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Elva Stuller
In this book-turned-series, viewers journey alongside three orphans who are trying to uncover their parents' mysterious demise while pursued by the wicked Count Olaf, here played by Neil Patrick Harris, who gamely expands on a role first tackled by Jim Carrey. With its lightly macabre menace, this is perfect for older kids looking for something a little more subversive.
With hyper-styled Japan-adjacent cuteness and roster of wide-eyed characters, the sprawling True series centers on a little girl transported to a technicolor kingdom where she is granted three wishes per episode to solve magical problems with practical answers. The series is a visual feast loaded with ninja cats, morose clouds and friendly monsters, and its wry humor and emotional beats should appeal to young kids and parents alike.
The Magic School Bus rides again! The '90s gem follows Ms. Frizzle and her class as they journey on epic field trips. Now, a new generation is ready to devour the lovable series, with SNL's Kate McKinnon pulling voice duty as the world's most cosmic teacher.
British stop-motion masters Aardman keeps things light and wry with this series spun off of its beloved Shaun the Sheep film, focusing on the day to day adventures of its titular hero. The animation, as always, is top-notch, while the humor provides more than enough to keep parents chuckling as the kids are dazzled.
A fish-out-of-water tale for the horse-girl set, this not-exactly sequel to Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron leans into themes of friendship and empowerment with the story of a city girl who moves to a railroad boom town. And while it sounds like a dad-focused revisionist western, the playful antics and themes of resiliance have served it well over the course of 10 seasons thanks to its fully realized characters and great big heart.
With nods to Harry Potter, The Worst Witch books come to life in this charming, fantastical Netflix series. During season four, the odd-witch-out, Mildred, competes against Ethel in a slew of magical pursuits in order to be named Head Girl.
This modern-day Mr. Wizard featuring extremely peppy (and extremely pregnant) scientist Emily Calandrelli was the savior of STEM-starved parents during the pandemic thanks to the host's enthusiasm for learning and its DIY science experiments, which challenge young kids to turn their back yards into labs using household items. This is entertainment mixed with hands-on learning at its finest.
Created by Guillermo del Toro, this CG series is actually spread over three different shows: Trollhunters, 3Below, and Wizards. They all center around the small fictional town of Arcadia Oaks, a suburban home to the supernatural and magical. Each show focuses on a different cast of characters, all of whom must, in some way, save the world. Their stories converge in the animated film Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, which premieres July 21 and sees the heroes try to save Arcadia from an apocalyptic magical battle.
So, in an attempt to help parents and caregivers out there navigate what can feel like a flood of kid-friendly shows to stream, I put together a list of 14 that your kiddos are sure to love watching (and, knowing how kids can find a favorite thing and stick with it, rewatching).
Now is a great time for children to learn a foreign language. Research shows that people learn languages much more easily in childhood than they do in adulthood. In addition to that, learning a second language comes with a ton of benefits including better opportunities later on in life.
As mentioned before, interaction is paramount. At TruFluency Kids, we believe in the Bellieu Method. The Bellieu Method in summary is making communication the forefront of language learning, using relevant, everyday vocabulary that everyone will use on a daily basis. We believe in focusing on listening and speaking, just like kids learned their first language.
Children's entertainment has gone through big changes through the decades. TV shows and movies used to appeal to kids with colorful, simplistic visuals and safe stories. Nowadays, emotionally-charged TV shows for kids are common ground, and epic adventures are no longer reserved for teenagers and adults. What better time is there to go through Netflix's vast catalog and pick the best TV series for kids? There is something in this list for everyone, from educational, PBS-style animated shows about magic buses to live-action shows about fighting evil and classic anime. If you're looking for the next series that will both entertain your kids and get them to appreciate a good story, you've come to the right place!
So check out our list of the best kids shows on Netflix below. And for movie recommendations, check out our list of the best shows on Netflix, best family movies on Netflix, or best children's films on Prime Video or HBO.
