Screen Time With Educational Value

It’s summer break, and the kids will have a lot more free time now. While we hope they’ll spend it reading, creating or thinking deep thoughts, all they want to do is watch TV and play games on the iPad. Fortunately, there are a lot of quality screen time options out there with educational value. For good measure, we included some options that aren’t overtly educational. The truth is, kids will learn regardless of what they watch and play. So here’s a list of shows with positive lessons both kids and adults will enjoy watching or playing together. These recommendations go beyond the standards: Sesame Street, Blues Clues and Dora the Explorer. By the way, if you’re on the lookout for screen-free activities, too, check out this post filled with screen-free activities for kids under age 8 and this post for tweens and teens.

Educational TV shows

Tumble Leaf 

In this stop motion animated series, a fox named Fig and his forest friends explore simple scientific concepts on the magical island of Tumble Leaf. At the start of every vignette, Fig goes to “the finding place,” a room in his home on an abandoned shipwreck. There, he finds a new object for discovery like a tube, spring, pinwheel or sponge. He and his friends find ways to solve problems involving their found objects while explaining concepts like camouflage, pulleys, sound magnification and water absorption. They also cleverly model problem solving and expose them to rhyming and shapes and cover themes of friendship and helping others. 

Clifford the Big Red Dog 

In 2019, Amazon released a sequel rebooting this beloved animated series. Emily Elizabeth and her lovable dog Clifford model reading books and setting out on adventures inspired by Gulliver’s Travels, Robin Hood and The Boy Who Cried Wolf. They’re also joined by their neighbors (and pets) on Bridwell Island to teach lessons on community, friendship and taking care of each other. This cast of characters is diverse and reflective of modern households. They include an adopted younger sibling in the neighborhood and Emily Elizabeth’s best friend having two moms. Not to mention, they feature great music and lyrics from the composers from Peg + Cat. 

Waffles + Mochi 

Waffles + Mochi take your kids on a culinary adventure in their eponymous Netflix series. Kids learn about various ingredients like rice, salt, pickles and tomatoes from a historical and cultural perspective. In addition to a culinary history, they’re also exposed to different cultures and cuisines like pickled kimchee from Korea, Peruvian potato stews and of course, rice flour mochi from Japan. You can also go on to the Waffles + Mochi site to earn badges (just like Waffle and Mochi do on the show) and try recipes featured on the show or their upcoming cookbook, many of which have been created by Yewande Komolafe and Samin Nosrat. This show also stars executive producer Michelle Obama and one of the co-creators, Jeremy Konner, created and produced Drunk History so you know the writing is quick, smart and funny. The kids will be hooked once they hear the theme song instruct them to “Listen to your vegetables and eat your parents.”

Peg + Cat 

This animated series from Canada is so much fun to watch, and not just for the kids. Creators Jennifer Oxley and Billy Aronson have made all things math and geometry fun for kids. You’ll be surprised how appealing they make topics. Peg and her best friend Cat teach your kids about 3D shapes while thwarting the efforts of Flat Woman, help Odysseus in “The Odd Sea” and celebrate Eid al-Adha. The music is phenomenal with odes to Nirvana and nods to Beethoven and Billie Holiday. You will find yourselves singing songs like “100 is One Zero Zero” and “More Than, Less Than,” but not minding because the music is smartly done and the kids are learning so much. If you have Alexa, you can also ask her to play music from the show. 

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood 

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a spin-off of the beloved classic Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. In fact, it’s produced by Fred Rogers Productions. We love that it really helps young preschoolers understand different challenges such as waiting, fear, stopping to go potty, the arrival of a sibling and even death. It guides kids by letting them watch Daniel as he struggles, but also directs them with jingles that you can use in everyday situations, like “When you wait, you can play, sing, or imagine anything.” The cast of characters are representative of diverse family arrangements as well so kids are exposed to different types of families early. 

Ask the Storybots 

There is no other show around that can explain scientific concepts to young kids as well as the Storybots can. Most adults watching along will also learn a ton. Each episode begins with a question asked by a real-life child and then, the Storybots are sent on a mission to find the answer. The show is part animation and part live-action. The questions they tackle aren’t simplified for a younger audience. Still, they approach them in a way that even the youngsters will understand. Questions range from how music is made to how planets are formed. This show is perfect for a group of mixed-age kids because each age will get different things from it, but all will enjoy it equally.

