Kids' shows with gentle, positive messages?

[StaceyinLA]

Looking for some cartoon-type kids' shows that have a positive message and teach some type of lesson in the episode - something gentle that wouldn't have a bunch of bratty behaviors glorified.

[BrittanyM]

My kids love Daniel Tiger

 

 

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[TheReader]

Paw Patrol is pretty good. 

[lovinmyboys]

Daniel tiger

[redsquirrel]

What about Mr Rogers?  YOu can't go wrong with him.  A bunch are available on Netflix

 

My kids liked Little Bear, but I have no idea if that is still around. 

[mamiof5]

Really depends on kids ages and what you can tolerate? I just can't stand many shows (not because of behaviors, but voices, music etc). Caillou and Clifford the red dog are some I can tolerate :)

[gardenmom5]

for what ages?

[busymama7]

What about Mr Rogers? YOu can't go wrong with him. A bunch are available on Netflix

 

My kids liked Little Bear, but I have no idea if that is still around.

My kids think Mr Rogers is the most boring thing ever. I'm pretty sure it's a reflection on the fast paced tech of our day. Makes me a bit sad.

[Cynful]

Little Bear is my most absolute favorite kid show. It's calm, quiet, and filled with nature. Oswald was another good one. Maggie and the Ferocious Beast is good. The older Franklin isn't bad.

[candicane]

I don't really know any recent kids shows unfortunately, but the ones with gentle messages that I grew up on Mr. Rogers, Franklin, Little Bear, Bear in the Big Blue House, Sagwa: The Chinese Siamese Cat, Between the Lions. Most of these can be found on Youtube, or cheap on Amazon for DVDs.

[freelylearned]

Caillou, Daniel Tiger, Clifford, and Curious George are all PBS shows. Handy Manny, Doc McStuffins, and Gaspard and Lisa on Disney Junior.

[J-rap]

Rolie Polie Olie.

[Beaniemom]

Tumble Leaf on Amazon

[Guest]

I don't really know any recent kids shows unfortunately, but the ones with gentle messages that I grew up on Mr. Rogers, Franklin, Little Bear, Bear in the Big Blue House, Sagwa: The Chinese Siamese Cat, Between the Lions. Most of these can be found on Youtube, or cheap on Amazon for DVDs.

My DD loved Sagwa when she was little. It was her favorite show. :) she still talks about that show.

[ktgrok]

Rolie Polie Olie.

 

Where can you find this? My 16 yr old loved it, but haven't seen it in forever. 

[Zinnia]

Jay Jay the Jet Plane is another one that is hard to find.  My oldest (9) watched them some.  Luckily, our childrens' church has some of the DVDs, and my younger two watch them sometimes at church.  I love Jay Jay!

[elegantlion]

I agree about Mr. Rogers. Ds loved that show. 

 

Thomas the Tank Engine is another along with Franklin or Little Bear

 

Maggie and the Ferocious Beast? Dragon Tales? Not sure on these as it's been so long since I've watched them. 

 

Rolie Polie Olie.

 

I haven't seen this in forever! Ds used to watch all the time. I still sometimes wake him up with "Wakey, shakey, Rolie Olie."

[MercyA]

Oswald has beautiful music, a slow pace, and positive messages. It's cute and funny, too. Plus, Fred Savage voices the main character. I highly recommend it!

 

I like Lalaloopsies because the characters are so polite and nice to each other. Very sweet.

 

For the littlest kids, Curious Buddies is wonderful! Lots of good lessons and songs. One of my favorite shows ever.

 

I also recommend Curious George and Wonder Pets.

 

 

[AmandaVT]

Daniel Tiger, Curious George, Miss Spider (Amazon instant video), Little Einsteins, Handy Manny, Word World, Super Why

 

DS will still watch Miss Spider and Curious George from time to time. :-)

 

 

[zoobie]

Daniel Tiger is sweet. Lots of jingles: when you get mad and want to roar, take a deep breath and count to four! gets used around here. Peppa Pig is silly and fun without any mean characters.

[Cinder]

Shows my dc liked when they were little:

 

Blues Clues (with Steve, not Joe)

Thomas the Tank Engine

Franklin

Little Bear

Max and Ruby

Backyardigans

Wonder Pets

Clifford the Big Red Dog

[StaceyinLA]

Thank you all. It's my dgd and she's almost 3.

 

We did find some Mister Rogers on iTunes and dd is hoping dgd will like it (she LOVED it as a child). I think she's going to get a couple each of Mister Rogers, Peppa Pig and Daniel the Tiger to see if dgd will like any of those. I'll also mention a few of these others to her.

 

Dgd loves Disney movies, but dd is worried because her behavior has really changed over the last couple months. I'm sure plenty of it has to do with her age, but dd just wants some lower key, more positive, gentle shows for her to watch.

