TED-Ed (Lessons Worth Sharing)

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TED-Ed (Lessons Worth Sharing) is a website that is great for educational purposes. You can find riddles, short educational videos, etc.

There are are other websites that list interesting videos for kids.

The Kid Should See This

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TED for Kids

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I am sure you have all heard of TED and watched TED talks in the past. My husband and I love them. I have also watched some talks with my kids because I found them appropriate for her age, and she enjoyed them.

That gave me an idea of looking up more talks that are suitable for kids. I will be listing them here in this post.

Talks to watch with kids

25 TED Talks You Should Show Your Kids

6 TED Talks to Share With Your Kids This Summer

13 Must-Watch TED Talks to Spark Student Discussions

10 Inspiring TED Talks for Students

Talks by brilliant kids and teens

Peer Student Motivation: 3 TED Talks to Start the School Year

20 Incredible TED Talks You Should Show Your High School Students

The more time I spend subbing in schools and among kids and young people, the more danger I see in screen time and social media. I would like to help kids realize how bad and addictive these are, how they can hurt their well being and that by limiting their time on their phones and other screens they can be much happier. It is a fight (especially because of peer pressure); I can see that with my 12-year-old daughter but I am on a quest now. I would like to share these awesome talks with you to watch with your kids and start a discussion about how you can change your lives.

Quit social media

Why our screens make us less happy?

Connected, but alone

For older kids:

The art of being yourself

Go with your gut feeling

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Shows Worth Watching

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I am very picky about what our kids watch. There are some shows that are very nice and pleasant, series that have a different vibe than most of the stuff on cartoon networks. Some of them came to the US from Europe.

Our favorite show is Charlie and Lola. If you don’t mind watching it online, here is a playlists of many episodes on Youtube.

I could try to describe my reasons but when I looked up the DVDs on Amazon to post a link here, I happened to see a nice summary by one reviewer that says it all:

Okay, so I loved Charlie and Lola the first time we flipped on Disney for Baby Jane, but if it’s possible, I have fallen further in love with this show since I bought the first two seasons in boxed set. Here’s why:
The children are thoughtful and kind to one another (no bratty sass);
Charlie and Lola are loving brother and sister in an age where siblings are rivals;
They work through their problems together;
They use their imaginations, in fact, the show’s foundation is based on using the imagination;
The kids are adorable, realistic to their ages, and have wonderful senses of humor.

Peppa Pig

Another gem from Europe. See a playlist 1 and playlist 2 on Youtube.

I couldn’t resist and post two shows that are originally not in English but because there is hardly any talking, kids in the US can enjoy them as well as our kids did. Except nobody knows about them here unless you are from Europe. The shows are so old that I still remember watching them as a child.

Pat and Mat

Our kids call them The Silly Guys. And they are funny. I have some playlists on Youtube (Playlist 1, Playlist 2, Playlist 3)

Well, wait a minute! or sometimes called Well, Hare, Wait!
Soviet equivalent of the American cartoon series “Tom and Jerry”. The adventures of wolf bully and a mischievous hare are really hilarious and were loved by every kid in the former eastern block. There is not much talking but I found one with English subtitles (click here to watch on Youtube). Click here for another playlist.

Caillou

To view on Youtube, click here. Our kids used to love this series so much that we (the parents) were almost sick of it.

Dragon Tales

Check out the playlist on Youtube.

Olivia

You can find some episodes on Youtube here and here.

Little Bear

This DVD series was recommended to us by my daughter’s pre-school teacher and both my kids loved it. I didn’t find any full episodes on Youtube. But you can watch them on Amazon Prime Instant Video.

Max and Ruby

Another show that my kids loved and I thought it was pretty good. To watch on Youtube, click on Playlist 1 and Playlist 2.

Little Einsteins
I think everyone is aware of Little Einsteins; our kids loved them and we thought they were kind of educational. We never watched them on TV, we just owned 8 DVDs so my knowledge of this show is limited. There is a Little Einsteins channel on Youtube where you can find a lot of episodes. You can also check out Playlist 1, Playlist 2, and Playlist 3.