Bluey 

This Australian import is so entertaining the whole family can sit down and watch these 7-minute episodes together and everyone will have a laugh. The show is about a family of dogs who live in an idyllic neighborhood with different breeds of dogs. Bluey and her sister Bingo like to play make-believe games and their parents, especially the dad, commit to each game like it’s real life. And all kinds of giggles ensue both from Bluey and Bingo and the viewing audience. But, this show is not just entertaining. It also teaches social and emotional skills to kids in a way that 4-year-olds get. Another benefit is the show has positive representations of parental figures. Dad frequently watches and plays with the kids while Mum goes off to work, or Mum fixes the toilet and Dad’s in charge of making a duck cake for Bingo’s birthday. 

Julie’s Greenroom 

This Jim Henson Company production stars Julie Andrews leading a group of muppet kids at a performance art day camp in a theater’s greenroom. The students are a diverse bunch. They come from different cultural backgrounds, have different levels of physical ability and maturity. One of the students is even a duck! This show teaches viewers all about the performing arts and each episode features a special celebrity guest star. It’s a slower paced show with jokes the little kids would enjoy, but is also entertaining for adults. And of course, there’s also singing and performances. This show is so charming we’re not sure why it’s not more well known. 

Odd Squad 

This show is about a team of kid special agents. They save the day from odd occurrences caused by math mishaps. Their job is to figure out why these strange things are happening and fix them. This show does an excellent job of incorporating math concepts into the storyline so learning is entertaining. This quirky show also features a diverse cast and depicts the characters working hard and using reason to reach solutions. 

Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman

This kid’s game show teaches science facts in a fast-paced format. Although it’s part animation, part reality TV and part comedy show, it’s not as chaotic as it sounds. Ruff Ruffman, an animated dog, presides over the game show from his high-tech doghouse and communicates with the real contestants through the TV or a phone. He sends them out into the world on quests where they problem solve and participate in scavenger hunts. Kids will find this show funny and exciting as they learn with the contestants.

Design Squad Nation 

In this reality show series, two engineers, Adam Vollmer and Judy Lee, meet with kids to help take their designs from idea to reality. Each episode takes the viewer from concept, through the building process, and finally, to a public unveiling of the finished product. Viewers get to see the entire process, including the troubleshooting, which makes for a fun, engaging and inspiring 30 minutes. The show promotes creative thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving. It also depicts a racially diverse cast in each episode and features a female host in a male-dominated field. In addition, the Design Squad shows have a website where kids can watch select full episodes. They also have games that build on engineering concepts and feature projects kids can create with items found at home. These projects help kids take inspiration from the show and bring it into real life.

SciGirls 

Every SciGirls episode opens with a cartoon clip featuring Izzie and her best friend, Jake. Viewers follow Izzie as she goes to the SciGirls website to find a solution for a challenge she is facing. She selects a new group of SciGirls each episode to help with her dilemma. Izzie watches the live-action show along with the viewers and learns as she watches. The reality TV portion of this show is outstanding. There is no make-up crew, and the cast is not acting from a script. This show features a diverse group of genuinely bright and curious tween girls. They display teamwork, problem-solving skills, and the freedom to express ideas while giving and receiving support from their peers. The SciGirls website includes educational activities based on research on how to engage girls in STEM.

Brainchild 

This Netflix original show is intelligent, fun and very educational. It’s ideal for tweens, but adults will also find the show enjoyable. Topics range from why we dream to germs (does the five-second rule work?). The show’s host, Sahana Srinivasan, is engaging and energetic. They do a good job presenting “tangible and intangible scientific concepts” in an easy-to-understand and entertaining way. The material is also reinforced through experiments conducted on the show and creative presentations. This show fosters curiosity and also sends positive social and emotional messages about being your best self.

The Who Was? Show

This sketch comedy show for kids is great because it makes history fun through jokes, skits, silly songs and satire. Based on The Who Was? books, each episode pairs two historical figures who may not seem related at first glance, but have something important in common. The cast of teens also has fun pointing out the differences between the two figures. While the show is not full of classroom quality content, it does a good job convincing kids that history is not just boring facts from the past.

Bill Nye the Science Guy

This classic series is no longer in production, but is still just as inspiring as ever. Bill Nye has a knack for making science fun, and he does an excellent job of explaining complex theories to kids in an entertaining way. The show includes music, sketches, animation and demonstrations to illustrate scientific concepts in various ways. The half-hour format is also the perfect length of time.

