Top 10 Best PBS Kids Shows
PBS Kids is a programming block aired by the Public Broadcasting Service. Since its launch in 1994 it has aired educational television series aimed at children.
Arthur is a Canadian/American animated educational television series for children, created by Cookie Jar Group and WGBH for PBS. This show is unlike most other PBS Kids shows because it doesn't specifically aim towards little kids. In fact, I think people of all ages could learn something from this show.
While Sesame Street gets kids ready for school, Arthur gets kids ready for life. This show tackles subjects such as cancer, dyslexia, 9/11, and Asperger's.
This is also one of the few PBS Kids shows that doesn't shove some sort of lesson into your face (math, science, reading). Instead, it shows you how to be a good person and how to be a good friend. In my opinion, this show is much better than Sesame Street and deserves the number one spot.
Sesame Street is a long-running American children's television series, produced by Sesame Workshop and created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett. I simply adore and embrace Sesame Street! This show has been around since November 10th, 1969, and it is still on TV! I have been watching this show ever since I was a baby, and my favorite characters are Big Bird, Elmo, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Grover, and Ernie and Bert!
I really like '90s and '00s Sesame Street the best because I had VHS tapes of my own that were released during that time. I loved all the songs they sang, taught me to be nice to friends, and the characters were cute, colorful, and charismatic!
I even read a book that talks about the history of Sesame Street when I was thirteen, and I learned way more than I did about Sesame Street! This show is the crown jewel of PBS, and its longevity is one of the things that make Sesame Street special.
Wild Kratts is an American-Canadian educational children's animated series created by Chris and Martin Kratt. This show is amazing! I can watch it with my kids anywhere at any time, either by watching it on television or on a computer.
We can learn about animals from different countries, and it's also really funny because of the adventure comedy. The characters are very friendly and helpful. Creature powers are awesome and epic for having the superpowers of any animals and are very useful to fight against villains in the show.
This show is really worth both the education and entertainment for anyone!
My sister and I love this show. It's one of the best things that happened to us. It's just so informative. It helps us learn even though we're getting bigger. It's still our number one favorite. Like, who doesn't like the Wild Kratts? Like, why is it not in number one? WHY?
Even though my sister and I will never stop loving this show, it teaches kids a lot about animals. I didn't even know half of these animals when I was in my childhood.
Curious George is an American animated television series based on the children's book series of the same name which features Jeff Bennett as the voice of The Man with the Yellow Hat. I'm 15 now and honestly, out of the dozens of PBS Kids shows I watched as a kid, this was the king of all of them. Not only was it my favorite, I still love it today.
All these other shows that I watched, I started to hate by around the age of 6. But not this one. Sometimes I'll watch this show on my own, and I love it every bit as much as I did when I was a kid.
I really like this show, especially the episodes taking place at the country house. The show is great for the whole family, and it takes me back to a simpler time.
I've learned a few things from watching George with my kids that I was really surprised to learn.
Cyberchase is an American–Canadian animated television series on PBS Kids. The series focuses around three Earth kids, Jackie, Matt, and Inez, who are brought into Cyberspace, a digital universe, to protect it from the evil Hacker. Cyberchase was created by Thirteen. It was first shown on WNET as... read more I understood math thanks to this show, and it still teaches me even today. It even shows you how to apply that math in nature and pretty much everyday life. If you don't know how it will help you, you've got those funny For Real segments to give you an example.
Cyberchase is pretty much the only PBS Kids show that I still watch, and it still airs new episodes, even if they take a long time. Despite its simple math, you will still learn because it sometimes shows subjects you either forgot or didn't learn to apply well.
And not just the educational part is awesome. The adventure is so much fun. Expect to have a great time with the characters, where even the secondary ones manage to get major development once in a while.
Here's something that a lot of you people don't know. Fred didn't only act in this show. He also wrote the scripts, composed the music, and operated the Neighborhood of Make-Believe puppets.
