Top TV Picks for kids

As a follow on from my last blog post about Screen Time for Kids this post will outline some screen picks that we have found “good” and “bad” according to my children’s responses and the researched (links in the previous post) criteria-

Frequency of camera cuts
Frequency of scene changes
Frequency of auditory changes
Percentage of active motion
Percentage of active talking
Percentage of music

If you read through the research you may have noticed an underlying thread; that is, content, even if educational, too complex or accompanied by too much dissonance and noise could lead to sensory overload in children, thus disrupting their ability to assimilate, learn, regulate their emotions and control their behaviour.

You may have also noted that just 9 minutes of “fast-paced” program viewing negatively impacted executive functions (remember the twelve executive functioning skills are self-restraint, working memory, emotion control, focus, task initiation, planning/prioritisation, organisation, time management, defining and achieving goals, flexibility, observation and stress tolerance). This leads to behavioural problems, learning issues, emotional dysregulation and significant changes to play (largely due to the reduction of attention span).

Eliminating screens entirely would solve every single one of these problems but let’s be realistic! Screens are a part of every day life for the majority of families, including our own. Instead of guilting parents into removing screens why not educate them on selecting better program choices for their littles so that the damage is greatly reduced? Better yet, implement regulations surrounding creation of children’s television and app content (a mum can dream right).

Here are some of our faves and some of the content we found to be worst. I have separated them into three sections, the “much better” are my top picks, the “better” are good in small doses and the “bad” which we try to avoid.

Please bare mind that these are personal opinions (based on my own research). My children are both neurotypical with no additional needs and watch around 30minutes a day (with the occasional weekend movie). I also try to switch it up and try not to show multiple episodes of the same thing back to back or on consecutive days. I find this lessons the addictive response.

You may find my list helpful, or you might not. That is ok! You know your children best.

As well as this, if you are going through a period of high stress; for example, a difficult pregnancy or sleep deprivation from a new baby then give yourself some grace. A little extra TV here and there, in the short term is not going to “ruin” your child. An overtired, short-tempered mama yelling at them is likely going to do more damage than a little extra screen time! You can always get things back on track when the home environment is in a calmer season!

When determining if content is “good” or “bad” and its not on my list try looking out for the following-

Real people
Muted (rather than super bright) colours in animations
Long scenes (a full song or setting in just one shot)
Slow camera changes (camera shots should last longer than 3 seconds ideally)
No fast forward or rewind effects
No silly sound effects or fast music
A storyline that focuses on real life
Educational benefit (along with the things above)
Limited repetition

This list is no where near exhaustive. There are many others i could add to each section and perhaps i will along the way. It will however give you a good starting point if that is something you are after. Some other things we have found words well for us in terms of screen time have been-

No screens before school/daycare (this one is a non negotiable for us)
TV doesn’t go on before 4:30pm (we find it easier to stop if there is a reason… aka dinner time which in our house is at 5-5:30ish)
No screens after dinner
Holidays are a write off! We use extra screens as needed without guilt including in cars, on planes and in hotel rooms
No “background” TV ever (we use ABC kids listen app for background music- it’s free and excellent!)
Parents choose the program (we may give them a choice between 2 shows)
We try to mix it up and not watch the same thing across multiple episodes or multiple days in a row
We opt for the “much better” and occasional “better” shows and avoid the “bad” (see below)
My children have watched “bad” shows on occasion and i do not feel guilty about that what so ever. We will opt for one of these if it’s going to really “save the day” for example if we’ve been waiting at a Dr’s office for 90mins past our scheduled appointment time and the kids are losing their minds and i literally just need them to be hypnotised so i dont have a complete mental breakdown (we’ve all been there, right?)

I want every parent to be able to access information fairly and freely which is why i will never sell my guides for profit. If this proves helpful to you and you would like to thank me for my work i would really appreciate a coffee.

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The “Much Better”

Maddie's do you know?

Highly educational, real life enquiry based program. A fantastic alternative to Blippi!
**WATCH ON ABC KIDS**

Grace’s Amazing Machines

Another fantastic alternative to Blippi for those who love cars, trucks, boats, bikes and other machines.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW**

Guess How Much I Love you

Encourage kindness, nature exploration and positive social interactions.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW OR AMAZON PRIME VIDEO**

Trash Truck

Encourages kindness, creative play and positive social interactions.
**WATCH ON NETFLIX**

Bug Diaries

Encourages kindness, nature exploration and problem-solving.
**WATCH ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO**

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Encourages kindness, creative play and positive social interactions.
**WATCH ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO**

Stella and Sam

Encourages kindness towards siblings and pets as well as promoting imaginative play.
**WATCH ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO**

Elinor Wonders Why

Encourages curiosity, nature exploration and positive social interactions.
**WATCH ON BINGE**

Pip and Posy

Encourage kindness, curiosity, creative play and positive social interactions.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW**

The Snowy Day

Encourage kindness. Is a fantastic choice for introducing racial and cultural diversity.
**WATCH ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO**

Letter Factory

Introduces phonetic awareness.
**WATCH ON NETFLIX OR AMAZON PRIME VIDEO**

The “Better”

The Wiggles

The live in concert shows are better than the TV series.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW, STAN or NETFLIX**

Number blocks

I put this one in the “better choice” as it really depends on the age and skill set of your child. For example, if they already have a strong understanding of number and have been introduced to grouping previously and understand the concept, then watching ‘Circus of threes’ would be “much better”. However if they have no clue and are just watching the colours, shapes and sounds then it would be in the “bad” category.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW**

alpha blocks

Similar to Number blocks this one depends on the age and skillset of your child. If they do not have a very strong concept of both letter names and sounds this would fall into the “bad” category. However, if they have a strong phonetic awareness and are starting to sound out words on their on then this could be “much better”.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW**

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Short movie based on a book.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW**

Room On The Broom

Short movie based on a book.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW**

The Gruffalo

Short movie based on a book.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW**

Superworm

Short movie based on a book.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW**

Stick Man

Short movie based on a book.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW**

The Gruffalo's Child

Short movie based on a book.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW**

The Highway Rat

Short movie based on a book.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW**

Zog

Short movie based on a book.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW**

The Snail And The Whale

Short movie based on a book.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW**

Zog And The Flying Doctors

Short movie based on a book.
**WATCH ON ABC IVIEW**

The Magic School Bus Rides Again

**WATCH ON NETFLIX**

Phonics Farm

**WATCH ON NETFLIX OR AMAZON PRIME VIDEO**

The “Bad”

This content is contains a high proportion of hypnotic content (frequent camera cuts, scene changes, auditory changes, percentage of active motion, active talking and active music) which is linked to significant negative impacts on young brains. These are shows we avoid if we can.