The Best Educational Cartoon TV Shows for Kids

Children like to watch television. Dora, Diego, Wonder Pets, Disney cartoons and more. Parents often think that all animated television shows are created equal, well they are not. Just because there is a cartoon on the tv, it does not mean that the message within the show is one meant for children. Take Family Guy for instance. Although it may be a very entertaining show for adults, it is not one that I would want my children to be watching. But even within the realm of children's animated shows, they are not made with the same intent and purpose behind them. I like to limit the amount of television that I allow my children to watch, what they do view I want to be educational.

So how do you go about finding the best show for your child to watch? Well there are many ways to do this. First, you can talk with other parents to see what they recommend. Another way that you get some information about a particular cartoon is to check out the program guide on your tv or in the television guide. If you find one that sounds like it might fit the interest of your child and be a show that you would be comfortable with her watching, then preview it yourself first. If it meets your expectations, then you know it will be a keeper for you and your family.  In addition, most of the shows have online components that allow your child to view video clips, play games, color, and more.

Word Girl

Word girl is a fantastic cartoon about a girl who is a super hero. She and her side kick, Captain Huggy Face who is a monkey, fight crime together. What is the crime you ask? The crime is not knowing the best word to use in a given situation. The show runs for 30 minutes and introduces four vocabulary words in each episode. The words are used in a variety of situations throughout the show to give viewers an understand of the context in which the words can be used. By building vocabulary, you are also increasing reading skills. Oh yeah, and they have fun too!

Word World

Word World has gone to the animals, literally. In this 30 minute animation, children watch as animals interact with one another to build words. The animals solve riddles and build a variety of words, the words turn into the shape that the word represents. For example, if the word is truck, then the letters form the shape of a truck. Not only do kids love talking animals, but the visual representation of the word in the form of a picture helps the child to retain the word.

Super Why

Super Why is a lot of singing, dancing, and word building. The catchy songs that are sung and the connection to known characters from familiar stories such as The Three Little Pigs or Little Red Riding Hood, hook the viewer in immediately. In this 30 minute series, a character has a problem with another storybook character. They work together to find clues to solve the problem. Children learn about word families, letter and sound recognition, spelling and problem solving. In the end, the super readers always solve the problem!

Cyber Chase

Cyber Chase is one of the few animated shows that promote learning in math. Most of the shows focus on learning to read. And while that is fantastic, math is also an important part of life. So why is Cyber Chase so great? It is the classic villan tries to take over the world while the cyber kids save the day. What makes this different is that they save the day through solving math puzzles. The topics for each show are based on the concepts that are given by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in their recommended learning standards.

Team Umizoomi

Team Umizoomi is a fairly new show that focuses on more of a preschool aged child learning math. The show focuses on learning about and solving math concepts in a wide variety of areas such as patterns, shapes, and counting. The work on solving problems in math that are found in everyday life and have fun doing it too. This is a great show to help young people build confidence in their mathematical journey in life.

Sid the Science Kid

Sid in one curious kid. As he goes to preschool each day, he and his friends find many things in the world around them wonderous and ask questions. Their teacher leads them to explore and investigate their question and discover the science around them. He and his friends learn about how enjoy the world around them while learning about it at the same time.

Wild Kratts

Wild Kratts are two brothers who teach children about animals. As they explore animal life, children learn about a variety of animals, what they eat, where they, live and more. The animals are exciting and the brothers are adventurous. It's a great combination to keep kids engaged and having fun.

Go Diego Go

Many people are already very familiar with the rescue adventures of Diego. He works with his sister Alicia to save animals that are in danger. They keep a journal where they record all of the information about the animal that they have rescued. There is a quiz at the end for children to check the facts that they have learned.

The Wonder Pets

Wonder Pets are three little classroom pets that save other animals when no one is around. The show starts when Liney, Tuck and Ming Ming get a phone call from an animal who is in trouble. They then fly off to save the animal. This program teaches children how to work together, problem solving skills and how to recognize that it is important to help those in need.

The Backyardigans

The Backyardigans will delight you with catchy song and dance moves. This show promotes imagaination and a love of singing and dancing. Austin, Uniqua, Tasha, Pablo, and Tyrone use their imagination in their own backyard to create amazing adventures.

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Even when you do choose great quality shows, there are some other things that parents and caregivers need to remember as these shows are being watched. 

• Watch the shows with your child.  The more interaction that you have with your child the better they will understand the concepts that are being shared in the program.  Ask your child questions as you watch, help them discover the right answer, or help her to make predictions about what will happen next.
• LImit the amount of time that you allow your child to watch tv.  Even with high quality, educational programing, it is important to keep the time that children watch tv to a minimum.  There are other ways to learn so be sure to investigate some of those too.