Something I find interesting is that he can appeal not just to little kids and babies, but to people of all ages. Heck, I had barely even heard of this show when I was little, but when I was in 5th grade, I watched it on Saturday mornings because the PBS station in the city that I live in broadcasted it on Saturdays, and I enjoyed it.
How he appealed to so many kids, I'll never guess, but he was the '80s version of Barney in my eyes (in the respect that all the little kids loved him, not the stupidity level). Thumbs up if you have ever been enchanted by Fred Rogers.
Dragon Tales is a Canadian-American animated pre-school fantasy adventure children's television series created by Jim Coane and Ron Rodecker and developed by Coane, Wesley Eure, Jeffrey Scott, Cliff Ruby and Elana Lesser. If you hate Dragon Tales, don't vote. It has great animation, talented music, and teaches you to get along. This show needs more respect.
To be honest, this show is better than Sesame Street. But Sesame Street is still a good show. I love Dragon Tales. Whoever put negative comments about Dragon Tales needs to go to a mental hospital.
This show is great. I love Ord. He's as funny as Patrick. Zak and Wheezie are a better version of Maya and Miguel, although I hate Maya and Miguel. And Max and Emmy are cool. This show deserves to be in the top ten.
Cassie is the only bad character on the show because she's annoying. This show is better than Barney and Dora because they're stupid. So, Dragon Tales is a fun show. Whoever hates it has no taste for fantasy.
Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman, sometimes shortened as Fetch!, is an American animated television series that was on PBS Kids. I love this show and I hate children's shows. This, Ben and Holly, and Lazy Town are baby shows that I like. But sadly, in 2014, a dumb reboot online about internet safety was cringe.
The new one is dumb. Now Ruff cares about himself more than the kids. On the 24/7 block, it comes on at 5 AM. Who stays up till 5 just to watch a great baby show?
I'm 15, and science is a little boring and complicated to me, but Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman gives it life and makes it interesting.
Humor and education really go well together, and yet PBS took it away.
Clifford the Big Red Dog is an American-British educational animated children's television series, based upon Norman Bridwell's children's book series of the same name. Produced by Scholastic Productions, it originally aired on PBS Kids from September 4, 2000 to February 25, 2003. I used to watch this show a lot until I turned 7 or 8. I think there is nothing wrong with this show. My favorite character is Mac.
The spinoff, Clifford's Puppy Days, was good but not as good as Clifford the Big Red Dog. It's sad that this show was canceled in 2003. It was canceled because the person who played Clifford was going to die during that time. They still show this show usually when PBS Kids ends for each day during the week.
My favorite is Cleo, and my sister's favorite is Mac. We both love Clifford the Big Red Dog!
While Thomas the Train wasn't my personal favorite PBS Kids show, my younger brother watched it when he was little. He owned a lot of Thomas DVDs and all other merchandise. I think I remember seeing Thomas and the Magic Railroad on TV when I was four.
I am not saying I don't like it at all. It's just that I thought it was more of a boy's show. However, I was more interested in watching episodes where the animation is in CG, and the characters have their own voices. I think the new animation makes it more lively and puts more development in the characters. I always wondered what their actual voices would sound like, and my wish came true.
The Newcomers
Pocoyo is a Spanish animated television series targeted at preschool children. Created by Guillermo García Carsí, the series debuted in 2005 and features a young boy named Pocoyo exploring the world around him. The show uses simple and colorful animation and is known for its educational themes, focusing... read more It's on PBS Kids after Peep. I watched it all the time.
Odd Squad is a Canadian/American children's live action television series that premiered on TVOKids in Canada and PBS Kids in the United States on November 26, 2014, both on the same day. Whether you like this show or not, you have to admit that it is unique for a PBS Kids show. There is one thing that sets it apart from all other PBS Kids shows. By far, this is the only PBS Kids show I have ever seen where every season has an ongoing mystery set up in the first episode, with a select few episodes in the middle of the season that can be used as clues as to what is going on, and gets resolved in the last episode of the season.
Seriously, do you know any other PBS Kids show that does this? I was not expecting something with that level of writing, planning, and foreshadowing from a PBS Kids show. And they go all out with this concept in Season 2.
