Growing up in the ’90s and early 2000s, Cartoon Network was more than background noise—it was the rhythm of my childhood afternoons. Shows like Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, and Courage the Cowardly Dog didn’t just entertain—they shaped our humor, our imagination, and how we understood storytelling.
These weren’t just cartoons. They were weird, wild, clever, and often surprisingly thoughtful. Now, as a dad in his 40s with four kids—ages 3, 7, 10, and 13—I get to revisit these shows through a new lens: seeing which ones land with my children, which spark their curiosity, and which leave them giggling or wide-eyed.
This list of the best retro Cartoon Network TV series is based on what’s clicked with my kids, organized by age group. These aren’t just “okay for kids” shows; they’re the ones my kids ask to rewatch. Each has its tone and energy, and I’ve included a breakdown of what the show is about, why kids (at least my own) love them, and where applicable I’ve included a heads-up for parents where some themes and moments might be too much for some children, especially of a younger age group.
Ages 3–5: Bright Colors, Big Emotions, and Cartoon Chaos That Makes Sense
The Powerpuff Girls (1998)
Three superpowered kindergartners—Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup—zoom through the city of Townsville, stopping giant monstercriminal masterminds and other over-the-top villains. Every episode blends sugary sweetness with cartoon brawls, keeping things wild, fun, and fast-paced.
Why Kids Will Love The Powerpuff Girls: Preschoolers are pulled in immediately by the bright colors, simple shapes, and high-energy action. The characters are expressive and silly, and the quick pacing means there’s always something new happening. Bubbles especially stands out for kids who like cute and funny characters, and the villains are more goofy than scary.
Heads-Up for Parents: While Powerpuff Girls includes superhero fights and explosions, it’s all done in an exaggerated, slapstick style. Some villains have creepy designs, but the tone remains light and silly throughout.
Sheep In The Big City (2000)
Sheep, a quiet little guy with big eyes, escapes the countryside and flees to the big city to avoid being captured by the military. What follows is a nonstop series of bizarre situations, clever narration, and wordplay-driven comedy that makes no sense—but in the best way.
Why Kids Will Love Sheep in the Big City: Even if the jokes are a little advanced in Sheep and the Big City, the constant visual gags, silly voices, and nonsense situations are perfect for younger kids who love unexpected chaos. It’s playful, weird, and full of moments that make preschoolers giggle, even if they don’t understand why.
Heads-Up for Parents: There’s nothing scary or violent here, but the humor is intentionally absurd and sometimes breaks the fourth wall. Parents should sit in for the first episode to see if the randomness is fun or just confusing for their child.
Ages 6–8: Silly Science, Imaginary Friends, And The Magic Odf “What If?”
Dexter’s Laboratory (1996)
Dexter is a secret super-genius with a hidden lab under his bedroom. Every episode sends him into a new experiment, invention, or scheme, usually foiled by his hyperactive sister Dee Dee. Expect laser beams, robots, and explosions, all in the name of science.
Why Kids Will Love Dexter’s Laboratory: This show is pure energy. Kids at this age are constantly asking “what if,” and Dexter’s wild inventions deliver nonstop answers. Dee Dee’s goofy antics balance out the tech talk, and the episodes are packed with movement and sound that keep their attention glued to the screen.
Heads-Up for Parents: Occasional sibling rivalry and cartoon destruction are front and center in Dexter’s Laboratory. Some mild name-calling or yelling, but nothing outside typical cartoon antics.
Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends (2004)
In a world where imaginary friends become real, this big, colorful house is where they go after their kids grow up. Mac visits regularly to hang out with his blue best friend Blooregard (or “Bloo”) and the other unforgettable residents in this chaotic, anything-goes setting.
Why Kids Will Love Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends: It’s like a dream come to life. The strange designs, silly personalities, and bouncing animation feel like something a 6-year-old would draw in their notebook—and that’s the appeal. It celebrates imagination and friendship while delivering fun, low-stakes adventures.
Heads-Up for Parents: Some characters can be mildly rude or selfish (especially Bloo), and a few scenes may include cartoon arguments or shouting. Great for co-watching and discussing behavior afterward.
Camp Lazlo (2005)
Camp Lazlo follows three animal campers—Lazlo the monkey, Raj the elephant, and Clam the… Clam—as they get into trouble, break rules, and find weird ways to enjoy summer camp. It’s loud, colorful, and full of things kids find hilarious (like eating bugs or fighting with counselors).
Why Kids Will Love Camp Lazlo: Summer camp is already exciting, and this show turns it into a jungle of chaos. Lazlo is fun and unpredictable, and the camp is full of goofy characters and odd situations. It’s perfect for kids who love outdoor adventures but also love being a little weird.
