aggieamy Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Based on my past history of being a bit over the top with my no-TV household it is with much humility that I come to ask for TV show recommendations for DS. We are going overseas this summer and we'll be traveling by plane, trains, and boats. I think DS and DD will do fine but for those times when we desperately need a kid to sit down and be entertained I want to put a few shows on the iPad. For DD I was going to put a new Doctor Who episode or two on there and a few Horrible Histories. No problem there. For DS I just don't know. Shaun the Sheep? That's all I know for gentle kids cartoons that DD would also somewhat enjoy. Please give me suggestions! If it's available on Amazon Prime then double bonus awesome points! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murmer Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Doc McStuffins, Chugginton, Most of Disney Jr is really good...or you could see if there are signing time episodes available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I have no idea about whats on Amazon Prime, but I'd go with a variety of educational shows or movies. Signing Time Leap Frog Phonics and Reading videos Rock 'N Learn series has videos on Reading, Math, Geography, Spanish/French/German/Italian and Science School House Rock Bill Nye the Science Guy Sid the Science Kid I typically hate edutainment shows geared at PreK-K I just can't abide by the ridiculousness of the shows or the character voices or something. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Openhearted Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. It is on pbs. It would be perfect for him. The twins like Wild Kratts. It is on Amazon prime, but that may not hold his attention. It is very educational though. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaniemom Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Amazon Prime has Mister Rodgers which some of mine were fascinated by and others couldn't stand. They also have lots of Sesame Street if that is your cup of tea. We watched some of the very first episodes when Oscar was orange. Signing Time is nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medawyn Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 My newly 2 yo likes Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and Thomas the Tank Engine. We don't watch either often, but when a few quiet minutes are desperately needed (hello, no nap on a crowded airplane), both work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Octonauts is a current favorite here. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Curious George is a favorite in my house. I'm not sure if it's on Amazon Prime, but it is on the PBS kids app and online. ETA How old are your kids? My 7 year old still likes Curious George and my 2 year old loves it. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aiden Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and Curious George are both big hits around here. Some seasons of CG are on Amazon Prime. I don't recall if Daniel Tiger is or not. Blue's Clues, Dora the Explorer, and Go Diego Go at least used to be on Prime. (We mostly use Netflix, so I'm not sure what's still on Prime.) If any of the Leapfrog videos are on Prime, those also would be great choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermama Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Leapfrog videos and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood are favorites here. Peppa Pig is pretty cute, too, and the episodes are only 5 minutes long, so they're perfect when you just need a short distraction. Not quite what you asked, but I also really like the Sago Mini apps for the iPad. There's a road trip one where you pack bags, pick what car to drive (including a bathtub), and then drive to a friend's house. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 We are a no TV household and when I tried to use TV to my advantage he had no interest. He literally needed to be trained to enjoy television. It only took a month or two, but I just wanted to let you know. Mickey Mouse Club House is our favorite here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Curious George is on prime and my 2yo loves him. Not just in TV form, but I think he likes the show because we've read the books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Chuggington Leap frog Curious george Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
displace Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 There's a lot of pbs on Amazon and pbs.org. Or consider some education games/apps, even abc mouse.com which has enough books and content to last years probably! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 caillou kipper veggie tales yes to Thomas the tank engine. I also did youtube videos of trains & crossings, boats (Miami has a great fireboat), garbage trucks (in japan, they play a tune like an ice cream truck.) eta: we noticed curious George had a terrible influence on ds (and he *never* gets in trouble!) so it was banned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xahm Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Curious George, Daniel Tiger, and Backyardigans are all on Amazon Prime and, I think, are all appropriate for gentle little eyes and ears. Especially Daniel Tiger. The most recent season isn't on Prime, but there are way more than you could watch travelling, especially if your little one would prefer to watch the same thing over and over at that age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Sean the Sheep is by Aardman, so you might like to look at their other ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applethyme Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Daniel Tiger is the most popular here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Daniel Tiger and Curious George. Even my 9yo will watch George sometimes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Charlie and Lola. Entirely sweet. