Sesame Street is well-known among parents. It is still going strong after several decades and continues to set the standard for preschool shows with its educational aspects. Sesame Street was created by educators and designed to incorporate early education with social and emotional skills, creating a highly educational and entertaining show for kids.
Sesame Street also takes great strides in teaching kids about diversity and tolerance of differences between individuals. Combining muppet and live characters of all ages, colors, races, and physical abilities, this show celebrates diversity and different cultures.
In addition to early academic education, Sesame Street also focuses on emotional and social skills with positive messages for kids. In some episodes, the characters deal with emotional issues such as missing a friend, low self-esteem, and the birth of a new sibling. This show goes well beyond simply educating children in literacy, math, and science by exposing them to the fine arts like music and dance. It also teaches languages.
Sesame Street combines fun and education to create a show that both parents and kids can enjoy. Netflix has six seasons available for viewing and also has Sesame Street Classics, featuring several classic episodes from the early years of the show.
Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends is another familiar show among parents. It takes place on the fictional island of Sodor where Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends haul steel, food, and passengers to meet the demands of human counterparts. The stories are narrated by a single voice, creating a show without over-stimulating the field of perception.
The show uses expressive faces to communicate emotions and tell the stories. Though at times the expressive faces can be a bit creepy, the intention behind them is good.
Netflix features over fifty short films and shows of the Thomas the Train franchise, each one an excellent source of entertainment for your little one.
Super WHY! is an animated, educational series which focuses on developing early literacy skills. It teaches lessons in friendship, teamwork, and respect. Viewers are encouraged to interact with the characters, who travel through classic children’s tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk to fix problems that arise. The characters don superhero costumes and save the day by leaping into the pages of books to help them solve their problems. Each “super reader” has a special skill that helps the team overcome the obstacles they face. The “super readers” consist of Red (Little Red Riding Hood), Littlest Pig (The Three Little Pigs), Princess Pea (The Princess and the Pea), and Whyatt Beanstalk (Jack’s lesser-known brother).
Super Why! encourages early literacy skills through interactive reading, word games, and spelling challenges. It draws comparisons between real-world troubles to classic tales, giving kids something they can relate to.
Netflix features over fifty episodes of this sweet show, giving your child hours of educational entertainment!
WordGirl is an entertaining, animated series introducing grade-school children to advanced vocabulary, focusing on pronunciations and definitions. Kids watching this show will expand their literary repertoire while enjoying the show’s adventures.
WordGirl uses her extensive vocabulary to fight off antagonists intent on taking over her hometown. Featuring Becky Botsford who is your average fifth-grader with a superhero alter ego. The show’s most notable difference from other superhero cartoons is that, instead of firepower or violence, WordGirl’s weapons consist of her extensive knowledge of vocabulary and her understanding of the English language.
You’ll find this series on Netflix with three seasons and over sixty episodes.
Pinky Dinky Doo is another educational series that encourages children to make up stories of their own by using their imagination. This show revolves around a young girl named Pinky with her mom and dad, her little brother Tyler, and her pet Mr. Guinea Pig. She makes up outrageous stories to solve real-world problems.
Pinky Dinky Doo is a Netflix show featuring over 20 episodes, each one capable of engaging your little one for an educational and fun show!
Martha Speaks is an animated series based on the books by Susan Meddaugh. It helps expand viewers’ vocabulary by introducint more complex words and incorporating the words’ definitions into the character’s dialogue.
Martha Speaks is about a family dog that gains the ability to speak after eating alphabet soup. From an educational perspective, this show continually exposes children to a more extensive vocabulary. The show also incorporates positives messages, teaching our children about civic responsibility, self-confidence and respect, and friendship.
Netflix features three seasons and approximately sixty episodes of Martha Speaks.
Transformers Rescue Bots is a take off of the classic Transformers series, one that is geared toward younger kids and features more gentle and kinder version of the original series. The most notable aspect of this show is the absence of violence aimed at people or machines. Characters, both human and robot, work together to achieve common goals.
Rescue Bots also teach children that relationships require work and that it pays off in the end because the humans and robots work better as a team. This show attempts to draw in a younger crowd by creating a show that shows peril without violence and without becoming to scary for young children. It promotes a spirit of cooperation and teamwork and the positive rewards of these aspects.
Netflix currently features one season of Transformers Rescue Bots with twenty-six fun-filled episodes guaranteed to keep both you and your child happy.
Caillou is a show about a lovable character named Caillou, who faces typical, real-life scenarios such as starting school, sharing toys, and adapting to a new babysitter.
Caillou teaches children about dealing with normal social issues and day-to-day situations. It teaches children about sharing and being kind to others. It features a sweet mix of animation and muppets to create an incredible series for children to enjoy.
Caillou is featured on Netflix with over fifty episodes, each one sweeter than the last.
Dinosaur Train is a delightful series that combines preschool interests such as trains, dinosaurs, and adventures. It stimulates kids’ imagination and educates children about dinosaurs with a perfect blend of animation and live-action.
Dinosaur Train features Buddy, a young tyrannosaurus rex, and his adoptive family, a family of pteranodons. Buddy and his siblings hop on board the dinosaur train to travel to other eras, such as the Mesozoic era, to learn about the creatures that lived during each era. This show doesn’t stop with just learning about dinosaurs, it teaches about tolerance of differences and respect for others. This show sends out positive messages to it’s young viewers.
Netflix currently features the first season of Dinosaur Train with forty episodes.
Yo Gabba Gabba is a crazy and fun show for preschoolers. It features zany characters like DJ Lance, Muno, Plex, and Brobee in the crazy place of Gabba Land. Each episode features a positive message for it’s viewers.
Yo Gabba Gabba teaches about safety, sharing, eating, and much more. Though the show may be rudimentary, children are still enchanted by it’s characters, bright colors, and stimulating stories. The show does not feature much in the way of academic education but teaches social and emotional skills important to the development of children.
Yo Gabba Gabba is featured on Netflix with two seasons and forty episodes your child will love to watch again and again.