Kipper

For very young kids. You can find some episodes on Youtube here.

The Little Polar Bear

I am including a playlist of the Little Polar Bear movies not because I think they are outstanding but because we love the Little Polar Bear books and I happened to come across these movies on Youtube.

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Once Upon a Time …

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Once Upon a Time…

is an absolute hit in Europe—made in France, very educational and our kids love them. They have watched a few episodes (less complicated ones) of Once Upon a Time…Life but really enjoyed the episodes of Once Upon a Time…the Explorers and are about to start with the Discoverers. I buy this DVD series in Prague in Czech. Click on the link and read more about them. (If your kids understand Spanish, scroll down and find links to the whole series below)

There is a glitch though. I spent several hours trying to find a channel (even paid) that would broadcast them in English but to no avail. I located the series Once Upon a Time …Life on Youtube but only scattered episodes or excerpts from the Discoverers or Explorers (find them here). I found a post about where to purchase these DVDs (below the video, the first comment). But unless you are willing to pay $130 on Amazon, I believe it is hard to find them in English in the US. I have emailed the company in France and they replied three weeks later that they are working on the availability in the US (who knows when that’s going to happen). However, there is a chance you have friends in England or France and someone can buy them for you there. If not, watch whatever is available online (scroll down for links).

If your kids are bilingual and can watch the series in Spanish, Czech, Slovak, German, etc., you can find a lot of the episodes on Youtube (in Czech also on ulozto.cz). Here is a short video about the series in English and the company’s website to see where to find the DVDs in different countries.

Once Upon a Time …Life in English free online

To add the whole playlist to your favorites, click the “plus” sign in the upper right corner above the list of episodes.
If you wish to choose just bits and pieces and not whole episodes (e.g. mouth and teeth), check out Playlist 1 or Playlist 2

Once Upon a Time…Planet Earth (so far one episode)

Once Upon a Time…the Discoverers (three extracts)

Once Upon a Time…the Explorers (one entire episode and some extracts)

Once Upon a Time…Man (two entire episodes and an extract)

For Spanish speakers, free online—just go to the right corner and add the whole playlist to your favorites/playlists by clicking the “plus” sign (where you see all the other videos in a list).

Érase una vez.. Los exploradores Serie Completa

Érase Una Vez Los Inventores Serie Completa

Erase Una Vez El Hombre

Érase Una Vez El Cuerpo Humano

Erase una vez las americas (I have never seen this one in Czech)

Érase Una Vez El Espacio (I have never seen this one in Czech and have no idea about the educational value)

Click Playlist 1 and Playlist 2 for 6 episodes in Czech of the Discoverers.

Find 22 episodes in Czech of the Explorers on Youtube here.

You can also find a lot of Czech episodes from this French series on ulozto.cz

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Educational DVDs and Youtube – Popular Series

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Sometimes it is very convenient to let the kids watch a show and have some peace and quiet at the house (especially on a Sunday morning if you have an early riser). And if they can learn something at the same time it is an added bonus. Here are some tips for you if you don’t know about them yet.

The obvious series that is probably a staple in every house with kids is Magic School Bus. Check out my playlist on Youtube,

Little Einsteins I think everyone is aware of Little Einsteins; our kids loved them and we thought they were kind of educational. We never watched them on TV, we just owned 8 DVDs so my knowledge of this show is limited. There is a Little Einsteins channel on Youtube where you can find a lot of episodes. You can also check out Playlist 1, Playlist 2, and Playlist 3.

You can find a lot of educational videos on National Geographic Channel ($3.99 a month). Our kids loved anything with animals (Wild Detectives, Awesome or Amazing Animals), they enjoyed Making Stuff, and my son LOVED Toot & Puddle (we also read all the Toot & Puddle books).

National Geographic also made a series called Really Wild Animals. We have never bought them because I could just borrow them from our library but after we watched the first one we were hooked. We had our favorites, which are not included in this set but you can just try your luck at your library or look here to see what other DVDs there are in the series. I found Totally Tropical Rainforest and Dinosaurs and Other Creature Features on Youtube – to view them, click here.

