Children’s DVDs that Entertain and Educate

Kids seem to love anything they can watch on a screen. We often feel guilty if we let them watch too much, but there are more and more fantastic selections of movies, television shows, and documentaries aimed at children that are also highly entertaining. Public Broadcast Television has led the way, but National Geographic and many other publishers have continued the effort to make entertainment that also teaches. Here are some of the great television series that have been a hit with my two children, while also catching my attention (in a good way).

Wild Kratts
Creature teachers Chris and Martin Kratt will take families along on extraordinary animal-powered adventures. The show transforms the Kratt Brothers into animated versions of themselves, allowing the real-life zoologists to visit wild animals in their little-seen habitats and showcase key science concepts.

Classic episodes of The Electric Company.
Hilarious, educational and groovy, the 1970s educational television show and cultural phenomenon The Electric Company ran zany comedy and music acts designed to teach kids reading and arithmetic. A re-imagining of this show, with an all new cast and crew, airs regularly on PBS and can be steamed from various outlets, but is not currently on DVD.

SciGirls
A weekly television series and educational outreach program for elementary and middle-school children based on proven best practices for science, technology, engineering and math education for girls.

Peg + Cat
Follows the adventures of a young girl named Peg and her sidekick Cat as they use math skills to solve a variety of problems.

Disney’s Animal World
Stunning live-action wildlife clips of animals in their natural habitats are combined with footage from Disney’s animated classics to introduce youngsters to the world of animals.