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8circles Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I don't have amazon prime so I don't know what's free or not but I just scanned their kids offerings and these are the ones that we enjoyed. Oswald Fireman Sam Backyardigans Little Bear Fetch with Ruff Ruffman Peep and the big wide world Electric company (classics) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJoy Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Agreeing with Daniel Tiger & Curious George. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Seconding most of the above, plus adding Paw Patrol and Dinosaur Train. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zinnia Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Another vote for Curious George. My 2 and 4 absolutely adore Daniel Tiger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleowl Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 My kids love the Amazon original series Creative Galaxy. The entire season is free if you have Prime. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Another vote for Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. It's a spin-off of sorts from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. An animated show based on the puppets. No monsters or bad guys. Just little friends learning things like how to share and be patient. It's very sweet. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestHoustonMom Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 caillou kipper veggie tales yes to Thomas the tank engine. I also did youtube videos of trains & crossings, boats (Miami has a great fireboat), garbage trucks (in japan, they play a tune like an ice cream truck.) eta: we noticed curious George had a terrible influence on ds (and he *never* gets in trouble!) so it was banned. Please not Caillou! He is the whiniest child on tv. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Aw hun, don't beat yourself up over it. My now-adult kids were 100% TV free except at their dad's. My little.....erm......isn't...... I think you might feel better about it if you introduced him to classic shows like the original Mr. Rogers, Reading Rainbow, etc. There's no way I could have handled Caillou or Dora without turning into a sobbing puddle of Mommy Guilt, but favourites from my own childhood, like Bewitched, Family Affair, The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, felt more like a history lesson and shared family culture. See what you can find from your own childhood on YouTube and Amazon Prime, but if you don't find anything you can feel okay about and if finances allow, they make things like this that would probably work for viewing DVD rips on iPads now. Don't ask why a free software advocate who runs Trisquel knows about such things. Just please don't ask. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Curious George, my 6 and 1 year old girls love him :) in fact they are watching him right now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Yo Gabba Gabba! Little Bear Wonder Pets Blues Clues all on Prime Instant 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 FWIW, I had a toddler who hadn't watched much TV and I expected watching some shows on the airplane would be great - child didn't care at all about TV! So you may want to try a few of the shows before you go and see if they work. :) I was sorely disappointed that my desperation solution was useless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Gosh, I miss Charlie and Lola. Chaaar-lie, snow is my favorite and my best! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professormom Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Please not Caillou! He is the whiniest child on tv. I need a quadruple like button:-) Caillou drove me nuts. I felt like he was trying to train kids to be bratty, lol. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medawyn Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 FWIW, I had a toddler who hadn't watched much TV and I expected watching some shows on the airplane would be great - child didn't care at all about TV! So you may want to try a few of the shows before you go and see if they work. :) I was sorely disappointed that my desperation solution was useless. I'll second this. DS2 loves Thomas the Tank Engine, but that really only started after playing with big cousin's Thomas toys, etc. He still only lasts one "episode" which runs about 10 min. Enough time to nurse the baby and put her down or redirect that "I'm tired of traveling" tantrum, but nothing that's going to buy me a lot of time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmingMomma Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Little Bear, Franklin, and Charlie and Lola were my kiddos favorites when they were younger 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieA97 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Daniel Tiger, Backyardigans, blues clues, Curious George, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, Bubble Guppies. All cute and sweet. Curious George, Daniel Tiger and Mickey Mouse are the current faves around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Most of our favorites have been mentioned, I didn't see Kai Lan or Mike the Knight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Sparkabilities has an iPad app. I would do that. Right brain learning and your kiddo is at the perfect age to learn. We have had several toddlers leave at 19/20 months old knowing all their shapes, colors, letters, letter sounds, etc. They LOVE it. It is also very calming when kiddos are fussy. Most of the shows listed above are incredibly annoying. And you may well find that a child not used to watching tv simply will not. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Little Pim is on Amazon prime as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brehon Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 My toddlers (and older kids!) like Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Peg + Cat, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Dinosaur Train - all currently on PBS. They also enjoy several of the iPad apps. (And my 4 yo is quite good with Dragon Box.