 

She doesn't really watch much at home, but has some on her iPad for car rides (and we all live far out, so big grocery trips are a couple hours+ in the car), and dgd will watch the same parts of the Disney movies over and over (and some parts are a little creepy in some of those movies too). Dd just wants to limit the Disney movies to one or two a week at home, so dgd won't be able to just play those on repeat, and then have the gentler shows on the iPad.

Edited June 18, 2016 by StaceyinLA

[BigMamaBird]

My kids love Daniel Tiger

 

 

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My kids love him too.  Us parents, not so much.  But he's on a constant rotation around here.

[JustEm]

I see Caillou mentioned. This is one of screen first since you are specifically mention not having bratty behavior glorified. Many people find Caillou to be a whiner and think his parents just brush the whining off or even cave to it. It really is up to you to determine if it's what your looking for. Just mentioning that because people either love it or hate it. Whining is the complaint I hear most about why people hate it.

[kbutton]

We realized after the fact that a number of the shows mentioned in this thread really gave my son words to describe what he was thinking and feeling, and it helped him understand people a little better.

 

While Caillou is whiny, I think the whining gave him words for things that bothered him too, and when the mom kind of explains things or makes them less of a big deal, that helped him as well. Bonus: he learned to tie his shoes by watching that show.

 

Thomas the Tank Engine had a really positive influence as well on his social thinking.

 

I thought Mr. Rogers was dry at dust when I was little, so I never really had my kids watch. My second kiddo found it and loved it, and I feel bad now I didn't try it with my older one--he loved watching the few episodes he got to see with his younger brother. 

 

Curious George was a big hit too.

[ktgrok]

Handy Manny is great, and no bad behavior is shown. Great show. Catchy music. 

 

Bob the Builder

 

Oswald

 

Daniel Tiger has been HUGE in helping teach social lessons in this house, things like "grown ups come back" is so helpful. 

[J-rap]

Where can you find this? My 16 yr old loved it, but haven't seen it in forever. 

 

I'm not sure anymore!  We used to be able to rent dvd's of it from our library, and I think there are free episodes on Youtube.

 

Randomly, I just found an episode (free) on this site, but I don't really know much about the site:

 

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v30806991ZYwEmhGe

[ShariM]

Daniel Tiger is the new Mr. Rogers. My 4 year old loves it. He also really likes Kipper. No obvious lessons, but very gentle and entertaining.

 

 

[73349]

Team Umizoomi is meant to teach early math, but avoids the character problems I see in a lot of other shows. I agree with others that Super Why is also pretty good.

 

I remember when DS learned the phrase "I quit!" from Ni Hao, KaiLan. I was not pleased.

[Mothersweets]

Kipper

 

Loved this show! So quiet and gentle, all the animals speak in soft British accents, it's wonderful. I would put it on for my youngest on Sunday mornings so I could lie on the couch while she watched and it wouldn't be aggravating to listen to.

 

here's an episode on youtube The Swimming Pool

 

eta - as far as gentle messages go, usually Kipper has a friend who will have some kind of problem and they work it out. It's done in a subtle way, no hitting you over the head with a moral, kwim? :)

Edited June 18, 2016 by Mothersweets

[Chris in VA]

Charlie and Lola? I love the accents.

[mellifera33]

I know that everybody likes to hate on Barney, but the characters are always kind to each other. After hearing a few hours of his silly voice, the big purple guy has kind of grown on me.

[Matryoshka]

My kids think Mr Rogers is the most boring thing ever. I'm pretty sure it's a reflection on the fast paced tech of our day. Makes me a bit sad.

 

My kids loved Mr. Rogers, but they were totally tech-free at the time.  No screens of any kind, well, until I showed them Mr. Rogers and that was all they watched at that time: i started allowing 1/2 hour or so just before dinnertime.  I think we started that when the olders were 5-ish and my younger was 3-ish?  Little Bear was another one I added in a bit later (on DVD, so it didn't matter what time it was on).

 

Lest you think I'm some kind of tech-Nazi-purist, now that my kids are older (high schoolish), they have smart phones and laptops and we have Netflix.... seems like everyone's always looking at a screen.  Sigh. Screens are like a genie, hard to put back in the bottle.  Without being total recluses in the hills growing our own food, I'm not sure how to avoid it as they get older, but it makes me extra-happy they had that time when they were little when screens were just not part of our lives.  Didn't miss them at all.

[hornblower]

Old Bear (based on the Jane Hissey books) 

Postman Pat 

Fred Penner's place. I think some of the old shows have been re-released on DVD.

Mr Dressup 

Frog & Toad 

 

We liked Kipper, too. 

