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Sponsored Guest Post By Kara Taylor
Read on to discover ten TV shows that set themselves apart by offering truly educational programming designed for your family.
Believe it or not, watching TV can be a great way to make sure that your kids continue to learn throughout the summer. When it comes to finding educational shows on TV, you just have to know where to look.
Mickey Mouse Club
This show airs on Disney Junior, and features engaging storylines that are sure to get your kids thinking critically and focusing on problem solving. This show is a perfect example of one that makes learning fun, with a variety of activities sure to keep small children interested and thinking.
Curious George
Though each episode is unique, this PBS series features a number of educational themes. PBS is the Public Broadcasting Service in America. Oftentimes the stories in this show are based on specific language concepts. Additionally, each episode invites kids to engage in a problem solving process alongside the characters in the show.
The Electric Company
This recently revamped version of the classic children’s show airs on PBS. This show focuses primarily on language and offers children and excellent chance to expand their vocabulary while following the characters around through a different series of adventures in each episode.
The Backyardigans
This Nick Junior program is immensely popular with parents and children alike. This show features a lot of great music, much of which is designed to create a catchy way for kids to explore new ideas and educational concepts. This approach to learning not only makes it fun, but also ensures that the lessons are more likely to stick.
CyberChase
This PBS Kids show is a favorite of many parents, mostly due to its consistent focus on teaching mathematics. There are not many children’s shows that focus on math lessons, and this is undoubtedly one of the best. Even better, they present their math lessons through engaging adventures that make the learning process fun.
Dora The Explorer
Dora the Explorer is known first and foremost for being entertaining. The show actually uses this entertainment value to provide kids with some very real lessons, including a consistent focus on the Spanish language. The show also has recently begun to include more themes involving other subject matter, such as mathematics.
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Planet Earth
This series airs on Discover Channel. Planet Earth is an example of educational programming that is suited for all ages. The sharp visuals in these shows engage even the youngest children, and the intensive research into the details of life in all corners of the planet means that everyone can learn something new.
MythBusters
This show is another Discover Channel favorite. The premise of the show involves a group of people investigating common “myths” by conducting true scientific experiments. The show is always exciting and features quite a bit of humor, something that is sure to engage even the most stubborn teenage viewers.
Modern Marvels
This show airs on The History Channel, and it takes a closer look at the evolution of technology. This program is ideal for older children and provides a practical and hands-on look at the way science is all around us. If your kids have a natural curiosity, this program might be exactly what they need to continue learning away from school.
How Stuff Works
This show is aired on Discover Channel. Based on an immensely popular series of books, the show takes an intensive look at the inner workings of things we encounter in everyday life. This creates a very accessible look into science, perfect for younger children eager to learn mechanical things as well as elementary aged kids.
Check out these shows for yourself to discover a fun and entertaining way to keep your kids learning even when they are not in school. No matter what age your kids are, there is sure to be some educational programming geared towards them. Best of all, you just might learn a few things yourself while watching these shows.
Author bio:
Kara Taylor is a professional freelance writer who loves to write about education and technology.
My two boys love Modern Marvels! Do you use Comcast? Do you like it?
Hi Mary! I don’t use Comcast, actually. I rely on what cable feeds the TV and give my son off-screen activities. I am familiar with some shows in this post though and agree that TV times should be educational.
We loved Backyardigans for their creativity… they even made my husband and I laugh. One show that I would add… not seen a ton but is awesome is Signing Time. My little boy’s vocaulary and signing took off when we started to watch it. We also recently attended one of their ‘concerts’- they are amazing!
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I am unfamiliar with Singing Time! Do you know Word World?
Thanks for the suggestions! I’d add Little Einsteins and Team Umizoomi to this list of educational shows. Team Umizoomi is a Math show and my girls have learned about shapes, patterns, counting and all of that. Little Einstein I find is very cultural artistically and musically.
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Yes, my son watched those shows too! Little Einstein is the best; I love the artwork and classical music. Could watch it for hours on end.
Agree! I let G watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Team Umizoomi, Little Einsteins and the like. But currently, her favorites include Hi-5, Elmo’s World and Barney. She learned a lot from these shows.
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I haven’t heard of Elmo’s World yet! They don’t play this on local cable so I’m guessing G watches it through DVDs?
My son loves How Stuff Works, he has learned a lot of technical terms and a lot of fancy words from it.
I think TV should be carefully regulated for children, I prefer that my kids go out and play with the dog and the other kids from the neighborhood, of course, they will watch TV but only an hour a day, we have sat down and agreed a long time ago about it and this rule goes for everyone, even their mother and I.
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Yup, the key is moderation. TV is good, but not all the time. Thanks for dropping by, Salin, and I hope you had a great weekend.
My Samantha is young still. The two shows she will watch every now and then are Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood (the original), and Sesame Street. Both are on demand.
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I have not heart of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood! Will be checking it out soon. Thanks for your visit, Claire!