Today’s parents are in a constant war with screen time. How much screen time is “too much,” and how much is “just enough” to keep them entertained? Experts recommend that children under 1 year old have no screen time, and 2- to 5-year-olds have no more than 2 hours per day.
While experts warn about the harmful effects of screen time on young minds, many find it difficult to avoid screens entirely, especially in a screen-obsessed world. Many parents feel it’s safe to offer their children screen time as long as it’s educational. Luckily, Netflix offers a good selection of educational TV shows that your child can learn from and grow with.
Watching shows that present lessons in a fun, engaging way can reignite a child’s love of learning or help them understand material that was difficult in class. While screen time has some negative effects on mental health, it also offers significant growth opportunities.
From learning about aquatic life to understanding STEM, here are some amazing educational Netflix shows for kids of different ages and with different interests. I’ve included what each show teaches at its core, and why kids love each series.
Octonauts
The animated series Octonauts follows a team of underwater explorers who rescue and protect aquatic life. The team includes a cat, a polar bear, a penguin, a dog, an octopus, a rabbit, and a sea otter. Together, they live in an underwater headquarters called the “Octopod.”
The series was later expanded into a sequel series, Octonauts: Above and Beyond, in which the team rescues and protects other parts of the world, not just the water.
How Octonauts Offers Great Educational Lessons: Each Octonauts episode highlights a different aspect of aquatic life. Kids learn about different ecosystems, mammals, and crustaceans. Kids learn problem-solving skills, the ins and outs of the environment, and critical thinking. Plus, every episode ends with a fun song that wraps up what the Octonauts taught.
Why Your Kids Will Love It: Aside from the adorable animals and free-flowing animation, kids will love learning about the unique sea creatures that are in both popular culture and lesser-known ones. Each character’s personality differs from the next, allowing many viewers to find one they connect with.
Age Range: 3 to 7 years old.
Ask The StoryBots
Ask The StoryBots is a Netflix original that centers on kids’ big questions. The series centers on five main StoryBots that live inside a computer: Bop, Bing, Bo, Beep, and Bang. Each episode begins with a human child asking the StoryBots a genuine question, prompting the StoryBots to break down their responses. Cameos from human experts and actors also appear, helping answer the questions.
How Ask The StoryBots Offers Great Educational Lessons: Every episode teaches a different lesson through a child’s question. Some great episodes are “Why Do We Have to Recycle?”, “Where Do Planets Come From?”, and “How Do Airplanes Fly?”. StoryBots answer each question through visual learning. They travel to consult with various experts and in different environments to answer questions in a child-friendly way.
Why Your Kids Will Love It: The StoryBots are educational bots, but they’re also very silly. Many mishaps occur during physical comedy as they help kids answer their questions. There are funny sketches, easy-to-sing songs, and fun experiments. The StoryBots make learning fun while also expanding a child’s way of thinking.
Age Range: 3 to 8 years old
Word Party
If you have a child learning to speak or understand new words, Word Party is an educational show that helps. Baby animals named Kip, Franny, Bailey, and Lulu teach kids new words and engage viewers in interactive play. The character Word Wally cares for the baby animals and teaches them new words in a sweet, engaging way. There’s music, fun sounds, and lessons.
How Word Party Offers Great Educational Lessons: The group of baby animals often starts each episode by approaching something they don’t understand. The animals then learn what the noun is, what it’s called, and how to use it. The animals ask viewers to repeat the word with them and provide examples of when to use it.
Why Your Kids Will Love It: Babies and preschoolers will love how sweet the baby animals are and how easy the lessons are. Bright colors and music keep them engaged while they learn basic vocabulary in a fun, engaging way. Children will learn to listen, respond, and develop language skills.
Age Range: 1 to 3 years old
Emily’s Wonder Lab
Emily’s Wonder Lab reminds kids that learning can be fun! The science-based series stars engineer and author Emily Calandrelli, who conducts live experiments. Each episode features Emily performing various science-based demonstrations — many of which viewers can replicate at home.
How Emily’s Wonder Lab Offers Great Educational Lessons: For visual learners, it’s super engaging and hands-on. Parents can watch an episode beforehand, gather the necessary materials, and conduct the experiment again with their children. Emily brings scientific concepts to life in a clear, simple way.
Why Your Kids Will Love It: Emily’s fun, calm demeanor makes learning engaging. Her colorful science lab and bright kitchen are engaging settings as she teaches kids to conduct unique science experiments. She proves that science at home is possible. More importantly, STEM is fun!
Age Range: 5 to 11 years old.
Puffin Rock
The animated series Puffin Rock is a gentle, kind cartoon that follows Oona the puffin and her little brother, Baba. The puffins live off the coast of Ireland and explore neighboring wildlife. It’s precious, easy to follow, and educational.
How Puffin Rock Offers Great Educational Lessons: Puffin Rock has been praised for being a relatively calming children’s show. Each episode introduces a new animal that the puffins encounter on their adventures. The series introduces themes like kindness, empathy, and emotional learning. Calm storytelling makes lessons easy to understand and repeat.