Spoilers ahead warning:
In Season 2, the huge reveal in the finale is that Agent Otis used to be a villain raised by ducks. Well, in a video exclusively on PBSKids.org, we see Olivia talking about her top 5 favorite Odd Squad villains, and for a brief second, we see a picture of Otis. That is what I am talking about. Even if you hate this show entirely, you have to give it props for being so dang clever.
Reading Rainbow is an American half-hour children's television series that aired on PBS Kids from June 6, 1983, to November 10, 2006, with a total of 155 half-hour episodes spanning over 21 seasons. My favorite PBS program of all time! I taped a whopping 10 volumes of this show. Every now and then, I return to it as an adult and cherish it.
I heard that the guy who did this show once read the very first Martha Speaks. That book was published 16 years before the show.
Is Reading Rainbow going to make a comeback to PBS? I hope so! I loved this show growing up! LeVar Burton rocks!
The Magic School Bus is a Canadian/American Saturday morning animated children's television series, based on the book series of the same name by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. It is notable for its use of celebrity talent and combining entertainment with an educational series. Broadcasting & Cable said... read more I am 15. I'm homeschooled. I always have been. Sometimes, you wonder if you're learning as much as the kids in school.
When I was little, my sister and I always watched The Magic School Bus. It is so informative and educational. I learned so much! The first episode I ever watched was about our body's digestive system. I learned how our bodies need energy and how food gives us energy. Our bodies break down the food and get rid of the waste.
One of my favorite episodes was when they got lost in space with Arnold's cousin, Janice. I loved learning about all the different planets. I love learning about anything space-related: planets, moons, stars, and constellations. You name it. I actually got a telescope for my birthday this year, and I'm excited to try it out.
Another one of my favorite episodes was when they were baking a cake for Miss Frizzle's birthday. Baking is one of my hobbies nowadays. I didn't know how to bake when I was a kid, but it was still really cool learning about how cakes are made.
It was also an entertaining show. I never found myself bored watching it, even as a small child with a short attention span.
And how can you not love Miss Frizzle? She's hilarious! She reminds me of Mary Poppins in a weird way.
Even as a teenager, I still have fond memories of this show. It really influenced my childhood.
WordGirl is an American children’s animated television series produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. This show has always been so useful for me! I discovered so many new vocabulary words from when I was 8 (at the time the show started airing) up until I was 12 or 13!
I STILL find a few new vocabulary words that I may have heard of but seldom use because I don't know the complete definitions of them. I don't understand why this show had to end. It was so well thought out and put together!
This show is by far the most AWESOME! Personally, it gives kids a relatable kid hero to look up to. Plus, it adds humor for the whole family. It is an AMAZING show!
Martha Speaks is an American-Canadian children's animated television series based on the 1992 children's book of the same name by Susan Meddaugh, about a talking dog named Martha (voiced by Tabitha St. I think this and Arthur are some of the greatest PBS Kids shows of all time.
However, I think it's kind of speciesist that Martha keeps saying she hates cats. And I think Helen is more of a robot than an actual human being at times. I wish the voices were still the same, although TD and Milo's voice changes were understandable because their voices were getting deeper.
Other than that, the show is great and teaches kids words.
I loved this show growing up, but not as much as my sister. She LOVED it, possibly too much. She was convinced Martha was a boy, though I'm not sure why.
Martha doesn't exactly sound like a masculine name, in my opinion. She told me that Martha was a boy because she has freckles, and only boys have freckles. (I have freckles, and I'm a girl.) Well, that's big sisters for you!
William Sanford "Bill" Nye, popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, is an American science educator, television presenter, and mechanical engineer. Even though I go to a Christian school, we still watch Bill from time to time.
No explanation needed, just a higher ranking.
It airs on the Decades channel every Saturday morning. That's awesome.
