Kids' Entertainment
The catchy theme songs and inspirational life lessons alone...
Public broadcaster PBS has put out so many amazing kid shows that it has become a generational identifying factor. Your age can be determined simply by saying you watched Sesame Street pre-Elmo, or you were a huge Clifford The Big Red Dog stan. PBS Kids have maintained a tradition of putting out programming for kids that is once engaging and fun, colorful and sweet. A safe space for little ones that is so beloved Fred Rogers himself defended the publicly funded channel to the U.S. Senate in 1969 when there was concern it would be defunded.
“I feel that if we in public television can only make it clear that feelings are mentionable and manageable,” Rogers told Sen. Pastore at the time, per American Rhetoric, “we will have done a great service for mental health.” His words helped to save PBS from being defunded, and by extension save quality children’s programming.
PBS Kids shows tend towards being educational, no matter the age group watching, and as Fred Rogers noted, focused on helping kids deal with every day emotions. Whether it’s little toddlers figuring out numbers or preschoolers learning social skills or older kids delving into the creative world of their imagination, there’s never been a shortage of excellent choices.
Here are the best ones.
Clifford The Big Red Dog
‘Clifford The Big Red Dog’ is a fan favorite.
What dog-loving kid out there wouldn’t love a massive, talking red dog who can do things like get your ball off the roof for you? Clifford The Big Red Dog has been entertaining kids aged 3-7 with Emily and Clifford, her aforementioned big red dog, since 2000. The two pals have been going on gentle little adventures and generally living their best lives, singing songs and helping out their neighbors with all of their hard-to-reach problems.
Zoboomafoo
Two brothers who are super passionate about nature and the wild world of animals team up with a lemur puppet for Zoboomafoo. This PBS Kids show ran for two seasons, fron 1999-2001, but the hosts are so infectious with their love of animals it really stands the test of time. There were spinoffs like Kratts’ Creatures and the animated show Wild Kratts too.
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
The show where it all started. Where other popular series were developed like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and the new Donkey Hodie. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was a quiet little trendsetter, a show that was gentle and kind and taught kids to talk about their feelings. No list of PBS Kids shows would be complete without it. Kids’ programming wouldn’t be complete without it.
Caillou
Hear me out here; I know Caillou, the show about an especially whiney little boy and his family, has many a detractor. When it was canceled after a 13 year run on PBS Kids, parents celebrated mightily on social media. But let’s be honest here. That’s the best part of watching TV with your kids. Caillou and his little sister Rosie made kids laugh and bonded parents over their shared experience. You can’t ask for better than that.
Thomas & Friends
My kids loved Thomas & Friends and I imagine their kids will love it too. The British show about talking engines and boats and planes has been going strong on PBS Kids since 1984, and I suspect the merchandise has played no small part in that success.
Magic School Bus
This animated series starring the voice of Lily Tomlin as Miss Frizzle, a teacher with access to an incredibly magic school bus, is genius. It managed to be funny and informative in a way that kids found palatable. So palatable, in fact, that the 1994 series Magic School Bus was recently renewed on PBS Kids for a whole new generation to enjoy. And let’s not forget that amazing theme song, always an integral part to a great kids’ series.
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