Why Your Kids Will Love It: Kids will love the sweet depictions of wildlife, but they’ll also love following the puffins on unique adventures. Episodes are short to grab viewers’ attention and show children different parts of the world. Through Puffin Rock, children are learning without realizing it.
Age Range: 2 to 5 years old.
Bill Nye Saves The World
Legendary scientist Bill Nye is back on screens with Bill Nye Saves the World. The series is aimed at an older audience, as he discusses common scientific issues, myths, and how science affects our planet. Nye teams up with fellow experts to explain misunderstandings and make complex scientific concepts more accessible.
How Bill Nye Saves the World Offers Great Educational Lessons: Aimed at an older audience, the Series focuses on topics such as climate change, animal studies, technology hacking, and time travel. He connects the beauty of science to real-world issues to connect young minds. More importantly, episodes encourage critical thinking by exploring scientific myths versus the truth.
Why Your Kids Will Love It: Although the scientific demonstrations are geared toward a pre-teen mindset, kids love Bill Nye Saves the World for his silly sense of humor, energy, and fun effects. Science with Bill Nye is exploratory and engaging, especially when kids begin to grasp the concepts taught.
Age Range: 13 years and older.
Ada Twist, Scientist
The series Ada Twist, Scientist is based on the beloved book of the same name. The adorable animated series shows a little girl, Ada, who loves asking big questions. Fascinated by the way the world works, she turns on her inner scientist and finds the answers to her relatable questions.
How Ada Twist Offers Great Educational Lessons: Ada may be an animated character, but she’s relatable for young kids who have similar big questions. Questions like “How do birds fly?” and “Why do people get hiccups?” are asked and explored by Ada and her friends. Just like a scientist, she forms a hypothesis, creates an experiment, and then tests her theory.
Why Your Kids Will Love It: Ada and her close friends teach basic STEM concepts through relatable questions. Kids learn to hypothesize, experiment, develop theories, work in teams, and solve problems in a group setting. Kids love how relatable Ada is, especially her curiosity. Instead of sitting back on her curious thoughts, she acts on them. She’s confident and brave, and reminds kids they can be the same.
Age Range: 3 to 5 years old.
Numberblocks
If you’re looking for an animated series to assist with numbers and concepts, Numberblocks is a great option. Each character is a number, and as characters filter in and out of scenes or episodes, mathematical concepts such as addition and subtraction are taught. Numbers 1, 2, and 3 are the main “characters.”
How Numberblocks Offers Great Educational Lessons: For young kids, they’ll learn how numbers get bigger and smaller and how shapes are sometimes added in mathematical equations. Kids will learn the order of numbers, basic math concepts, patterns, and counting — all in a fun way.
Why Your Kids Will Love It: If your child is struggling with math, Numberblocks may help. Short episodes, bright colors, and fun music accompany the math problems, making math easy to explore. Math can be intimidating, but the series’s lighthearted tone makes it upbeat and approachable.
Age Range: 3 to 6 years old.
Baby Einstein: Closer Look
Using short videos, Baby Einstein: Closer Looks shows close-ups of everyday objects (including people, animals, and movements). Zooming in on the object will highlight different details that may have gone unnoticed. With gentle music and simple visuals, Baby Einstein: Closer Look is a straightforward, educational TV series.
How Baby Einstein: Closer Look Offers Great Educational Lessons: The series is a strong option for babies and young toddlers who are still getting used to how the world works. Fast-moving animals, toys, and close-ups of hands at work are all dissected in short episodes. Unlike other animated shows aimed at children, Closer Look focuses on attention to detail, patterns
Why Your Kids Will Love It: Children love Baby Einstein: Closer Looks because it is designed specifically for them and their perspectives. The clear images are fascinating for kids as they explore new and everyday objects in a fun and exciting way. The calm music makes it a peaceful experience for babies and toddlers as they learn new things.
Age Range: 18 months to 3 years old.
The Magic School Bus Rides Again
The Magic School Bus Rides Again continues the tale of the famed Series. Instead of Ms. Frizzle teaching the kids, her younger sister, Fiona Frizzle, teaches a new set of students.
Like the original, each episode follows Ms. Frizzle’s class on a wild, out-of-this-world adventure, thanks to the magic school bus, which transports them to other galaxies, parts of the body, and beyond. Ms. Frizzle’s wacky personality makes learning fun as the students find independence in their adventures.
How The Magic School Bus Rides Again Offers Great Educational Lessons: Each episode teaches elementary-aged concepts, with science as the main subject. Topics such as biology, weather, ecosystems, and engineering are taught in depth through children’s eyes and ears. Kids (and adults) will learn everything from how rain is formed to the ins and outs of fossils. The series slows the brain down and teaches kids through visuals, making the lessons easier to remember.
Why Your Kids Will Love It: Kids love Ms. Frizzles zaney energy as she teaches students about science. The students are thrown into different environments and can learn through firsthand experiences. There’s a combination of humor, adventure, and problem-solving, which makes learning fun.
Age Range: 4 to 10 years old