50 TV Shows for Kids Recommended by Parents

One of the things that made it hard for me when my kids were little was finding TV shows for kids that didn’t make me crazy.  It is tricky because I wanted them to use their very limited TV time to have fun {and hopefully sneak in a little learning}, but often that meant something on the TV that was irritating to me. And I don’t quite understand WHY TV for kids has to be so annoying! After some family testing and research, we settled into some favorites that I adored as much as they did.  It became a little break from our day that we could do together. I thought this was the perfect conversation to start alongside Kids Activities Blog newest sponsor, FiOS.  Yay!  FiOS Quantum TV can change the way you and your family currently watches.  You have more control with pause/play/rewind for live TV and can your family can record up to 12 shows at once.  Yes, you read that right…12 shows!  And it stores up to 200 hours of HD content, so it is fine if you record all 12 at once. My kids are a bit older now.  They are into Shark Tank, America’s Funniest Home Videos and The Amazing Race so I asked our FB community what their kids favorite shows are now and what they would recommend.  The response was overwhelming!  Over 1000 comments and counting. I have gone through all those comments and compiled a list of the most recommended shows.  Times have changed!  Over 100 shows were mentioned.  I am going to start with the top 10 and then list the following 40.  Check out the end of this post for the not-so-recommended shows!

Top 10 Parent Recommended TV Shows for Kids

1. Wild Kratts TV Show for Kids

Wild Kratts was the overwhelming winner among both parents and kids.  Here are a few things that parents had to say about Wild Kratts:

• “My 10 year old will still watch.” – Kelly
• “Gets an A+ from me.” – Jessica
• “Mom-approved!”  – Tim
• “My grandmother even turns it on to watch without the kids around and she is in her 70s!” – Cassandra

Check out the kids activities on the Wild Kratts website to keep the fun going even when the TV is off.

2.  Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood was the second most popular recommendation.  Parents mentioned that it reminded them of Mister Roger’s Neighborhood which means not only does it have the nostalgic factor, but there are some great learning opportunities as well.  Here is what our readers mentioned about this TV show for kids:

• “My daughter will still sing the songs when she is trying to get through something she is uneasy about.” – Missy
• “I like that the show focuses on social learning, not just ABC’s.” – Jessica
• “I love that show!” – Tazz
• “A+!” – Linda

There are games and coloring pages available associated with this kids’ TV show.  Check them out and continue the play!

3.  Super Why TV Show for Kids

Super Why was also a family favorite and one that appeals to a kids need to know.  My kids were always asking questions so this is one that I know we would have loved.  Here are some things that other moms said about this children’s TV show:

• “We have conversations all the time about the show.” – Corinne
• “Both my boys love it, ages 2 & 4” – Ilinca
• “I credit Super Why and Word World that my child is an early reader.” – Wendy

4.  Bubble Guppies show

Bubble Guppies is one that seems to be loved by parents as well as kids.  Parents embrace the learning aspect, while kids love the adventure.  Here is what was said about this favorite kids TV show:

• “He doesn’t realize he is learning because it is a lot of songs and dancing.” – Samantha
• “My daughter is 2 and just getting over the Bubble Guppies.  I am a little sad!” – Becky

5.  Team Umizoomi Kids TV Show

Team Umizoomi make math fun through all sorts of math-related capers.  Our readers liked how math became part of kids’ thinking though plots and storylines.  It certainly would come in helpful now when my 13 year old is complaining that he shouldn’t have to do his math because “I will never use it in real life!” Really?

6.  Peppa Pig

Peppa Pig is a bit quirky {which we love around here} and resonates with both kids and parents.  Becca said, that she loved this series because they were  “light-hearted, sweet, (and) short episodes.”

7.  Word World TV Show

The minute you see Word World, you immediately see the difference.  Reading the words and watching the pictures are one in the same.  Parents reported loving the integration between the two things so seamlessly in this fun-packed show for kids.

8.  The Octonauts TV Show for Kids

The Octonauts is a lot of fun.  Kids adore the compelling stories and parents like how the learning is very organic.  The simple animation makes this a winner all around.  Jo said, “Just fantastic!  Great adventures under the sea.”

9.  Signing Time

Signing Time is a favorite among parents for good reason.  A mom came up with this show as a response to adversity in her life.  What resulted is fun for the entire family.

10.  Peg + Cat

Oh, Peg + Cat!  This seems to be one of the shows that parents might even sneak a peek while the kids are gone.  Darrien wrote, “I absolutely love that show!” I know what you mean.  I still will sit down and watch Peep and The Big Wide World even though my boys are way too old!

