Many of the television shows geared towards toddlers and preschoolers these days have an educational component, and I’ve been amazed at some of the things Charlie (4 1/2) and Olive (2 1/2) have learned by watching them. From math to science to reading, some of the programming available today is really great! Here are our top 7 favorite educational cartoons:

The Magic School Bus, PBS – Ages 4+

This is Charlie’s current favorite cartoon. The show takes all kinds of concepts from astronomy, biology, physics, chemistry, paleontology and more and teaches them during a fun-filled field trip on the magic school bus that can shrink, transform and time travel. I truly feel that each episode has educational merit, and if your kid is a science lover like Charlie, they’re sure to love this series. The Magic School Bus isn’t on the air anymore, but 26 new episodes are set to be released on Netflix in 2016! You can also buy past seasons on Amazon, watch them on Netflix and on Youtube too. The episodes are based on the book series (which I think are even more amazing), so reading the books is a great way to reinforce each lesson.

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Dora & Go Diego Go, Nick Jr. – Ages 2+

As far as educational cartoons go, I don’t think Dora and Diego pack as much of a punch as the other cartoons on this list. But I definitely believe they have their merits (Mrs. High Heels wrote a great review of Dora here), and Charlie and Olive have learned about animals and picked up some Spanish from the show. Dora is one of the first cartoons many parents introduce to their kids. At 2 1/2, it’s probably Olive’s favorite cartoon. The reason I like Dora so much is its slow pace and repetitive nature, which makes it easier for children to keep up with and retain the storyline. There have been studies that fast-paced cartoons like Sponge Bob can have a negative effect on the executive function of young children, so I think slower paced shows like Dora are ideal for younger children.

Super Why, PBS – Ages 2+

I love Super Why. The “Super Readers” are an eclectic group of superheroes that teach letters and early reading concepts through classic fairy tales like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. They encourage kids to interact during lessons asking them to repeat letters and sounds in words. This is one of Olive’s favorite shows. Charlie was really into it at first, but since he knows his letters and all the sounds, he’s lost interest in the show.

 Team Umizoomi, Nick Jr. – Ages 3+

Team Umizoomi teaches math skills, shapes, and pattern completion using teamwork. The concept of “patterns” has been something that we’ve incorporated into our daily lives with great success (a post on that coming up).  Charlie loves this show.

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, PBS – Ages 2+

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is based on the classic Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood tv series. It’s been excellent for teaching real life experiences for preschoolers like starting school, sharing, potty training, etc. Its slower pace is developmentally appropriate for younger children, and I love the positive message each episode delivers. At 4 Charlie has outgrown Daniel Tiger, but some of the episodes like Grown-Ups Come Back had a huge impact on him when he first started pre-k.

Dinosaur Train, PBS – Ages 3+

If you have a little dinosaur lover on your hands, this is an excellent show that teaches everything about paleontology. In order to test hypotheses about the world, Buddy the adopted T-rex and his Pteranodon family travel on a time-traveling Dinosaur Train throughout the entire Mesozoic Era (Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods). Another wonderful aspect of this show is the fact that Buddy is adopted into a mixed-species family, so it encourages respect for differences as Buddy encounters friends who are very different from him in his travels. Finally at the end of each episode, a world-renown paleontologist appears onscreen to explain what happened in the episode.

Reading Rainbow, PBS – Ages 4+

I was never really into Sesame Street, but I loved me some Reading Rainbow! I was ecstatic when Levar Burton raised so much money on Kickstarter for his Reading Rainbow reboot. I haven’t introduced Charlie to this show yet, but it’s next on my list. I can still remember the theme song like it was yesterday!

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There are other educational shows that look interesting like Sid the Science Kid, Word World, Wallykazam!, and Peg + Cat that we haven’t watched yet.

What are some of your favorite educational cartoons?