Arguably one of the all-time greatest animated shows, Avatar: The Last Airbender pushed boundaries for what a TV show made for kids could do. The show follows a young boy who is tasked with bringing balance to a world in war. The show featured an epic serialized story with heavy themes such as genocide and totalitarianism while maintaining a playful humor. The characters are well-developed and have their own interesting arcs, and we get perhaps the best redemption story in decades. And the show actually builds up to a concrete ending that ties all the themes and stories in a near perfect bow. If you haven't seen this modern classic, now is your chance. Watch on Netflix
Superheroes are everywhere, there's no denying that. But where the Marvel and DC movies are aimed towards older kids, here comes PJ Masks to introduce the younglings to the exciting world of superheroes. We follow three 6-year-olds who become superheroes at nighttime, and get together to fight crime as the titular superhero team, facing villains and having to work as a team to defeat them. PJ Masks combines all the superheroics of a big-budget movie, with the vast imagination of its target demographic, resulting in a kid-friendly action-adventure show that's both entertaining and an effective morality tale. Watch on Netflix
Just like Dr. Seuss' stories function as bridges for kids to be introduced to the English language, or how to read, Netflix's Green Eggs & Ham functions as an excellent introductory course to TV storytelling, and comedy. A kind of kid-friendly version of the comedy classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles, we follow Sam-I-Am and Guy-Am I, who are tasked with guarding and transporting a wild chicken/giraffe hybrid, and end up on a roadtrip of self-discovery. The animation is simply gorgeous, the star-studded cast will delight grown-ups, and the colorful, stylish, silly fun ride of a story will entertain kids as well as give them an excellent introductory course to comedy and TV. Plus, the show has a few surprisingly dramatic twists and turns that will keep you on your toes and teach you a thing or two. Watch on Netflix
What better way is there to learn about science than with wacky, magic-assisted bus rides that prove field trips are the best part of elementary school, or any school? That's the premise of this classic '90s PBS show, The Magic School Bus, which showed you don't necessarily have to compromise education or entertainment when making an "edutainment" show. Every episode an elementary class would go out on a field trip led by the mysterious Ms. Frizzle, the catch being that their bus was magic and could send them on extraordinary adventures like going back in time to see dinosaurs, or the classic fantastic voyage plot where they go inside a student's body. The stories were as varied as they were fun, and you do learn about a wide variety of topics. Plus, the theme song is a classic. And if you want something a bit more recent, Netflix also made a reboot of the same name, with Lin-Manuel Miranda composing the new theme song. Watch on Netflix
No matter what anyone tells you, Shaun the Sheep is Britain's greatest export, and the latest season, Adventures from Mossy Bottom is as fun as the show has ever been. A collection of claymation shorts, we follow the titular Shaun in a variety of wacky adventures that serve as a way to introduce younger audiences to the kind of wordless animation from the early days of the medium. Unlike other animated shows, Shaun the Sheep relies on pure visual storytelling, but don't worry, the shorts easily grab your attention and don't let go, with witty humor that appeals to both kids and the adults that will get the pop-culture references. Watch on Netflix
There's been a new wave in recent years of shows for kids that blend storytelling of middle-grade chapter books with a deeper emotional growth and a sense of responsibility towards your community. Like Adventure Time, and Steven Universe, Hilda is more than what first meets the eye. The titular character, Hilda, lives in a version of Scandinavia that looks as if it was designed by Hayao Miyazaki. She's been living in the wilderness with her mother, having adventures with all sorts of magical creatures, but has a difficult time coping when they move to the magic-less, but human-filled city of Trollberg. The show is absolutely gorgeous, yet its story is also deeply melancholic, as we follow Hilda's path towards learning to consider other perspectives, and find the magic in a new place she is initially suspicious of. Watch on Netflix
The first thing to notice about Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts is how incredible it looks. Animated by the folks from Studio Mir (The Legend of Korra) everything about the world of the show looks grand, lush and full of color. Though not as heavy on action as Korra, there are still some thrilling scenes that are animated with excruciating detail and fluidity of movement. The story follows a young girl who emerges from her underground city to embark on a journey to find her family, while trying to survive a fantastical post-apocalyptic Earth full of giant, sentient, mutant animals. It's funny, it's entertaining, it features a great supporting voice cast (including Sterling K. Brown and Dan Stevens), one very cool soundtrack (from the guy behind Into the Spider-Verse), plus it features one of the best portrayals of queerness in a TV show. If you've ever wanted to see a band of lumberjack cats, or a rock band made of snakes, or what an EDM Wasp is, this is the show for you. Watch on Netflix
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