15 Best TV Shows for Parents to Watch With Toddlers and Preschoolers
While entertainment is important, these picks offer a little something more.
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If you ask the experts, they say there is no such thing as a toddler show. The current guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) say that there should be no TV or movies — just video chats — for kids under 18 months of age.
But if you ask parents, sometimes screen-time rules go out the window, and a reasonable amount of television is a must. Even the AAP concedes on this point. It says that, for kids ages 18 to 24 months, parents should choose "high-quality programming/apps and use them together with children, because this is how toddlers learn best." Then kids between the ages of 2 and 3 should be limited to less than an hour of programming per day, and co-viewing is also encouraged (as is making sure that screen time doesn't interfere with sleep).
But if you're a parent with a kid that young, it can be hard to vet all the TV shows out there to figure out which ones meet that "high quality" benchmark — it's much easier to have someone else do it for you. With that in mind, these are the best toddler shows to watch in 2024. While entertainment is important — it's the whole point, after all — they offer a little something more, including strategies for coping with kid struggles, an opportunity to engage in problem-solving, an introduction to early learning concepts or a chance to explore music and rhythm. And they let busy parents take a break!
Sesame Street
This is a show that kids, parents and their grandparents may have fond memories of watching — after all, there's been 54 seasons to date. In addition to introducing toddlers to letter and numbers, Sesame Street covers topics like different jobs kids can have when they grow up, how you can learn about other cultures from those who live far away, how and why people in the same family might have different or similar physical features and strategies for dealing when you feel "tired and off." Plus, there are plenty of guest stars to entertain parents. (Adults may have been tickled to see Ariana DeBose and Dan Levy pop up this past season.)
Ms. Rachel — Toddler Learning Videos
It's not a "show" in the traditional sense of the word, but young kids love Ms. Rachel's entertaining videos — she's basically Elvis for the toddler set — and parents like that she makes them with an eye toward speech therapy and other early literacy skills. The videos are on YouTube, so they're easy to just throw on in a pinch.
Bluey
Bluey has earned a great reputation among kids and adults because the show feels true-to-life, even though it's about a family of Australian Heeler dogs. The kids sound and act realistically childlike, and it really gets down to kid-level, following young Bluey and her sister Bingo through a series of games they make up and play with their family and friends. While there may not be new full-length episodes on the horizon (sob), new "minisodes" keep finding their way to Disney+.
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood has been around since 2012, which already makes it a long-running series, but its history is even longer than that: It's a spin-off of Mister Rogers, and it's filled with characters from The Neighborhood of Make-Believe. In each episode, Daniel runs into realistic kid struggles over things like sharing, calming down when he's upset and waiting a long time without fussing. But the show gives Daniel — and the viewers at home — easy-to-remember songs that offer strategies for getting through those situations. ("You can take a turn, and then I'll get it back.)
Spidey and His Amazing Friends
Marvel super hero fans young and old can delight in seeing preschool-sized versions of Spider-Man, Ghost-Spider, Spin (aka Miles Morales) and their friends team up, work together and defeat villains like Rhino, Green Goblin and Doc Ock. They have to practice using superpowers like patience and cooperation to get the job done. (Are they more into Star Wars than Marvel? There's the preschool series Young Jedi Adventures.)
Blue's Clues & You!
Parents may remember the original run of Blue's Clues, but the show has appeal for brand-new fans as well. Blue and Josh ask questions directly to viewers and encourage kids to shout their ideas at the TV, so they really feel like they're part of the action.
Rosie's Rules
Rosie is basically the definition of curiosity, and each episode she tries to learn more about the world around her. Each time she delves into a topic, she turns what she's learned into one of her "rules." (One is "Don't try to mail your cat to Mexico," another is “Sometimes flopping helps you get your feelings out.”) Since Rosie's father is from Mexico City (her mother is from Wisconsin), there are also Spanish words used throughout.
Mickey Mouse Funhouse
This series is the successor to shows like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures, both of which are also great toddler shows. But the quality of the animation has come a long way since Mickey Mouse Clubhouse debuted, and in each episode a smiling, stylized domicile sends Mickey and his pals off on colorful adventures. Episodes end with a "wiggle giggle" song, so kids can shake their sillies out.
Peppa Pig
This show is an import from across the pond, featuring a charmingly British pig family that loves to play, get silly and jump in muddy puddles, among other gentle adventures. The show is so affecting, some parents give it credit for making their kids talk with slight British accents.
Ariel
This show by Disney Junior is for anyone who is a fan of The Little Mermaid and wants to share it with a preschool set — even Ursula has been softened around the edges, and Ariel calls her "Tauntie." In each episode, she has undersea adventures that cover topics like forgiveness or patience.
Lyla in the Loop
As they get older, they're going to start hashing out some bigger problems. This show is all about problem-solving and creative thinking, following Lyla and her fantastical pet, Stu, as they get themselves into different situations — and get themselves out again.
SuperKitties
Disney Junior's SuperKitties is perfect for any animal lover or superhero fan. In it, a quartet of cats with different powers tries to thwart the evil plans of a recurring group of comedic super-villains — but they wind up empathizing with why the villains might've been tempted to commit the crimes in the first place, so there's a social-emotional focus. Creator Paula Rosenthal told the Disney Fan Club that she watched tons of cat videos to get the kitty behavior right, and parents might also dig the groovy, James Bond-esque theme song.
Yo Gabba Gabbaland
Since everything old gets a second go-round, this is a reboot of the classic Yo Gabba Gabba. In addition to colorful puppet-like creatures, each episode has plenty of music — and some guest stars that parents might appreciate.
Octonauts
Based on the (adorable) books by Meomi, the Octonauts are a team of underwater explorers with a mission of conservation and rescue. Each segment focuses on a different undersea animal, and the adventure ends with a "creature report" that reviews true facts about that species (along with pictures of what they actually look like). After a few direct-to-streaming movies, in 2021 Netflix launched a spinoff series, Octonauts: Above and Beyond, that also showcases land animals.
Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes
This Disney Junior series debuted in March 2023, and it's great for any toddlers who have an excess of energy and love to move their bodies (a.k.a, all of them). Kiya and her friends, who love music, dance and sports, have access to a mega crystal that gives them superpowers — Kiya turns into a "dance ninja" — that they use to help their community. Kiya's city is inspired by neighborhoods in Southern Africa, which gives the show a look that's distinct from all the other kids' shows out there.
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
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