Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood
Great for teaching the little ones about life. How to be patient, getting along with friends, that you can’t always get what you want. It features a lot of songs, so tunes like ‘Grown ups come back’ can be used as reminders when dropping kids off with babysitters and preschool.
The animation style is enjoyably weird and you can choose to view trips to the “Enchanted Forest” as Daniel’s tiger parents day tripping on magic mushrooms. It’s funnier that way, but totally your call.
The Magic School Bus Rides Again
Time for science! My son has been smashing this show lately and suddenly he’s defining ‘entropy’ and talking about the ‘electricity in my brain’.
Each episode delves right into a scientific field such as biology, geology, neuroscience, astronomy etc. Noticeable lack of annoying songs. This one ticks all the boxes.
Beat Bugs
What happens when enterprising TV show producers get their hands on The Beatles songbook? An animated cast of bugs/childlike characters singing their jolly way through life.
My son now knows all the words to Help, Yellow Submarine, Penny Lane, All You Need Is Love and Strawberry Field Forever. He also gets mad when I’m playing a Beatle record, shouting that it’s a “Beat Bugs song”. Sure it is mate.
Peppa Pig
Another show of lessons about getting on with your friends, sharing toys and not driving your parents insane. The animation style and overly polite British accents make it a pretty quaint affair.
Just be careful playing this one on YouTube. As James Bridle wrote in November, there’s some messed up “Peppa Pig” videos out there that you need to keep away from your kids.
Yo Gabba Gabba
An oldie but still a goodie. This one gets kids dancing and having fun – and it’s not The Wiggles. My son barely knows The Wiggles exist and that’s taken some effort.
Yo Gabba Gabba drops hip hop beats with earworm hooks, “There’s a party in my tummy!” The kids will be eating their vegetables in no time. Endless celebrity cameos make things funny and Jack Black is the GOAT.