Zoboomafoo is an American/Canadian zoological children's television series that originally aired from January 25, 1998 to November 21, 2001. It is still currently shown in syndication and was regularly shown on Sprout until 2011. A total of 65 episodes were aired. Yes, Zoboomafoo! This show is the best. I love this show so much I'll give it five stars or a billion stars. Oh my God, I got obsessed with this show. I really loved it. This show was really cool, and also, the animals! I love animals. This show was actually one of the best shows of all time. I give this one a million billion stars (wait, is that a number?).
I used to watch it, and I liked it. Now, it still isn't too bad, but it's not worth watching full episodes all the time anymore.
It's now one of the few shows I actually enjoy looking back at, unlike Caillou and Barney.
Between the Lions is an American children's television series designed to promote reading. The show was a co-production between WGBH in Boston and Sirius Thinking, Ltd., in New York City, in association with Mississippi Public Broadcasting, in Mississippi. How is this not in the top 10? It's a CLASSIC! Sure, the lions kind of scared me on my first viewing, but ever since then, I have learned to love this show.
I watch it with my little cousins every time they come over, and we can't get enough of the show! But somebody please explain, why did they cancel this show? And not cancel some real nonsense like Super Why?
Overall, BTL was and will always be one of the best children's shows of all time!
This show is PURE GOLD! The characters are witty and lovable. Their language format is rich and solid throughout the entire program, and it's just plain fun.
I was torn up when the show went off the air. I have two "late-in-life" children that could have gained so much from this program, and it's hard to find DVDs of the show!
This show needs more attention. It's one show I will keep watching the remakes of until I'm bored.
I loved this show! It's educational, entertaining, funny, and emotional all at the same time!
One of the only shows I enjoyed in school.
Ready Jet Go! is a CGI animated television series created by Craig Bartlett which premiered in the United States as part of the PBS Kids block on February 15, 2016 . The series is produced by Wind Dancer Films and Snee Oosh, Inc. in cooperation with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The show is aimed... read more This show deserves to be in the Top Ten. It's good to know and realize that PBS Kids has finally made something good for once after all those years when there were no good shows.
First of all, there's a good plot. Also, there's no laugh track. The quality is very good and watchable, unlike the quality of the other shows, which seem bad in comparison. Additionally, the characters are nice in looks, words, and actions.
This show also has good morals, and it has an improvement method in the acting that doesn't happen in the other shows in this era. This is the first time in years that PBS Kids has finally made a show that drew millions of viewers who are actually fans. This makes this show the most successful Nick show in a long time, and it became such a big hit that they're making a one-hour special of it soon. It better be a good one.
Nature Cat is an educational American-Canadian children's animated comedy adventure television series. This show is actually funny! It has a likable voice cast, fast-paced humor, and a good plot.
Nature Cat is the funniest and best show for young kids!
Fun fact: The person who played Hal also played Panda from the Cartoon Network show We Bare Bears.
Nature Cat himself looks a bit like Top Cat, which makes me love the show even more!
Super Why! or The Reading Adventures of Super Why! is an American-Canadian children's CGI animated show developed by Angela Santomero and Samantha Freeman Alpert. The series is produced by New York City-based Out of the Blue Enterprises and Toronto-based DHX Media through its Decode Entertainment division... read more I love this show! It should be in 2nd place! They have all 26 letters in the alphabet! My favorite letters are all 26 of them!
Why should be Y, the 25th letter in the alphabet!
Needs to be higher than all the shows above it. Some of those shows are good, and the others are bad.
I love how Super Why teaches kids about reading. It's something every kid should want to do.
Created by Joe Murray, who also created Rocko's Modern Life, which is one of Nick's best shows.
Best cartoon ever. And from the creator of Rocko's Modern Life.
Dinosaur Train is an American/Canadian/Singaporean children's animated series created by Craig Bartlett, who also created Hey Arnold!. The series features a curious young Tyrannosaurus rex named Buddy who, together with his adopted Pteranodon family, takes the Dinosaur Train to explore his time period,... read more Raise this show to number one, please. Sesame Street doesn't belong here. It's boring.
This should be number one on the list. Sesame Street sucks, and so does Arthur.
Great show. It's my number two favorite show. It's pretty good. Kids would love it.