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestHoustonMom Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Aw hun, don't beat yourself up over it. My now-adult kids were 100% TV free except at their dad's. My little.....erm......isn't...... I think you might feel better about it if you introduced him to classic shows like the original Mr. Rogers, Reading Rainbow, etc. There's no way I could have handled Caillou or Dora without turning into a sobbing puddle of Mommy Guilt, but favourites from my own childhood, like Bewitched, Family Affair, The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, felt more like a history lesson and shared family culture. See what you can find from your own childhood on YouTube and Amazon Prime, but if you don't find anything you can feel okay about and if finances allow, they make things like this that would probably work for viewing DVD rips on iPads now. Don't ask why a free software advocate who runs Trisquel knows about such things. Just please don't ask. I've been showing my DS The Muppet Show, and I now have the only 4 year old who asks to watch Leo Sayer, Lou Rawls, and Pearl Bailey. I love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 It's been a long time since my kids were that young, but they enjoyed Mister Roger's Neighborhood and Thomas the Tank. Also, Rolie Polie Olie and Blue's Clues, although I can't quite remember the age range for those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocassie Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 This is what my guy liked (he's 3 now) - at 2 his attention span for TV was about 30 min. PBS shows in general - Sid, the Science Guy; Curious George; Wild Kratts; Thomas; Daniel Tiger; and Super Why From Netflix - Magic School Bus, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, How Things are Made, Animal or Bug Documentaries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarasue7272 Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Kipper It's gentle, slow paced, minimalist (like the scene will have two characters and a window and everything else white). My kids loved it. And so did I! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 One of mine loved Barney and friends. It's on Prime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Octonauts is a current favorite here. This is the one show my 1 year old gets to watch. She watches an episode around every other school day. I don't like TV for little ones but sometimes I desperately need her to be occupied so I can give attention to my 12 year old. This homeschooling with a toddler thing is no joke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 The recent (5 yrs or so) PBS shows for that age group are all pretty good. The best for the pre-preschool age have been: Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (great) Wild Kratts (great for animal lovers but moves quite a bit faster and more grade school content) Peg + Cat (really amuses my dh for some reason) Sid the Science Kid (like Wild Kratts a bit above in terms of content) From Amazon Prime: Pocoyo Wonder Pets Tumble Leaf Little Bear (I probably love this one more than ds) Peep and the Big World (great) Dinosaur Train (like Wild Kratts usually a bit above the others in content) I have fond memories of the Spot videos. I didn't really do tv when the boys were toddlers but my mother bought them some and Spot was one of the more realistic in terms of what a toddler can take in and be amused. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 beautiful, gentle times. my kids liked: little bear dvds many of the rabbit ears videos (eg. http://www.amazon.com/Follow-Drinking-Gourd-Underground-Collection/dp/B00943YATQ/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1428420962&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=follow+the+drinkign+gourd+dvd) http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=rabbit%20ear%20videos free to be you and me dvd mr. rogers the magic school bus signing time at this age, they also loved anything david attenborough did. there is something about the combination of animals/plants and his voice that worked. and classic kids music cds like mr bach comes to call. there are also dvds about a day in the life of a child in india/japan/france etc etc. i tried really hard to find them, and couldn't. but they were wonderful. i also used to get the kids colouring books about the various countries and/or animals.... and placemats from each place with the wildlife. and before we left, i would have them fall asleep to the same cd... in the car, at home, etc, etc. then, i could play it wherever we were, and it would help them sleep. hth, ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 I'm a big fan of gentle shows for little kids. At that age, I'd suggest Little Bear (Amazon Prime), Tumble Leaf (Amazon Prime), The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends (YouTube), Curious George (Amazon Prime), Blue's Clues (Amazon Prime), Wallace and Gromit (Amazon Prime). Amazon Prime beats Netflix for us for kids shows. Doc McStuffins is now on HuluPlus, which caused my girls to literally cheer this morning. My girls have also enjoyed old musicals well pretty well at young ages. My dd's favorite for a long time was Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I think I had "Bless Her Beautiful Hide" stuck in my head for a solid year. She just loved that barn raising scene, I think. You could also go the DVD route and do Disney or other kids movies. You'd think we watch a lot more tv than we actually do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Between the Lions Theodore Tugboat Thomas the Tank Engine Veggie Tales Bob the Builder The wiggles Blues Clues All gentle, not annoying and good values Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.