What is your 5-6 year old watching on TV

[cchavez]

I try to limit TV time for my kids but DS loves it!! So I need to select his shows wisely.....he used to be into some really educational shows like Super Why and World World but now he only wants to watch MGM Cartoons and the Jetsons. He has SPD and is immature...almost 6 but acts more like a young 5....anyway he is very bright and reads at a 1st grade level at minimum....so I think Super Why and World World are too easy for him. He is not into Bat Man, Power Rangers, etc but that stuff would not be educational anyway...any suggestions? TIA!

[schums]

DS is 6 almost 7, so a bit older, but watches:

Mythbusters (with adult interaction)
Magic School Bus
Tom & Jerry (not so ed I know, but he loves it)
Scooby Doo
Backyardigans (has a younger sister, so I'm happy he'll watch it)

There are a few others, but these are consistently what he wants to watch.

[almostmom]

I'm very interested in this, as my DS is getting bored with those shows too, even though I like them, and think they're good for him! He does like Sid the Science kid still, and Zoobamafoo. He LOVES Danger Rangers, but it is really irregular, and sometimes PBS says it will be on, but it isn't. He loves Curious George, and it can be a bit educational. He also likes Bindi the Jungle Girl, but I can't stand having my kids watch shows with commercials, as usually they are watching so I can get something done!

I hope there are other good suggestions--

[SnuggleBuggles]

PBS KIds- Cyberchase, Word Girl
Food TV- Dinner Impossible, How'd That Get on my Plate?
ABC- Wipeout (summer game show- you'd have to catch them online)
he likes some game shows
How it's Made on the Discovery channel (I think)

ETA- I forgot that he likes to watch Boomerang with his grandparents. We don't get that channel. He likes Tom and Jerry the best.

Beth

[cchavez]

Thanks for the suggestions.....I think The Magic School Bus may be what I am looking for and something he will enjoy!

[caleymama]

On PBS:
Sid the Science Kid
Between the Lions
Clifford (she loves it - still!)
Word Girl & Cyberchase occasionally
We've caught one episode of The Electric Company and I've set it to Tivo the rest
America's Test Kitchen (I have a bunch of episodes Tivod and the girls love them!)

Also Zoboomafoo, but we have a few videos of that so she doesn't watch it on TV (don't think it's on PBS anymore anyway)

She likes Bindi the Jungle Girl too, but we no longer have that channel. I used to DVR it so she could watch it & FF through the commercials.

[jenmcadams]

My 6 1/2 year old watches many of the shows talked about above, but also loves, loves, loves Phineas & Ferb on the disney channel. It's a funny, formulaic cartoon probably aimed at 8-11 year old boys, but she thinks it's hilarious (and so do my DH and I). Totally not educational, but funny with interesting plots.

[belovedgandp]

I love some of these suggestions. We need to mix it up around here.

My 5 year old likes the Mr Men Show. It's on Cartoon Network. We have the books (because I couldn't resist them, I had them as a kid). Little circle and square people - Mr Rude, Mr Tickle, Miss Chatterbox. It has absolutely no redeeming educational value, but isn't as violent or sassy as a lot of the other shows out there.

[baymom]

My ds LOVES Sid the Science Kid, on PBS... I think someone else may have posted that suggestion already... Also, thinking back on my own childhood, I think I may have started watching Little House on the Prairie at about that age. Not sure if the reruns would be on still or if it is too girlie for a boy or just terribly un-hip to watch.. But, I do remember being addicted to it for years and years....

[TraciG]

Mine discovered Boomerang channel , now she LOVE'S Smurf's & Popeye, Flintstone's , Pink Panther. We also discovered Olivia on Nick, she unfortunately like's Spong Bob YUCK , ONCE in a while I let her watch it but I HATE it, have no idea why kid's love that show !!

Oh yeah she also like's Tom & Jerry, rarely is Noggin on anymore here .

[tarahsolazy]

My almost 5 year old also LOVES Phineas and Ferb on the Disney Channel. My DH also really likes it. Not educational, but completely harmless, no real violence.

One show no one has mentioned is Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman. Its a PBSKids show, and DS is totally enamored. Its a kid's game show of a sort. Very educational, though.

[egoldber]

Sarah is 7, but she LOVES Fetch. That is her favorite show. It introduced fairly sophisticated science concepts on each show.

Another one no one has mentioned is Reading Rainbow. It's a terrific show. Sarah adores it and at the end of each episode we put the 3 "bonus" books they talk about in the episode on hold at the library website. :) The only thing I would be careful of is that some of the themes are a little mature for younger kids: the Vietnam War, The Holocaust, children whose parents are in prison. The adoption episode had me in tears, but it was very, very good.

She also really likes:

Cyberchase (unfortunately she's seen all the episodes now and they have not been new ones for a long time)

Word Girl

Pokemon (it's more harmless than it seems at first)

She also likes Magic Schoolbus alot.

