Top 10 Kids And Family TV Shows To Watch In 2024

For parents who are part of the millennial generation (like myself), television was painted negatively while growing up. As a house rule, I remember having no access to TV on school days and that we could only watch cartoons on weekends.

My best guess is that some of us have implemented the same rule with our children today.

It may come as a surprise but according to the Child Mind Institute, “experts have found there are benefits of watching TV if parents watch with their kids and talk about what they’re watching.”

Benefits of watching television with your children

Juliann Garrey, a clinical assistant professor at the NYU Langone School of Medicine, points out in her article, The Benefits of Watching TV With Young Children, certain concepts which can be summarized below.

"It’s that social relationship that is so, so crucial. It’s less the relationship between the kid and the screen and instead it’s the child and the parent.”

-Shelley Pasnik

Benefit # 1: Learning from screen time

In Garrey’s article, she mentions Shelley Pasnik, director of the Center for Children & Technology, who explains that learning is driven by human interaction. Learning happens when there is a back-and-forth of response and engagement. This occurs when parents watch with their young children, get involved, use the strategies they learn from what they are watching, and adapt these in their everyday life.

Pasnik believes, “it’s not just, okay, now everyone let your kids watch TV, you know, without the social component. It’s that social relationship that is so, so crucial. It’s less the relationship between the kid and the screen and instead it’s the child and the parent.”

Benefit # 2: Active viewing

Most of us parents probably equate screen time as a time-for-me-to-do-other-tasks. Pasnik says, on the other hand, if we want to get the most of screen time, we need to promote “active viewing,” where we ask questions, encourage conversations, or get kids thinking about what they saw.

The article suggests that parents practice role-playing with children:

• “What would you say?”
• “What could you say?”
• “What should she have said?”
• “I hope you’ll come tell us if anything like that happens.”
• “She couldn’t tell her parents. I hope you’ll tell us.”

Benefit # 3: Helping and teaching kids to self-regulate

There are tv shows that teach kids how to self-regulate like doing breathing exercises or counting backwards from 5 to 1. Shows sometimes feature frustration and conflict and kids can relate to the characters when they feel challenged in front of difficulty.

Channeling their frustration or parents coaching kids how to regulate their emotions based on what the characters portray can help these kids pick up important techniques to aid in managing what they feel.

So we’ve rounded up a consolidated list based on most-watched kids and family tv shows according to an international satellite television service, film and tv review site, and highly-recommended shows according to our community of moms and dads from Smart Parenting Village.

Top 10 kids and family tv shows 2024

1. Bluey

This one tops the list both according to the most-watched cartoon tv show in the US and according to our moms and dads of Smart Parenting Village. This show showcases the adventures of a Blue Heeler puppy, famously known as Bluey, who lives with her mother, father and sister, Bingo.

Loved by many, Bluey is bursting with energy and a lovable spirit which gets her into all kinds of funny and unpredictable situations, along with important life lessons.

RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Smart Parenting Talks To Bluey’s Mom And Dad About Parenting

2. Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, inspired by "Mister Rogers Neighborhood," features 4-year-old Daniel Tiger, son of the original program's Daniel Striped Tiger.

Daniel shares his daily undertakings with pals: O the Owl, Katerina Kittycat, Prince Wednesday and Miss Elaina. With the help of Daniel and his friends, preschoolers walk into a world of adventure and learn practical skills vital for growing and developing. Everyday, Daniel invites a new breed of preschoolers into the Neighborhood of Make-Believe where young viewers are driven towards timeless, important lessons on empathy, kindness, and understanding.

Governed by the power of imagination, young viewers are being summoned into a delightful world that explores the highs and lows of growing up, all sung in captivating melodies. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a heartwarming series for children and adults alike. It can be enjoyed by the whole family as a wholesome visual treat laden with essential life lessons.

3. Numberblocks

Another parents’ favorite, Numberblocks teaches the basic concepts of Math like counting, identifying odd and even numbers, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing whilst being explained in catchy songs. This show promotes the adventures of friends who can always count on each other.

4. Llama Llama

This animated programming features a single mom, Mama Llama, who, with gentle guidance, teaches young characters to make better choices, resolve conflict in constructive ways, and be open to trying new things. This also explores common concerns in young children like bedtime anxieties, separation anxieties, trust, patience, and the like.

Llama Llama is also a best-selling book series written by Anna Dewdney.

5. Puffin Rock

Puffin Rock is an animated series from which children can learn about different animal species and their respective behaviors. This series follows a young puffin named Oona and her baby brother Baba as they embark on an adventure and explore their world.

6. Emily’s Wonder Lab

Emily's Wonder Lab is an educational television series starring Mason Wells, Sky Alexis, Zaela Rae, Kennedi Butler and Makenzie Lee-Foster, with Emily Calandrelli as host. This 10-episode series showcases Science, scientific experiments, and brain power.

7. Bubble Guppies

Dive into the deep to join the learning adventures of the Bubble Guppies, a group of fish-tailed preschoolers who uncover and explore new worlds with a blend of learning, music, and comedy. Nonny, one of the characters in Bubble Guppies, according to the AWS foundation, is believed to be on the autism spectrum.

Bubble Guppies provides younger viewers with a playful introduction to different topics from Science to Art and other things such as solving different problems along the way.

8. Paw Patrol (and Rubble and Crew)

If you have a toddler or a preschooler, you probably know who the Paw Patrol pups are.

Paw Patrol, a pack of cute and courageous canines use their unique tricks and skills to perform rescue operations at Adventure Bay. Led by a little boy who never gives up, Ryder, these pups prove no job is too big and no pup is too small. These pups show how “teamwork makes the dream work.” One of the pups, Rubble, also has his very own show entitled Rubble and Crew which also showcases the spirit of teamwork, discipline, and problem-solving in each fun-packed episode.

9. Sea of Love

Sea of Love is a gentle animated series meant for very young viewers. Sea animal friends Bruda, Bobbi, Wayu, and Puri go on mini adventures in the ocean, where everyday moments come with a splash of warmth and magic. The stories are slow and calming; simple, but valuable.

10. Octonauts

Based on children’s books written by Meomi Design Inc., Octonauts is an animated television series where eight underwater adventurers explore undersea adventures with the help of a fleet of aquatic vehicles. In 2021, the Octonauts also unraveled land-based habitats of the natural world.

Want to know about terrific toddler shows? Click here.