I’ve been searching for the most gentle and sweet TV shows for our kiddos ever since Rye was 5, Theo was 3 and Aurora was 2. The pandemic hit and we bought our first TV! It was time to have some entertainment that didn’t involve Tom & I creating projects, crafts, etc… So, our three kids were very new to screens and we wanted to be very intentional about what they saw. We wanted it to be a good example, inspire free-play, and not have bad influences. These are our top shows for kids that even our now-7 year old Rye still enjoys!
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood – PBS Kids app – What a sweet show, rooted in Mister Rogers magnificent example and creativity, that displays friendship, neighborliness, kindness and promotes emotional/social health in children! I love that Daniel has struggles just like any other child, and his parents are such good examples to Tom & I on how to handle hard situations. It’s so much fun to watch the kids’ faces light up when Daniel prompts: “Do you want to make believe with me…?” as they transition to make-believe land.
Guess How Much I Love you (The Adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare) – Amazon Prime – This is a wonderful and nature-y show, based on the beautiful book by Sam McBratney, that follows the adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare as he learns and explores the world around him, alongside his father and friends. I find the interactions between characters (Little Field Mouse, Otter, Blue Bird, Little Gray Squirrel…) to be so sweet and the adventures they partake in are wholesome and teach a little bit about nature and love. The end of each episode where Little Nutbrown Hare and his father “guess how much they love” each other makes my heart happy!
Tumble Leaf – Amazon Prime – This is a really neat stop-motion (yes, really!) show that has lots of imagination and Waldorf-y undertones. A blue fox named Fig has a good friend that is a caterpillar named Stick, who explore the world of wonder around them. Fig lives in a shipwreck and is always finding things to tinker with (loads of science built-in to the stories!) alongside Stick, and few other pals, Maple, Hedge, Pine & Rutabaga. Our kids are always giggling and finding inspiration for their play. I am thoroughly impressed by the quality and efforts of the show as it is entirely stop-motion!
Elinor Wonders Why – PBS Kids app – An absolute favorite for our kids! Elinor, a highly inquisitive and playful bunny rabbit, embarks on different adventures with her best friends Ari the bat boy and Olive the elephant calf, where they make observations, conduct experiments and ask questions. The characters are all sweet and I love the way the show inserts science and the inquiry steps of the scientific method, without being too obvious. Plenty of gentle, sweet jokes to giggle along with in each episode!
Puffin Rock – Netflix – Have you ever wondered what life was like for those adorable puffins off the coast of Ireland? This is a sweet, yet very intelligent show follows a sweet Puffin sibling duo, Oona and Baba, who learn about their community, life, and nature together. There is a narrator who gently describes what the puffins are doing in their island habitat. So much science, again, in this one! I particularly like the slow-pace of this show, it is a great first show for low-tech families.
Mister Rogers Neighborhood – PBS Kids app – Did you think I could make a list of gentle TV shows for children and not mention the one who started it all? 🙂 Our children often ask for Mister Rogers during their TV time still – he never gets old! They love the life lessons he teaches through puppetry, storytelling and neighborhood visits/interviews. The pace of it is very soothing for young children and it’s always so soul-filling to hear that we are liked for being just who we are.
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