-centered stories, relatable scenarios, and creativity.
  • Benefits: Enhances children’s creativity, aids their emotional understanding, and encourages problem-solving.

4/ Peppa Pig

  • Educational Objectives: Introduce children to simple math concepts, manners, and daily routines.
  • Key Features: Simple animation, relatable characters, and everyday scenarios.
  • Benefits: Enhances language development, teaches basic math, and emphasizes good behavior.

5/ Cocomelon

  • Educational Objectives: To help children learn the alphabet, numbers, colors, and shapes; to develop language skills and vocabulary; to learn about everyday routines and activities.
  • Key Features: Colorful animation, repetitive songs, and simple narratives.
  • Benefits: Helps children learn important early learning concepts in a fun and musical way.

Educational Shows For 2 – 4 Year Olds

Here’s a list of educational TV shows perfect for 2 – 4 year olds:

1/ Bubble Guppies

  • Educational Objectives: Introduce math, literacy, and problem-solving through underwater adventures.
  • Key Features: Colorful animation, musical elements, and interactive learning moments.
  • Benefits: Enhances early math and literacy skills, introduces teamwork, and encourages creativity and music appreciation.

2/ Octonauts

  • Educational Objectives: Introduce marine biology, problem-solving, and teamwork.
  • Key Features: Underwater adventures, diverse sea creatures, and scientific exploration.
  • Benefits: Enhances knowledge of marine life, promotes problem-solving skills, and encourages teamwork and environmental awareness.

3/ Team Umizoomi

  • Educational Objectives: Teach basic math concepts, patterns, and geometric shapes.
  • Key Features: Animated characters, engaging adventures, and math-centered problem-solving.
  • Benefits: Enhances early math skills, introduces geometry and patterns, and encourages logical thinking.

4/ Blippi

  • Educational Objectives: Introduce various topics like colors, numbers, and everyday experiences through real-life exploration.
  • Key Features: Live-action, enthusiastic host, and engaging educational trips.
  • Benefits: Enhances vocabulary, introduces basic math concepts, and fosters curiosity and interest in the world around us.

5/ Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood

  • Educational Objectives: Teach social-emotional skills, empathy, and basic problem-solving.
  • Key Features: Animated characters, catchy songs, and life lessons.
  • Benefits: Enhances emotional literacy, encourages social interactions, and aids in emotional regulation.

6/ Super Why!

  • Educational Objectives: Enhance literacy skills, letter recognition, and reading comprehension.
  • Key Features: Animated characters, interactive storytelling, and a focus on reading.
  • Benefits: Boosts early literacy skills, introduces the alphabet, and encourages a love for reading and problem-solving.

Educational Shows For 5 – 7 Year Olds

1/ Cyberchase

  • Educational Objectives: Teach math concepts, problem-solving, and logic.
  • Key Features: Animated adventures in a digital world, math-based challenges, and creative problem-solving.
  • Benefits: Enhances math skills, encourages critical thinking, and introduces basic computer literacy.

2/ Arthur

  • Educational Objectives: Promote social and emotional skills, diversity awareness, and character development.
  • Key Features: Animated stories centered around a young aardvark, relatable characters, and life lessons.
  • Benefits: Enhances emotional intelligence, encourages empathy and understanding, and introduces social skills.

3/ The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!

  • Educational Objectives: Introduce science concepts, natural habitats, and animal behaviors.
  • Key Features: Animated adventures, rhyming narration, and exploration of the natural world.
  • Benefits: Enhances knowledge of science, introduces curiosity about nature, and encourages scientific thinking.

4/ Dinosaur Train

  • Educational Objectives: Teach about dinosaurs, prehistoric times, and basic science concepts.
  • Key Features: Animated adventures, diverse dinosaur characters, and time travel elements.
  • Benefits: Enhances understanding of dinosaurs and prehistory, introduces basic science concepts, and sparks curiosity about ancient life.

Educational Shows For 8 Year Olds

1/ Bill Nye the Science Guy

  • Educational Objectives: Teach various science concepts through engaging experiments and demonstrations.
  • Key Features: Energetic host, fun experiments, and a blend of education and entertainment.
  • Benefits: Enhances understanding of science concepts, promotes scientific thinking, and encourages curiosity about the natural world.

2/ The Magic School Bus

  • Educational Objectives: Introduce science concepts through adventurous field trips on a magical school bus.
  • Key Features: Animated adventures, scientific explanations, and charismatic teacher Ms. Frizzle.
  • Benefits: Enhances science knowledge, encourages curiosity, and introduces a wide array of scientific topics.

3/ Brainchild

  • Educational Objectives: Explore a wide range of science and technology topics in an entertaining and informative manner.
  • Key Features: Hosted by enthusiastic teenagers, interactive experiments, and relatable discussions.
  • Benefits: Enhances critical thinking, sparks interest in STEM fields, and introduces complex scientific ideas in an accessible way.

4/ SciGirls

  • Educational Objectives: Encourage young girls to explore and enjoy science and technology.
  • Key Features: Profiles of real girls in science, hands-on experiments, and DIY projects.
  • Benefits: Inspires girls to pursue STEM fields, boosts confidence in scientific abilities, and fosters a love for exploration and innovation.

5/ Art Ninja

  • Educational Objectives: Encourage creativity and teach various art techniques and crafts.
  • Key Features: Art projects, step-by-step tutorials, and DIY creativity.
  • Benefits: Enhances artistic skills, encourages creative expression, and introduces various art mediums and techniques.

Educational Shows On Netflix

Here are educational TV shows for kids available on Netflix:

1/ Carmen Sandiego

  • Educational Objectives: Introduce world geography, history, and problem-solving through exciting adventures.
  • Key Features: Animated adventures, global travel, and geography-based challenges.
  • Benefits: Enhances understanding of world cultures, and geography, and encourages critical thinking and deductive reasoning.

2/ Ask the StoryBots

  • Educational Objectives: Introduce various educational topics in an engaging and interactive way.
  • Key Features: Animated characters, music, and creative exploration of educational concepts.
  • Benefits: Enhances knowledge across a range of subjects, introduces vocabulary, and makes learning entertaining.

3/ Word Party

  • Educational Objectives: Enhance vocabulary, social skills, and early language development.
  • Key Features: Puppet animation, word learning, and interactive play.
  • Benefits: Expands vocabulary, encourages social interaction, and aids in early language development.

4/ Our Planet

Educational shows
  • Educational Objectives: Explore the beauty and diversity of Earth’s ecosystems and wildlife.
  • Key Features: Stunning visuals, wildlife features, and a focus on environmental conservation.
  • Benefits: Enhances understanding of nature, promotes environmental awareness, and encourages a love for our planet.

These shows on Netflix offer a wonderful mix of entertainment and education, making learning fun and engaging for young viewers. Happy watching and learning!

Key Takeaways

Using educational TV shows in your child’s learning routine can be a fantastic way to make learning enjoyable and effective. These shows present a rich array of subjects, from science and math to history and creativity, in an engaging and child-friendly manner. 

By using AhaSlides alongside these shows, you can turn passive watching into an interactive session. Engage your kids by asking questions related to the show’s content, encouraging them to think critically and participate actively. AhaSlides allows you to create quizzes, polls, and discussions related to the educational content, making the learning experience both fun and enlightening. 

So, grab the remote, and tune into these educational shows. Happy learning!