Educational TV Shows for Your Preschooler
72Is There Such a Thing as Educational TV?
Time and again parents wonder if there is really such a thing as good television. While we shouldn't let our children watch TV every day, all day long, there are some pretty educational television shows out there, more especially for preschoolers and toddlers. And no, I'm not talking about Sesame Street, though that is one of the most educational TV shows, you can branch out and try other shows for educational purposes, too. The shows listed here have all been mom-approved by me, as I tend to watch a lot of the television shows that my daughter watches. So I can tell you what is educational and what is purely entertainment. The shows below have some wonderful educational content and I would recommend them to anyone with a toddler or preschooler who is searching for decent educational television shows.
Dino Dan
Nickelodeon has come out with a show titled Dino Dan, and it is quite a cute and educational show indeed. There is a little boy who is the focus of the show named Dan, who has a die-hard obsession with dinosaurs and a desire to learn everything he can about dinosaurs. This television show is not a cartoon, but uses real life actors with computer animated dinosaurs in the different scenes. Dino Dan teaches preschoolers about the different types of dinosaurs, how to use their imagination, and a lot about science at an early age.
Check your local listings, but we have Dino Dan on the Nick Jr. channel, usually in the middle of the day.
Word World
Word World is the perfect educational show for preschoolers, as it is entertaining, lighthearted, and truly educational. In this show, there are different animal characters in a world full of words. An example is if the characters were around a truck in one scene, the truck would actually be made up of the word "T-R-U-C-K". It teaches kids to associate certain letters/words with their actual uses. It's sort of like if you tape up postcards with words around your house for your preschooler to learn and memorize, such as "Sink" or "Soap" or "Door", etc. Word World is on the PBS channel, I believe in the morning time, but again, check your local listings for showings of Word World.
Team UmiZoomi
Team UmiZoomi is a show for preschoolers that my daughter absolutely adores. She knows the entire opening song and really enjoys this educational show every time it airs. Team UmiZoomi is educational for preschoolers in that it teaches them early mathematics skills and even a little bit about geometry (shapes). To be honest, with a little coaching from me, this educational show has aided my daughter in learning how to count up to thirty and also by tens to one hundred! A highly recommended educational show for your preschooler or toddler, watch it on Nick Jr.
Sid the Science Kid
Sid the Science Kid is another great educational show for your preschooler presented by PBS Kids. Early science skills are definitely important and skipped over a lot by other tv shows for preschoolers. Sid the Science Kid is focused entirely on science. Animals, weather, and every other aspect of nature is taught to preschoolers by the friendly and adorable Sid, as well as his playmates. Your child will enjoy this educational show and probably learn something about the earth in the process. Find it on PBS.
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Hi, Lesleysherwood! Thanks so much. I agree, most of it is definitely crap, but there are some very good shows for children if one is to search and try hard enough.
I have been saying for a while now that having several televisions on at the same time was not a good idea. I have heard every one of the programs listed above at least once within the past 24 hours. The televisions are on but no one actually watches them for more than a few minutes at a time. The colors on the dinosaurs in Dino Dan hold more attention for the under 5 crowd than any of the other programs. We currently have 2 in that group but have has as many as 7 in that group at once. As much as possible I try to keep my office quiet.
If the children who live here full time are napping on my bed it's not possible. They have been trained from the day they were brought home from the hospital to have a television on 24 hours a day.
There are times this creates problems, some times short term children have a hard time going to sleep with the light and constant noise of a television.
There have been times when it was necessary to put a second bed in my room so these children had a quieter place to sleep. For some reason my fingers on the keyboard doesn't seem to bother them as much as a television.
Hey, wheelinallover! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with us. I do agree that TV is not usually a good thing for children, in large doses. It's much better for them developmentally to be running around outside or just playing indoors without the TV on constantly. Unfortunately, I have to admit that my daughter does watch a lot of TV; however, I do my best to take her outside, get her to go to swimming lessons, take her for walks and feed the ducks & turtles on a weekly basis. I also encourage her to play with her toys and read her books. On the weekends, I try to do at least one art project with her, so this way she's not always having to be entertained by electronics. Thanks, again!
We do all the things you do with your daughter and more. As I said the television is on constantly but the children don't watch it. It is background noise. One of the good things about it being on all the time is they no longer pay attention to it unless something really captures their interest.
The children are always playing or interacting with the adults and are given plenty of opportunity for outside play. Most of them prefer to be outside when the weather permits. Picnic's are a favorite even if they are in the yard. The children actually prefer to eat outside.
When anyone leaves the children always want to go too. As much as possible they allowed along. We also take trips to the local park and bike trail which is convenient being a few hundred feet from the front door.
Swimming lessons haven't started yet but will done by next summer. We have a 4 foot pool but no place other than the front yard to put it this year, so it didn't get set up. We had the wading pool in use until a tree became too dangerous for the children to be so close to. They have been using a water toy that hooks up to the hose since then.
That's awesome, wheelinallover. Sounds like you live/work at a wonderful place full of love. It's inspiring to hear how much you love and help care for the children. Keep it up. The world needs more people like you around!
You're quite right. I see TV as a cesspool of garbage sitting in my living room. I too screened what was watched by my son, and when he became of school age no TV during the week when school was in session.
This may seem harsh ( I thought so when my late husband instituted the rule), but it created a fine young man, who to this day finds something other to do than vegitate on his couch during his free time.
pmccray - That's a great rule to use. I would love to have the motivation to do that. Maybe when my daughter goes to school I'll start instilling those values in her. I'm so glad your son turned out so wonderfully! Good for you and your husband for setting boundaries. Many kids in the world don't have them and therefore grow up to be the opposite of productive. Thanks!
Hubs like this one are always useful Our 8 year old grand-daughter Ellie is staying with us at the moment, but she seems to be out all th time at the moment. Luckily we live in a very quiet cul de sac; even though it is still important to keep an eye on them they are safe out playing to and fro in each other's houses.
There are four little girls of the same age living here.
Thanks for this great hub which will be handy if the weather turns wet or they decide to spend an afternoon in.
I am enjoying reading all your hubs and look forward to reading many more.
Take care
Eiddwen.
Lesleysherwood Level 5 Commenter 10 months ago
Great hub. TV can have a lot of rubbish, but it can be very educational too, for adults and children alike. We just need to tune in to the right channel. I always thought Sesame Street was good, when I was growing up and my children's childhood. Vote UP