MY Favorite TV Shows

I would like to say that I am a super mom that everyday Liam does workbooks, learns math, science, literature, music, art, yoga, and every other subject, that I find the time everyday to cook healthy, nutritious, delicious meals for every meal, that you can eat off my floors and everything is always in it's proper place, all of the laundry is aways done and folded, and that my kids have no screen time, but that just isn't true. Sometimes the laundry is so over flowing and Liam has no desire to sit down and do worksheets or "homework" of any kind an so I put on netflix or a movie. If you happen to be a super mom and manage to get everything done without TV or computer then I take my hat off to you, but right now I have a TV babysitter. Still I don't let Liam watch all of the junk that is advertised as "kids" shows. Here are our favorites:

The Magic School Bus

I grew up with this show it teaches all sorts of great science: outer space, dinosaurs, the digestive system, water cycle, insects, food chains, volcanoes, chemistry, and more. I love it. If it's an option it's what I pick first. There is also a book series so if your not fond of TV you can read about Ms. Frizzle and her amazing science adventures.We have the movies.


Sid the Science Kid
This is another great science show. It's on netflix and there are a lot of clips online. "Investigate, Explore, Discover" The main character Sid asks science questions and does experiments at school to learn the answers. I like Magic School Bus better but this is geared toward a younger audience pre-school, kindergarten, Liam's age. Still it recently lost a few points in my favor when it did a show on immunizations where everyone got a flu shot.


Team Umizoomi
A great math show, it teaches patterns, shapes, counting, addition, subtraction, units of measurement, and comparison. I really like this show Liam is just starting to get a little old for the show, but the math concepts are just right. The main characters Geo, Millie and Bot are pint sized and go around saving the day using math.

Cyber Chase
It's another math show. I's really for older kids but it has a lot of really great math concepts and Liam watches it. He usually has to watch the same episode 2 or 3 times in a row before he really gets it. A lot of episodes are on netflix. I like that after each episode they use the concept taught in the episode in real life.

Ni Hao, Kai-Lan
Most language learning shows are, I hate to say is but boring. Ni Hao, Kai-Lan is a real TV show with all the fun Kindergarten adventure and teaches Chinese and Chinese culture. We have the DVD's and books. Bill and I watch it and we learned how to count to 10, say hello, goodbye, thank you, and several other useful phrases. The main character Kai-Lan and her grandpa YeYe are joined by a rambunctious tiger named Rintoo, a shy Koala named Tolee, a tiny monkey named Hoho, and a helpful rino named Lulu. They celebrate Chinese New Year and the Moon Festival, they race in the Dragon Boat Races, and go on a trip to China, as well as have trouble rhyming, sharing and being brave. It's a great show.

Dino Dan
Liam's newest favorite show is Dino Dan. When I heard Liam say, "Shh mom I'm looking for a compsognathus, it's a really tiny carnivore dinosaur." I knew we had a winner. Liam is learning the names and cool facts about a lot of interesting dinosaurs. He knows if a dinosaur is a carnivore or herbivore, if it's nocturnal or diurnal, and how big it is (taller than our house, as long as two school buses). Plus it's pretty cool when he tells people "there's no such thing as a pterodactyl it's called a pterodactylus"

Little Einsteins

This is probably my favorite show because like Ni Hao, Kai-Lan and Chinese it teaches Liam something that would be really hard for me to teach: music and art. Each episode features a famous work of art and artist and a famous piece of music and composer. We downloaded tons of these episodes onto 3 DVD's. It teaches music notation (crescendo, pianissimo, alegro, moderato, etc. if you don't know what these are watch this show!) ballet moves and positions as well as geography. I love it and so does Liam. Today while I was cooking dinner he watched it and he came into the kitchen on his tiptoes with his hands in the air when I asked what he was doing he said a bouree.

Liberty Kids
One of my new favorite shows for Liam although he doesn't like it as much (because it's too old for him) is Liberty Kids. The entire series is on netflix. It's all about the American Revolution. I like that it doesn't glamorize it like most children's stories about the revolution. It talks about slavery, Native Americans, and some of the wrong things colonists did (tar and feathering the British). The main focus is liberty (freedom for all) and standing up for what you believe in. The main characters are reporters for "Liberty News" Moses a freed slave who bought his own freedom, Sarah a loyalist girl from England who is a guest of Benjamin Franklin, James a writer who strongly believes i the American cause and Henri a french boy who came to America as an indentured servant. The show also "guests stars" any famous names from the Revolutionary War: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benedict Arnold, John Hancock, King George III, Elizabeth Freeman, Abigail Adams, etc.

There are a couple others I like but these are my favorite. Let me know what shows you like your kids to like.