Top 10 Educational Kids Shows
Learning stuff and watching television go hand-in-hand when you're a child. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 educational TV shows for kids. For this list, we're choosing educational children's television shows based on a mix of their popularity, the quality of their educational content and their longevity.
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Written by Peter Sotiriou
#10: “Arthur” (1996-)
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Everyone’s favorite aardvark brings together a host of characters as they face important issues and learn valuable lessons. Join Arthur, his insufferable little sister D.W., his friends and his family as they tackle peer pressure, learning disabilities such as dyslexia, and a myriad of other subjects for their viewers to see and learn from. In addition to these topics, younger viewers are introduced to different cultures and religions through a diverse set of characters.
#9: “Schoolhouse Rock!” (1973-2009)
What better way to learn than with a little rock ‘n’ roll? “Schoolhouse Rock!” is a series of animated musical shorts that cover a wide variety of subjects presented in song. From grammar and science to math and history, we sang along with the conjunction boxcars and with that little ol’ bill who just wanted to become a law. “Schoolhouse Rock!” aired in between programs on Saturday mornings, making sure to grab the attention of all youngsters.
#8: “Zoboomafoo” (1999-2001)
If you love animals and grew up in the ‘90s, you know the Kratt Brothers. While we love “Kratts’ Creatures” and “Wild Kratts” with their exotic settings and wildlife, “Zoboomafoo” tops all Kratt Brothers shows thanks to the introduction of our favorite talking lemur. With the action taking place in the Animal Junction, viewers are presented a wide variety of creatures, from river otters to bears and wolverines - and the ways in which Zoboomafoo and the Kratts interact with them teach us all about those particular animals.
#7: “Sid the Science Kid” (2008-)
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The inquisitive youngster Sid stars in this computer-generated educational TV show in which he tackles scientific questions with his friends and family in amusing fashion, with the aim of generating scientific interest in young viewers. With every episode of a given week sharing a common theme, “Sid the Science Kid” displays basic principles of how things function. Weekly concepts include force and motion, where Sid shows how friction and elasticity work, as well as a week dedicated to the body and how it functions.
#6: “Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?” (1991-95)
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Musical group Rockapella introduced us to this children’s game show with an amazing theme song we still hum to ourselves today. Carmen Sandiego is a criminal mastermind working with her henchmen to commit various evil deeds. Based on the computer game series, the children’s TV game show consisted of 3 junior detectives that served as contestants. Also known as gumshoes, they had to answer questions to figure out where one of Carmen’s henchmen is located with the help of The Chief and the ACME Senior Agent. Questions are centered on geography, with answers leading to the henchman’s capture.
#5: “Reading Rainbow” (1983-2006)
Hosted by LeVar Burton, every episode of “Reading Rainbow” featured a reading of a different book – often by a celebrity – that was chosen so that young viewers could relate to the situations and characters of the story. The series promoted reading while teaching viewers valuable lessons, such as fitting in and maintaining friendships. It also featured children giving their own opinions and reviews on the books they liked, further promoting a book-reading culture and encouraging youth to read.
#4: “The Magic School Bus” (1994-97)
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This award-winning show introduces us to the best teacher ever, Ms. Frizzle, as she takes her class on various trips. She does this with the help of the titular Magic School Bus, which is capable of expanding, shrinking, and changing itself into many forms. With a boisterous and diverse cast of school children, viewers are transported with them to many adventures, from space to inside a persons’ body, learning alongside the class about the various topics covered in every episode.
#3: “Bill Nye the Science Guy” (1993-98)
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Hosted by science educator and comedian Bill Nye, this educational TV program aims to teach its viewers about various topics in natural science, such as magnetism and evolution. The Science Guy, dressed in a lab coat and bow tie, attempts to bring out the fun side of science with jokes and action inside his Nye Laboratories. Not only did “Bill Nye the Science Guy” have us singing along to the parody of famous songs summarizing what was learned in the episode, but by the time an episode ended, everyone was saying “science rules!”
#2: “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” (1968-2001)
With his gentle, inviting manner, the soft-spoken Mr. Rogers held the attention of children and adults alike as he knew exactly how to talk to us directly in this children’s TV series. There was just something about the way he approached and taught us about various topics, including how things are made to making mistakes and even death. Who can forget what it was like watching the trolley make its way into the neighborhood and Mr. Rogers change into his iconic sweater while singing to us? And of course, we always loved being transported to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe inhabited by hand puppets.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are some of our honourable mentions:
“The Berenstain Bears” (2002-05)
“Popular Mechanics for Kids” (1997-2001)
“Yo Gabba Gabba!” (2007-)
“Blue’s Clues” (1996-2006)
“Beakman’s World” (1992-97)
#1: “Sesame Street” (1969-)
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The goal of the longest running educational TV show ever is to hold the attention of and educate children – and “Sesame Street”’s longevity shows us just how successful it’s been. Join Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster and the rest of the gang on this TV series as they prepare young kids for what’s to come using humor and fun. From simple topics, such as learning numbers with the Count, to the more serious, like dealing with emergency situations, “Sesame Street” continues to inspire both young and old alike, more than 4 decades since its premiere.
Agree with our picks? What’s your favorite educational TV shows that you watched during your childhood? For more awesome Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
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