Kids
9 Kid-Friendly And Wholesome Shows on Netflix for Young Children
Not sure what your young kids can watch safely? Meaning no scary dreams after, no inappropriate language, and they’ll learn a lesson or two? Here’s a great list for you:
We know screen time is not for all families, but for parents who do allow a few hours of Netflix or YouTube a day, it can be hard to find shows that young children can watch on their own. It’s such a big relief when you don’t have to hover around your child with the remote control in your hand, ready to press stop or skip when something pops up on the screen that you don’t want them to see.
To save you time, we’ve done the research for you to come up with the most wholesome, kid-friendly shows for young children between 3 to 6 years old – no parental guidance needed.
9 wholesome Netflix shows you need on your radar:
1. Super Monsters
We love this show! This Netflix series revolves around the cutest preschool children/monsters whose parents are famous in the monster and mythical worlds – like Count Dracula and Frankenstein, all animated in a kid-friendly way. With cute names like Cleo (for Cleopatra), Frankie (for Frankenstein), and Lobo (as in werewolf), you can imagine how unique and adorable the characters are. Each episode features lessons the mini-monsters learn at school while also trying to master their different powers.
2. Trash Truck
This is a gentle show about 6-year-old Hank and his best friend, Trash Truck. It’s a slow-paced and thoughtful series that follows Hank’s adventures with Trash Truck and their assortment of friends like Donny the Racoon, Walter the Bear, and Miss Mona the Mouse. The stories focus on teaching social-emotional lessons for kids and how to solve problems creatively. We like Trash Truck because it’s such a breath of fresh air compared to other fast-paced, colorful, and loud shows for kids. Available on Netflix.
3. Bubble Guppies
Another cute and safe show that kids will enjoy and parents will also like is Bubble Guppies. The series revolves around the Guppies, a diverse group of young mermaids (and merboys?) who live under water. The Guppies are curious about the world around them and go around exploring their surroundings. There are also many positive messages, like the importance of problem solving and friendship, that young viewers can learn from. Find it on Netflix.
4. True and the Rainbow Kingdom
This is an animated series starring the bright main character True who helps her friends solve problems using magic wishes and determination. Kids will love the vibrant characters and the wish-granting part of the show, while parents will love it for examples of empathy, compassion, and kindness. This show can also be enjoyed by siblings of multiple ages, which lessens the arguing over which show to watch. Plus points for True! You can watch this on Netflix.
5. Alphablocks and Numberblocks
These shows are geared towards younger kids, more for 2-3 year olds, and are high in educational value. They both consist of short videos that help your preschoolers learn their letters and numbers. Alphablocks focuses on teaching phonics while Numberblocks teach simple math concepts like numbers and counting using attractive animation. Your kids will learn from the shows even without realizing it. You can watch both of them on Netflix.
6. Daniel Tiger
We have to add Daniel Tiger on the list, even if it’s only available locally via YouTube. If you loved Mister Rogers Neighborhood as a child, you’ll also love this show. It’s produced by the Fred Rogers Company (as in Mister Rogers himself), so it has the same pace and values as the original version. However, it’s been updated to go with the current times and Daniel Tiger serves as the younger, animated version of Mister Rogers. Daniel teaches kids how to recognize different emotions – such as frustration, disappointment, and happiness – then demonstrates age-appropriate techniques on how to handle these big feelings. We can’t say enough good things about this show.
7. Molang
Molang doesn’t emphasize any specific educational lessons and just focuses on being a lighthearted and entertaining show for kids. The show revolves around Molang, a cute bunny, who has adventures with his friend, an equally cute chick named Piu Piu. Each episode is only 3 minutes long, perfect for kids who are allowed only a few minutes of screen time a day. Molang is a light and feel-good show you can allow your child to watch safely on his own. Take note that some parents take issue that Molang speaks gibberish (and not proper English) but we consider it as part of the show’s cute charm. You can find this on Netflix.
8. Waffles and Mochi
Produced by former First Lady Michelle Obama, the Netflix series Waffles and Mochi teaches kids about food and cooking. Although made for slightly older children, kids who are as young as 5 years old will appreciate the humor of the main characters – a hybrid waffle-yeti puppet named Waffles and his friend Mochi, who is literally a mochi puppet. They’ll also enjoy watching real chefs showing off their cooking using the episode’s featured ingredient. The whole family will enjoy watching this show together.
9. Octonauts
Sea animals, adventure, and stories your kids can learn from – Octonauts has it all. This show is set in the ocean and stars a team of explorers led by its Polar bear leader Captain Barnacles. Each episode introduces a different sea creature, such as a whale or a giant squid, and the team is always on the move keeping their fellow underwater animals safe. Octonauts is based on a book series and there are also toys available, so be ready for an Octonauts phase once your child starts watching the show. This is also available on Netflix.
Although there are so many shows and content for kids to choose from nowadays, it can be hard to find good shows that are able to balance entertainment and good values. The list above can help you get started curating your own “safe” shows for your young children. Because each family is different, we recommend you watch an episode or two with your child first to see if it fits your family’s values before you allow them to watch on their own. Happy viewing!
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