11.  Sprout – The Entire Network

One of the problems with asking a really open-ended question is that we didn’t ask for a specific show.  And while non of Sprout’s TV shows were mentioned in the top 10 {they do run Super Why}, one of the comments that was made over and over again by parents in our informal survey was Sprout! Parents love Sprout and pretty-much anything that is on it.  So, whether it is a favorite like Bob the Builder or Sprout’s original, The Goodnight Show, the whole family adores what is on this network.

Other Kid TV Shows that Parents Love

It got too complicated to arrange these in any particular order, so here they are and hopefully you can find something that your family will love as much as the families who suggested it: 12.  Paw Patrol 13. Curious George 14. Zoboomafoo 15.  Sid the Science Kid 16.  Be the Creature {from the Wild Kratt’s people} 17.  Doc McStuffins – One mom mentioned that she loves this show because, “Doc is smart and not sassy!” – Amber 18.  Dinosaur Train 19.  Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 20.  Special Agent Oso –  Desiree loves this one  for her kids because it shows “helping others and three-step instructions to achieve a goal.” 21.  Sesame Street  – This favorite didn’t make the top 10 this time, but almost everyone who mentioned it acted like it was implied!  There were a lot of “and of course, Sesame Street” answers! 22.  Little Einsteins  – I haven’t seen this in years, but the song is still echoing. 23.  Jake and the Neverland Pirates 24.  Wallykazam 25.  Wiggles 26.  Sarah and the Duck 27.  Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs 28.  Bo on the Go – Quite a few parents mentioned how amazing this show was at getting their kids moving. 29.  Little Bear – I miss this quiet, book-like show!  It was one of our favorites. 30.  Max and Ruby – OK, here is another one we adored.  I completely agree with our reader, Debra, who said, “I still like Max & Ruby, but my boys don’t!” 31.  Beakman’s World 32.  Artzooka 33.  Phineas & Ferb 34.  Henry Hugglemonster 35.  Magic School Bus – Another nostalgic one for me. 36.  Mister Maker 37.  Earth to Luna 38.  Horrible Histories 39.  Shaun the Sheep  – I will admit to watching this recently without any children present. 40.  Stella and Sam 41.  Tree Fu Tom 42.  Bill Nye the Science Guy  – love him! 43.  Fresh Beat Band – This one was suggested multiple times.  If you are like me, you will watch it in mute, but I am very old :). 44.  In the Night Garden 45.  Peter Rabbit 46.  Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 47.  Operation Ouch 48.  WordGirl 49.  Blues Clues 50.  Sofia the First

Non-Traditional TV Shows for Kids That Parents Like

1.  Noodle and Doodle on Sprout 2.  Annedroids on Amazon {affiliate link} 3.  Kinect Sesame Street {affiliate link} – gets kids moving with their favorite characters. 4.  Baby First Channel

Shows Parents Like to Avoid for their Kids

Every house is different.  Every parent has a different vision for what is right/wrong in their house.  But I thought it was interesting to hear what other parents have decided against when it comes to TV watching in their house.  I don’t agree with all of them, but I thought each had a good reason! 1.  Adventure Time – Multiple parents had concerns that there were inappropriate messages throughout multiple episodes of this show and that the content was not suitable for kids. 2.  Spongebob Squarepants – Some parents felt like there was more adult content in this series than kid content.  Maybe that is why I like this show! 3.  Wonder Pets – There were several mentions of Wonder Pets in relation to encouraging “baby talk”.  I haven’t seen it in awhile so I can’t comment on that. 4.  Bratz – Two moms were concerned about the snarky attitude on Bratz. 5.  This last one could be placed on both the favorite and the least favorite list.  It appears that parents either ADORE or HATE Caillou.  The haters thought that they saw their kids throw more tantrums and become more whiney.  My complaint is that even at age 44, I still can’t pronounce his name.

Verizon FiOS TV

Like I mentioned earlier, FiOS Quantum allows your family to record up to 12 shows for a total of over 200 hours of HD storage, but that isn’t the only thing that is amazing.  The Verizon Mobile app lets you watch and record shows on the go including on-demand titles.  It is another way for you to choose exactly what you and your family watch and when they watch it. A big thank you to FiOS for supporting Kids Activities Blog.  You can follow along on other social media with our conversation using the #LifeonFiOS hashtag.