Heads-Up for Parents: Some bathroom humor and mild rule-breaking are played for laughs. The tone is silly, not rebellious, and the consequences are always cartoonish.
Cow and Chicken (1997)
Cow is an overly enthusiastic little sister, and Chicken is her slightly embarrassed older brother. Together, they take on a bizarre cartoon world filled with talking meat, weird school situations, and a recurring villain called The Red Guy, who shows up in increasingly ridiculous disguises.
Why Kids Will Love Cow and Chicken: The show is packed with absurd humor, visual gags, and characters that lean into total nonsense. Kids in this age group love unpredictability, and Cow’s wild personality and weird adventures make each episode feel like a carnival ride of gross-out laughs and cartoon mayhem.
Heads-Up for Parents: Cow and Chicken is notorious for its crude humor, frequent butt jokes, and surreal storylines. It’s all exaggerated and intended to be silly, but some parents may want to preview an episode or two to decide if the humor fits their family.
Ages 9–11: Social Mischief, Secret Missions, and the Wild Edge of Preteenhood
Ed, Edd n Eddy (1999)
Three friends (all named some version of Ed) spend their days pulling off absurd scams to get jawbreakers. They live in a suburban cul-de-sac full of unique kids and nonstop disasters, and each episode spirals into beautifully dumb chaos.
Why Kids Will Love Ed, Edd n Eddy: This show is precisely what 10-year-olds find funny: gross jokes, dumb plans, and cartoon physics. It’s loud and over-the-top, but there’s a weird charm to the way these three stick together no matter how often their plans explode—literally.
Heads-Up for Parents: Slapstick violence, gross-out humor, and crude jokes are frequent, but the show never takes itself seriously. Great for kids who enjoy wild energy, but not ideal for sensitive viewers.
Codename: Kids Next Door (2002)
Five kids run a secret spy organization that fights against everything boring or unfair about being a kid, like bedtime, dentists, and vegetables. Using treehouses, candy-powered weapons, and codenames, they protect kid-kind one mission at a time.
Why Kids Will Love Codename: Kids Next Door: What kid doesn’t want to fight back against chores with a gummy launcher or fly a hovercraft made of junk? It taps into every child’s love of make-believe and rebellion, while making kids feel powerful and clever. The episodes are fast and full of action.
Heads-Up for Parents: The central theme is defying authority (in a fun way), but the show always keeps it fictional and fantastical. Expect fake weapons and cartoon baddies, not real-world rebellion.
Time Squad (2001)
A boy named Otto teams up with a robot and a dim-witted time cop to fix history when it goes hilariously wrong. Whether it’s Shakespeare turning into a surfer or Einstein giving up math, the team has to set things right, sort of.
Why Kids Will Love Time Squad: History becomes a big joke, and that’s precisely the hook. Kids who are starting to learn about historical figures in school will love seeing them reimagined as total weirdos. The show is full of absurd fixes, running gags, and quick-witted chaos that makes school subjects feel fun.
Heads-Up for Parents: Historical events and characters are warped for comedy, so facts go out the window. If your child’s into history, you might get questions—but it’s all in good fun.
My Gym Partner’s A Monkey (2005)
Adam, a human boy, is mistakenly transferred to a school for animals. His best friend is a loudmouth monkey named Jake, and every day is a wild mess of gym class fights, jungle drama, and cafeteria food that bites back.
Why Kids Will Love My Gym Partner’s a Monkey: Middle school already feels wild—this turns it into a zoo, literally. The show is fast, loud, and full of absurd gags and animal-based chaos. Kids love seeing a human totally out of his element while trying to survive the weirdest school ever.
Heads-Up for Parents: Expect gross-out humor, bathroom jokes, and plenty of slapstick. No serious content, just a lot of noise and nonsense.
Chowder (2007)
Chowder is an apprentice to a chef named Mung Daal, living in a whimsical food-obsessed world where ingredients are alive and cooking is basically magic. Every episode features culinary chaos, strange creatures, and fourth-wall-breaking nonsense.
Why Kids Will Love Chowder: Kids love food, silliness, and characters who mess everything up—and Chowder delivers all of that. The show’s art style is wild and colorful, the jokes are nonstop, and the characters (especially Chowder himself) are wonderfully weird. It hits the sweet spot between “what is happening?” and “this is hilarious.”
Heads-Up for Parents: Chowder features plenty of burps, farts, and food-related gross-out moments, but it’s all played for laughs. Some jokes may go over kids’ heads, but the tone stays light and ridiculous.