If you have school-aged children, you should not miss Liberty’s Kids, a series about American history. Or save the playlist from Youtube to your favorites.

Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? I just added this DVD series to our list because of the raving reviews but we haven’t watched it yet. I’ll give you an update in winter when we have more time to watch TV. If you want to check it out for free before you order anything, you can find the videos on Youtube.

Adventures from the Book of Virtues

The following four DVD titles are based on the Book of Virtues or watch the Adventures from the Book of Virtues on Youtube (click on the link for a playlist).

Adventures from the Book of Virtues – Adventures in Honesty

Adventures from the Book of Virtues – Adventures in Courage

Adventures From the Book of Virtues: Honor

Adventures From the Book of Virtues: Integrity

Other Popular Series

Although we have never watched the following two titles, I feel I must mention them here because a lot of parents are very happy with these DVDs:

Schoolhouse Rock Find the songs on Youtube here.

Popular Mechanics For Kids To view 72 episodes on Youtube, click here.

Mythic Warriors

I just came across this animated series about Greek mythology and having majored in classical languages and literature, I couldn’t resist posting it here. Click on the link provided to see a playlist on Youtube.

I also discovered a series Animated Hero Classics. To see a playlist of episodes on Youtube click on the link provided. We have not watched any but I think my kids did in school.

8 Science YouTube Channels for Kids

I have stumbled upon this list online. Erica’s blog is very useful and I love her recommendations.

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Television and DVDs

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We don’t have TV at home. I mean we own a TV set and a DVD player but when you turn the TV on, there are no channels. My husband didn’t even bother with the rabbit ears. It doesn’t mean we don’t watch anything. On the contrary, when we can make it, my husband and I like to relax with a movie after kids go to bed. We get news online and watch movies on Netflix, Amazon, or on DVDs.

Our kids have always watched just DVDs so that we’d avoid all the commercials kids are exposed to nowadays. We could also limit their screen time to shows or movies we thought were worth it. When they were little and we were on a month-long road trip, we’d stop at motels for a night and let them watch TV in the morning while we were packing. It was a better option to having them call the reception ten times in a row playing with the phone. It was funny because they’d get terribly upset when they wanted to pause a show to go to the bathroom but we told them we couldn’t. The whole concept of “unpausable” TV broadcasting was totally unknown to them. They thought we didn’t want stop the show on purpose.

I don’t think our kids feel deprived—they have seen a lot of movies and shows. Our daughter complains now and then that she cannot join her classmates in conversation when they talk about a show she has never seen but that’s all. Besides, we don’t have time to watch anything during the school week anyway. I know we are not the only ones – many of our friends have the same rules at home even though they have cable.

I have recently read The Read-aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. He writes about the impact of TV on our lives and on the kids’ reading scores. To read a little more about this great book, click here.

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Tips for Working Moms

Time-saving Lists, Ideas, and Recommendations for Busy Parents

TED-Ed (Lessons Worth Sharing)

TED for Kids

Talks to watch with kids

25 TED Talks You Should Show Your Kids

6 TED Talks to Share With Your Kids This Summer

13 Must-Watch TED Talks to Spark Student Discussions

10 Inspiring TED Talks for Students

Talks by brilliant kids and teens

Peer Student Motivation: 3 TED Talks to Start the School Year

20 Incredible TED Talks You Should Show Your High School Students

Quit social media

Why our screens make us less happy?

Connected, but alone

The art of being yourself

Go with your gut feeling

Shows Worth Watching

Once Upon a Time …

Once Upon a Time…

For Spanish speakers, free online—just go to the right corner and add the whole playlist to your favorites/playlists by clicking the “plus” sign (where you see all the other videos in a list).

Educational DVDs and Youtube – Popular Series

Adventures from the Book of Virtues

Other Popular Series

8 Science YouTube Channels for Kids

Television and DVDs