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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask where the good kids TV is?

40 replies

ProcrastinatorsAnonymous · 14/05/2025 10:39

I have a 4 year old and a 7 year old. Screen time is limited, but even then I struggle to find much that I'm happy for them to watch. I feel like kids TV used to be so much better when I was little!

I'd love to find some shows that are entertaining but also educational - things like Horrible Histories and Operation Ouch. Or shows with genuinely engaging storytelling. What are your kids are engaged by?

Perhaps I'm just not finding the good stuff, but AIBU to think kids TV has gone majorly downhill?

OP posts:
xILikeJamx · 14/05/2025 12:09

My kids are older now, but we used to watch all the stuff on Milkshake on channel 5 in the mornings (Peppa, Paw Patrol, Blaze, Little Princess) and CBBC stuff in the evenings (In the Night Garden, Andy's (whatever) Adventures, etc)

Marmite27 · 14/05/2025 12:06

Oh, mine (7 & 9) like a bit of Aussie drama too, Gymnastics Academy, Little Lunch and The In-best-igators are firm favourites, of course they love Bluey too. They’re probably a bit too invested tbh, someone commented on their Aussie inflection the other day Grin

Upstartled · 14/05/2025 12:04

Wean them onto the Teen Titans. If only for your own entertainment.

Marmite27 · 14/05/2025 12:03

Emily’s wonderlab is good.

RK800 · 14/05/2025 12:02

My Kids (10, 7 and 5) love Scooby Doo! There are lots of different series but Be Cool Scooby Doo is their favourite. I enjoy it too!

@takealettermsjones my oldest, loves the old BBC Mr Bean episodes, particularly the one where he’s trying to get changed on the beach! 😂

Avariceagain · 14/05/2025 12:01

My similar aged children love one zoo three (iplayer)

CorbyTrouserPress · 14/05/2025 11:42

Bluey should be on prime time BBC Saturday night.

Mauvehoodie · 14/05/2025 11:42

My 4 yo loves Puffin Rock but a bit young for 7. DS and I used to enjoy Just Add Magic although when he was probably a little bit older than 7. It's a bit American but has some good stories. Oh and Stinky and Dirty (not sure if it's a bit young for 7 again) is quite fun - a rubbish truck and a digger (or similar) that have adventures and solve problems, with a tiny bit of educational stuff thrown in ("what can they use to get across the broken bridge?" type stuff).

TheNightingalesStarling · 14/05/2025 11:38

Educational...

  • Pets Factor (CBBC)
-Andys xxxx Adventures (a few different ones, like dinosaurs)
takealettermsjones · 14/05/2025 11:36

Just watch the old stuff! My kids' current favourite is Mr Bean.

givemushypeasachance · 14/05/2025 11:34

Also honourable mention to old school Looney Toons kinds of cartoons - things like Tom and Jerry and Road Runner and Bugs Bunny. I'm a child of the 90s and used to love those when they were used as space-fillers on TV, or on "Stay Tooned" with Tony Robinson, and then we ended up with some videos we used to watch over and over again. I think you can find a lot of them on YouTube. Yeah they're a bit 'violent' at times but it's literally the definition of cartoon violence, and you pick up a lot of things like classic film references and classical music and such from watching them.

HouseCaptain · 14/05/2025 11:15

Steve Backshall Deadly 60 in brilliant.

Walking with Dinosaurs might be available somewhere?

GrandTheftWalrus · 14/05/2025 11:07

I'm 40 and would happily sit and watch bluey.

Dotjones · 14/05/2025 11:06

Where's the good kids' TV? Back in the 1980s.

givemushypeasachance · 14/05/2025 11:06

I think there's just A LOT of kids TV options around now, so the good stuff can get a bit lost. Presumably you're aware of Bluey, amazing TV really good storytelling and engaging, my friends have a 5yo and a 8yo and the 8yo would still watch it and enjoy it if it was on.

iPlayer is generally pretty good for things that are educational, or more traditional sorts of drama shows less of the YouTube infected shouty/short attention span stuff. There's stuff like Planet Defenders, Art Ninja, Hey You What If, Deadly with Steve Backshall, and the likes of The Famous Five, Mallory Towers, Dodger, The Worst Witch.

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