The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack (2008)
Flapjack is a wide-eyed boy raised by a talking whale named Bubbie. He dreams of high-seas adventure and treasure, and teams up with a washed-up pirate named Captain K’nuckles to chase tales of the mythical “Candied Island.” Trouble—and syrup—follow everywhere they go.
Why Kids Will Love Flapjack: It’s got pirates, candy, and an anything-goes tone that feels like a chaotic storybook. The show’s creepy-cute style and exaggerated facial expressions keep kids guessing, while Flapjack’s innocent enthusiasm makes him an instantly lovable lead for adventurous tweens.
Heads-Up for Parents: Flapjack leans into dark humor and grotesque visuals that can occasionally border on unsettling. While the show never crosses into inappropriate territory, the tone is definitely weirder than most cartoons, so it’s worth previewing if your child is sensitive to creepy imagery.
Ages 12–13: Big Stakes, Bigger Questions, and Heroes Who Feel Real
Teen Titans (2003)
In Teen Titans, five teenage superheroes—Robin, Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg—live together in a tower and fight villains while trying to figure out who they are. From giant robot battles to awkward crushes, they’re learning how to be heroes and teenagers at the same time.
Why Kids Will Love Teen Titans: For older kids, this show hits the right balance of action and personality. Each Titan feels different, with their style and powers, and the episodes swing between epic battles and relatable moments. It’s funny, calm, and full of stories that feel just a little more grown-up.
Heads-Up for Parents: Some episodes dive into heavier topics like betrayal, identity, and fear, but everything is handled at a PG level. There’s action-based violence, but no blood or gore.
Justice League (2001)
The world’s greatest heroes—Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, and others—team up to face galaxy-sized threats. Battles unfold across planets, timelines, and even dimensions, with each hero bringing their unique power and perspective to the fight.
Why Kids Will Love Justice League: This is superhero storytelling at full volume. Older kids will love the scale, the teamwork, and the idea that doing the right thing isn’t always easy. The story arcs are bigger, the questions are more profound, and the show treats its audience with genuine respect.
Heads-Up for Parents: Justice League occasionally explores darker moral dilemmas and has more tension than younger cartoons. Still age-appropriate, but best suited to kids who can follow serialized storylines.
Samurai Jack (2001)
A noble samurai is flung into a strange, futuristic world ruled by the evil wizard Aku. Armed only with his sword and his quiet determination, Jack travels across dystopian landscapes trying to find a way back to his time and defeat Aku once and for all.
Why Kids Will Love Samurai Jack: The animation is cinematic, the battles are sharp, and Jack is the kind of hero who leads with focus instead of fists. It’s moody, stylish, and full of quiet moments that lead to explosive action. Perfect for tweens who want a story with weight and edge.
Heads-Up for Parents: While there’s no graphic violence, swordfighting is central to the story. Some episodes have creepy designs and serious tones. Not for younger kids.
Megas XLR (2004)
Coop is a video game-loving slacker from Jersey who finds a giant robot from the future. Instead of saving the world with honor and discipline, he modifies it with hot-rod parts and uses it to smash aliens, time travelers, and anything in his way.
Why Kids Will Love Megas XLR: Giant robots, explosions, and gamer jokes—what more could a 12-year-old want? It’s like someone gave a mech to the class clown. The humor is pure chaos, the action is nonstop, and the style is full of references older kids will get and love.
Heads-Up for Parents: This one leans into parody, so there’s mild language, crude humor, and lots of animated violence. It’s more satirical than dark, but worth a preview.
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (2001)
Billy (an idiot) and Mandy (a deadpan genius) win a bet with the Grim Reaper and make him their best friend. From there, it’s all haunted hamsters, demonic cookies, and strange adventures in the Underworld.
Why Kids Will Love The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy: This show is gleefully gross, dark, and hilarious. Tweens love a bit of scary fun, and this one delivers without ever taking itself seriously. Grim is weirdly lovable, and the world is so full of surprises, you never know what’s coming next.
Heads-Up for Parents: The show leans into macabre themes—death, monsters, and creepy imagery—but it’s cartoonified and silly. Some parents may want to screen early episodes first.
Courage the Cowardly Dog (1999)
Courage is a nervous dog who lives with an elderly couple in the middle of nowhere. Each episode brings terrifying monsters, creepy ghosts, or alien invaders to their doorstep—and Courage has to save the day (usually while screaming).
Why Kids Will Love Courage the Cowardly Dog: This is perfect for kids who love spooky stuff with a sense of humor. Courage’s reactions are over-the-top and hilarious, and the stories are weird in the best way. It’s a little scary, a little sweet, and totally unforgettable.
Heads-Up for Parents: Some episodes can be genuinely eerie or emotionally intense. Best for kids who enjoy being spooked—but not for the faint of heart or younger siblings nearby.