[lizajane]

schuyler has ADHD and WILL-NOT-WATCH a show he doesn't like. and it seems to me that he "doesn't like" shows that are too young for him. he no longer likes noggin or almost all of PBS kids. he FREAKS when blues clues comes on, as though i am trying to make him wear a bib and drink from a bottle... which is so sad because dylan likes it and can really learn from it.

he does like zulu patrol and cyberchase, which have more difficult science and math concepts.

he does like backyardigans, which has super fun music and great imaginative play ideas.

he can tolerate franklin and enjoys scooby doo on demand. (i mean, the on demand channel on cable.)

i don't love it, but he likes tween shows like drake and josh, spongebob (YUCK) , icarly, zack and cody...

i just wish there was a good line of educational shows for kids who are smart and curious but are "over" the pre-k line of shows.

[mom2one]

A PP mention reading rainbow on PBS. I just checked on line about it at their website and it looks like my area does not show reading rainbow. It is for 4-8 year olds, so that would be so perfect for my DS.

MY DS (soon to be 5) likes:

backyardiagns, franklin, little bear
cyberchase kids, martha speaks
scooby doo
and all teh spiderman, justice league, superhero ones.

I noticed that no one has mentioned seasame street. My son will have nothing to do with it. I do wish that there were more learing shows. We do have almost all of the leapfrog videos.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I thought I heard on "The View" the other day that "Electric Company" was back on PBS as of last week- new episodes!

Beth

[KrisM]

My almost 5 watches Scooby Doo, Jetsons, Sid the Science Kid, Word Girl, WordWorld, and the occassional Curious George or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, but mostly when DD wants to.

[egoldber]

Just FYI, many libraries have Reading Rainbow DVDs available. And at the very least, you can go the Reading Rainbow section of the pbskids.org website and check out the book list. All of them wonderful, fabulous books.

[KrisM]

What station is Magic School Bus or Franklin on?

[egoldber]

Franklin is on Noggin. I love Franklin and also Little Bear. Such sweet, sweet stories.

Magic Schoolbus is on Discovery and or TLC for me.

[egoldber]

and it seems to me that he "doesn't like" shows that are too young for him. he no longer likes noggin or almost all of PBS kids

Fetch is good. It is definitely aimed at early elementary age, not preschool.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Franklin is on Noggin. I love Franklin and also Little Bear. Such sweet, sweet stories.

Magic Schoolbus is on Discovery and or TLC for me.

I love Franklin too. I am happy that I get to get reunited with my old favorite shows that ds1 abandoned a while back. The Franklin books are pretty good too.

Beth

[KrisM]

Franklin is on Noggin. I love Franklin and also Little Bear. Such sweet, sweet stories.

Magic Schoolbus is on Discovery and or TLC for me.

Thanks. We don't have Noggin, unfortunately.

I find Magic Schoolbus on Discovery Kids, but we don't have that. Can't find it on TLC. TLC isn't asking me for a region or anything, so it seems like it's national. Regular TLC? What time? Maybe that'll help.

[egoldber]

I don't know honestly. We DVR'd a bunch of episodes awhile ago and I haven't looked recently.

And Franklin DVDs are also often available at the library. :)

[KrisM]

I don't know honestly. We DVR'd a bunch of episodes awhile ago and I haven't looked recently.

And Franklin DVDs are also often available at the library. :)

Thanks again. I requested a Franklin, but I could only find one in DVD format. Odd, since it's the entire metro area of libraries. I'll have to ask when I'm there next. We have a couple of the MSB, too.

[billysmommy]

We just found Prehistoric Planet on Discovery Kids ~ it's on right after Magic SchoolBus.

It's a wonderful show that talks about the Jurassic, Cretaceus, Triassic, etc periods. We've DVR'd it since we discovered it ~1.5 weeks ago. We've seen episodes narrated by Christian Slater and Ben Stiller so far. Billy loves them and even Benjamin likes them too.

[MamaKath]

Fetch is good. Mine also likes How it's made, and Good Eats.

[lizajane]

Fetch is good. It is definitely aimed at early elementary age, not preschool.

i don't know why, but he has never liked fetch and won't watch it. he really dislikes it, in fact. i can't understand why.

[caheinz]

DS1 has been enjoying Imagination Movers on Disney. I like the way it emphasizes true brainstorming and teamwork.

[caleymama]

Another one no one has mentioned is Reading Rainbow. It's a terrific show. Sarah adores it and at the end of each episode we put the 3 "bonus" books they talk about in the episode on hold at the library website. :) The only thing I would be careful of is that some of the themes are a little mature for younger kids: the Vietnam War, The Holocaust, children whose parents are in prison. The adoption episode had me in tears, but it was very, very good.


How could I forget about Reading Rainbow?? Another one we love around here. We love to get the books from the library too. DD1 sometimes watches with a pencil and paper so she can jot down all the books she sees that she wants to check out. She does this for Between the Lions sometimes too.

[hellokitty]

My son just turned five, his favorite shows are:

Preschool shows on PBS
Magic schoolbus
Little Einsteins
Just about anything on the discovery channel
Documentaries on trains or animals

We don't let him watch the, "regular" cartoon channels.

[kransden]

My dd LOVES Fetch on PBS Kids.

[KrisM]

I just remembered he likes Extreme Trains. I think it's on the HIstory Channel.

I think we need to get digital cable so we can get some of the better stations.