Popular Mechanics for Kids

Based on the original Popular Mechanics for adults, this version is hosted by and made especially for kids. The topics range from what happens when you flush the toilet to how police teams disarm a hostage-taker. For younger audiences, a parent may need to be available to explain some thought-provoking things. For example, in one episode, police officers break down a door as a demonstration. In another, the head of a cockroach is cut off to demonstrate how the body can still move without it. They do an excellent job of explaining how things work without making it feel like school. This show is an older series that is no longer in production, but it doesn’t feel dated. 

Annedroids 

Anne is a tween girl who’s a genius engineer and computer programmer. However, she is neither nerdy or a know-it-all. She and her two friends work together to explore and solve engineering problems using tools and materials from Anne’s junkyard home. This series has a storyline that begins with how the three friends meet and continues with each episode. With an actual storyline to follow, the educational aspect of the show isn’t so obvious to the kids. However, it teaches big concepts such as the scientific process, developing hypotheses, testing theories, and, most importantly, learning from failures. In addition to the positive lessons on making mistakes as part of a necessary process, it does an excellent job of undermining stereotypical gender roles in the storyline and with character representation.

Educational apps and websites

Khan Academy Kids

Khan Academy Kids is absolutely the best app for young kids available, and it happens to be completely free. It’s part of their mission. Kids can learn many things such as letter recognition, sounds and even writing. In addition, they can play games that explain math concepts and create drawings. There are also books kids can choose to read or have a narrator read to them. Kids learn through catchy songs with rhymes and cute animal characters that serve as guides. Many of the activities are open-ended and interactive, so kids get to decide what they want to learn each time. 

Wonderopolis

This website answers a question a day to jumpstart your child’s curiosity. There are many questions and answers to explore because the site has been doing a question a day since 2010. And, the answers to each question are more than a simple explanation. There are links to videos, vocabulary-building opportunities within each article, and thought-provoking questions at the end. Kids can even submit their own questions to the Wonder Bank and possibly get their questions answered on the site.

WatchKnow

You know what would be great? If YouTube had a filter that eliminated all those toy unboxing videos and videos of kids playing video games, leaving only the most high-quality educational videos. Oh, and make it completely ad-free and organized by categories and subcategories so specific topics are easy to find. That already exists! WatchKnow, as in “you watch, you know,” is like YouTube with the best filters. Kids can watch and learn from over 50,000 videos on topics that range from language arts, math, life skills, and hobbies and crafts. And, parents can easily find help to explain specific topics to kids if they are struggling in school. This website is a resource to bookmark.

TIME for Kids 

This kid-friendly news site is the online companion to TIME for Kids magazine. It has articles written for kids, some even penned by grade school journalists. Articles can be filtered for specific grade levels and cover any topic, from politics to the latest blockbuster movies. This resource can help kids build awareness of the larger world around them while giving them valuable practice in building reading skills. The site even has a financial literacy content section that features business and finance articles. 

Skribbl.io

This website offers a way to play Pictionary with friends or family through video chat. You can also set it up to play with family members in the same household. Set-up is easy, and the website takes care of everything else you need to get a game started. All you have to do is play!

NASA’s Space Place

This website is a joint educational outreach effort by NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology and the International Technology and Engineering Education Association. Kids can learn about astronomy, physics and weather in a self-directed way by exploring the site. In addition, the site offers interactive games, projects, and facts about Earth and space.

Nitro Type

In this day and age, typing is no longer an optional skill. More and more schoolwork is moving online, and students manually write much less than they have before. Nitro Type is a game that helps kids and adults improve their typing skills by racing cars around a track. Kids can race friends or siblings and even parents. To make your vehicle move, you need to type faster and more accurately. It makes learning to type so much fun! This game helps kids who already know the basics of typing get more words per minute, but if you’re looking for a program that starts with the basics, check out Typing.com.

Math Snacks

This website aims to explain math concepts to middle schoolers through animated videos, games and interactive tools. Unlike some educational sites, this one is visually appealing. Although their offering is tightly edited, every “snack” is high quality. This site is excellent for tweens who are struggling with math in school. They explain math concepts in an accessible way and make learning fun.

Cool Math Games

This website offers a vast collection of games based on math concepts. Games are organized by categories such as strategy, skill, numbers, logic and trivia. Started by a math teacher in 1997, this site aims to make math fun. While the website and games are all free, there is one downside. There are a lot of distracting ads. However, you can pay to go ad-free.