As a single dad, I have found it next to impossible to keep my kid away from the boob tube. However, I do have control over what she watches so she might as well learn something, right? Here are five of the best educational shows I have discovered so far.
Walking With Dinosaurs
This show is not necessarily a show aimed at kids, but what kid doesn’t love dinosaurs? It may not be about reading or asthmatic, but its easily one of the best ways to engage my kid is archaeology and history. The best part is that it looks cool so she doesn’t even realize shes learning about how dinosaurs acted and lived in the prehistoric past. Its good for adults because the storytelling is engaging and gives a glimpse at how forensics work and, well, its about dinosaurs. It can be found on Netflix for streaming.
Dinosaur Train
An entertaining way to teach kids about dinosaurs while engaging their interests in other things like exploration, imagination, and play. I enjoy it because even for adults it is very informative. It teaches kids about dinosaur habits and their unique characteristics. Kids are taught tolerance and acceptance as well so kids learn valuable social skills. Toy dinosaurs now litter my floors.
Peg + Cat
A little girl uses math and numbers to solve problems set in extraordinary settings like outer space and ancient Egypt. Along with her friend Cat, Peg shows kids how numbers relate to each other and demonstrates concepts like teamwork and communication. Peg also plays the Ukulele and sings, which is fun for my daughter as she also plays guitar and sings.
Ultimate Spider-Man
The web heads exploits are not meant to be educational, yet it contains some important life lessons. The show is about supeheroes, yes, but central to its theme is co operation, communication and teamwork. These social skills are invaluable and show kids taht no matter how strong or powerful someone is, everyone needs a little help. I use the ‘Spiderman had to ask for help too’ line when my 4 year old gets too stubborn.
Sesame Street
The gold standard in children’s educational programming. After three decades, Sesame Street continues to deliver high quality educational content for toddlers. Most of the old cast remains, but added are a host of newer Muppets like Abby and Rosalita. The focus remains pre-school grammar, social skills, problem solving, and tolerance. It is retro enough that even moms and dads can enjoy it as well.