[hornblower]

My kids loved Mr. Rogers, but they were totally tech-free at the time.  No screens of any kind, well, until I showed them Mr. Rogers and that was all they watched at that time: i started allowing 1/2 hour or so just before dinnertime.  I think we started that when the olders were 5-ish and my younger was 3-ish?  Little Bear was another one I added in a bit later (on DVD, so it didn't matter what time it was on).

 

Lest you think I'm some kind of tech-Nazi-purist, now that my kids are older (high schoolish), they have smart phones and laptops and we have Netflix.... seems like everyone's always looking at a screen.  Sigh. Screens are like a genie, hard to put back in the bottle.  Without being total recluses in the hills growing our own food, I'm not sure how to avoid it as they get older, but it makes me extra-happy they had that time when they were little when screens were just not part of our lives.  Didn't miss them at all.

 

Yes, this was us too :)  Except we did more Mr Dressup than Mr Rogers but we had him too. 

[purplejackmama]

I see Caillou mentioned. This is one of screen first since you are specifically mention not having bratty behavior glorified. Many people find Caillou to be a whiner and think his parents just brush the whining off or even cave to it. It really is up to you to determine if it's what your looking for. Just mentioning that because people either love it or hate it. Whining is the complaint I hear most about why people hate it.

Just say NO to Cailou, always!! ;)

Edited June 18, 2016 by purplejackmama

[MomtoCandJ]

My girls like

- Curious George

- Shimmer and Shine

- Peppa Pig

- Max and Ruby

- Daniel Tiger

- Strawberry Shortcake

- Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

- Wallykazam

- Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom

- Sophia the First

- Doc McStuffins

- Bubble Guppies

- Team Umizoomie

- Paw Patrol

- Goldie and Bear

- Sheriff Callie's Wild West

- Nature Cat

- Sid the Science Kid

- Peg Plus Cat

- Dinosuar Train

Edited June 18, 2016 by MomtoCandJ

[lovinmyboys]

I want to second Charlie and Lola. I think the siblings are so sweet to each other in that show.

[Guest]

Octonauts is like the biggest hit for my kids in that age range, as is Blue's Clues.

[Cynful]

Where can you find this? My 16 yr old loved it, but haven't seen it in forever. 

 

We watch them on YouTube all the time.  :)  Actually most of these shows can be found there.  

[happypamama]

My almost 3yo loooooooves Daniel Tiger on Netflix!  The songs are typical toddler songs, and so a little annoying for adults, but the messages are good.

 

He also loooooooooves (as do my almost 5yo and 7yo, and okay, so do most of the people in my house) Wild Kratts and Zobomafoo, both by the same people, and they're not so annoying.  Educational and solid messages about the specialness of God's creatures and caring for animals.  (They're secular -- God isn't mentioned, afaik, but that's how we view it in our house.)

[Guest]

Octonauts is like the biggest hit for my kids in that age range, as is Blue's Clues.

My kids LOVED Octonauts. I just asked them right now what their favorite tv show was and they both said Octonauts. We actually just gave our Octonaut toys away last week. We liked Disney Channel, so my kids did a lot of Sheriff Callie, Handy Manny, Chugginton... DD also loved Thomas. We do still have all our Thomas trains. ;)

[rainbird2]

"It's you, I like, 

It's not the things you wear,

It's not the way you comb your hair,

but it's you, I like...."

 

My 3 and 5 year old watch Mr. Rogers.  What a great show for little ones (and sometimes grumpy moms).  :)

 

 

 

 

[Jan in SC]

My kids loved Bear in the Big Blue House. I found the songs a lot more tolerable than most shows for children. It seemed very gentle to me, but I don't really remember. I do think there was a part about Shadow that I thought would creep out the boys, but they loved it.

[JennSnow]

Kipper and Little Bear are our favorites :).  Kipper is on both Netflix and Amazon and Little Bear is available on Amazon :).

 

[Cinder]

Bob the Builder

 

I always thought Bob was whiny.

 

Kipper

 

I love Kipper! And it tickles me to picture Doc Martin voicing him. :p

[ktgrok]

I always thought Bob was whiny.

 

 

I love Kipper! And it tickles me to picture Doc Martin voicing him. :p

 

I had no idea!!!! I love doc Martin!

[Amber in SJ]

I can not recommend Little Bear enough.  Also:

 

Allegra's Window

Out of the Box 

Gullah, Gullah Island

Skinnamarink TV With Sharon Lois & Brahm (?)

 

 

Amber in SJ

Edited June 18, 2016 by Amber in SJ

[fdrinca]

Puffin Rock (a Netflix show) is very sweet. Bonus: Irish accents. 

 

Even the big kids in my family will watch Octonauts and Curious George. 

 

But, hands down, Daniel Tiger. 

[Mothersweets]

I always thought Bob was whiny.

 

 

I love Kipper! And it tickles me to picture Doc Martin voicing him. :p

 

I didn't know that!! Another reason to love Kipper!