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.
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.
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…Lifebut really enjoyed the episodes of Once Upon a Time…the Explorersand 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 Discoverersor 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.
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
For Spanishspeakers, 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).
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 playliston 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 channelon 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 hereto 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 playlistfrom 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.
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.