Screen time for kids. It’s a hot topic for parents. I haven’t talked about it here before, partly because it is such a sensitive topic. Today I wanted to share my thoughts on it and maybe some of you will agree with me – and maybe some of you won’t – and either way, that is fine. We all do what works for our unique families!
In our house, we enjoy screen time in balance with play and outdoor and quiet time. It is 2022 and screens are a thing. TV, movies, iPad games, the internet… this stuff is not going away. These are the times and instead of fighting it, we guide boundaries around it. I want my children to learn these boundaries for themselves. To understand that yes, it is perfectly fine to relax on a rainy morning and cuddle up to watch their favorite episodes of Octonauts or have a Disney movie night with us. To sit and stew in front of the TV all day? Not so much. We move our bodies. We bake together. We play outside. We build. We play pretend house. We do puzzles. We read lots and lots of books. And then yes, we watch TV when we want to rest.
While I do not have a set “schedule,” I do have a bit of a rhythm when it comes to screen time. I don’t tend to turn on the TV until a bit later in the day. We wake up, play, have breakfast, get dressed, play some more, and then around 10:30-11, we put on a show so I can head into the kitchen to prepare whatever lunch I have for them or prep dinner. Then we have lunch and play a bit more before quiet/nap time. During quiet time, Willow has the option to use the iPad if she wants to play an educational app and I have noticed that while she has this option every day, she doesn’t choose it everyday. Sometimes she just wants to lay down with her blanket and dolls and will play pretend and have conversations with them. Sometimes she builds. Sometimes she browses her books. Or sometimes she asks for a movie and snack on the couch. That’s fine.
After quiet time, we usually go run errands if we have some or go outside or just free play (really… a lot of free play in this house). The TV doesn’t usually go on again until about 3:30-4 or so when I am ready to prep dinner or want to start cleaning up the messes that have accumulated during the day.
So as you can see, TV is sprinkled in during the day. It is not constant… the majority of the time. Because I won’t lie, if we are all having a DAY and my patience is thin, I have absolutely had the TV on in the background for the day. But even then, my kids don’t sit and stare at it… they are still playing and doing whatever and tune in if they are interested. But that’s usually my emergency mode to save my own sanity.
So now that you know how I feel about it, I wanted to share a list of shows that we watch the most. I like these because they are educational and I swear, Willow names more fast facts about ocean life because of Octonatus and knows about the life cycle of a butterfly from Elinor Wonders Why. Fiona sings her ABCs and has started to identify letters because she loves Super Why. You’ll quickly see from the below that we are a PBS family first and foremost.
Octonauts: We’ll start here because this is Willow’s favorite show. We watch this on Netflix. She learns so much from it and spews facts around the house, impressing me daily. When she isn’t watching it, she plays make believe and has us all be a character to go on adventures with her. It’s really sweet. She’s Captain Barnacle always and I’m Peso. IYKYK.
Wild Kratts: This is a PBS show that teaches kids all about nature and wildlife. Willow is very into these types of shows and I am so happy about it.
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood AND Mister Roger’s Neighborhood: We all love Daniel Tiger in this house because the lessons stick and the songs are fun, but Fiona in particular is in love with it. She knows all the songs by heart. We also watch the original Mister Rogers because MISTER FRED ROGERS IS THE BEST.
Hero Elementary: Another PBS show that is great for kids who love the idea of superheroes/superpowers and science. Willow recently started enjoying this one.
Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: PBS forever. This one is about kids who travel back in time to learn about inspiring figures. This is a great way to gently introduce history into your preschooler!
Super Why: Not ashamed to say that I watched this with Willow to help her with letter sounds and now Fiona is into it. Perfect for pre-readers and kids who are learning letters/spelling/phonics.
The Magic School Bus: Original and new! This is one that always captures kids’ interest because who doesn’t love Miss Frizzle and her wacky adventures? If you are covering something in homeschool science, be sure to see if there is an episode for it… there most likely is and this is a great supplement.
Elinor Wonders Why: This is a fairly new PBS show but it is really cute for preschoolers who are also always wondering “why?” I love that this show is nature-based and it pairs well with nature study.
Molly of Denali: This PBS show features an Alaskan native vlogger. So many beautiful topics surrounding nature and Alaskan culture. I even enjoy watching it.
Sesame Street: I feel like Willow is phasing out of Sesame Street but Fiona still enjoys it. It’s safe to say we watch a whole lot of Sesame Street because it is the OG of childhood goodness.
Little Bear: Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear was one of my favorite shows as a kid so I introduced it to ours, even though it is quite dated (we purchased a few seasons on Amazon and also watch some on YouTube). But to me, this is a classic. It may not be in-your-face educational but it is such a gentle and heart-warming series and teaches a lot of important lessons surrounding friendship, family, traditions, imagination, and nature.
Little Einsteins: This show used to be on Disney Junior but you can find it on Disney+ now. This show places importance on classical composures and artists and pairing this information with adventure. It’s really cool and feels very Charlotte Mason to me.
Aside from TV shows, we also love a few YouTube channels: Cosmic Kids Yoga (LOVE Jaimie!), Caitie’s Classroom, and Super Simple Songs. My kids have learned so much from Super Simple Songs! Plus, it is fun for a little family dance party. We also love Disney+ nature documentaries.
What are some of your favorite educational shows? Share your thoughts and recommendations with me below or on Instagram. I’d love to chat about it! x
