Coronavirus kids' TV: The best shows for each age group to keep your little ones busy
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Our colleague Jennifer McClellan from the USA TODAY Life team is here to share some streaming shows that will keep your family entertained.
It's a truth universally acknowledged that it's hard to find kids TV shows that appeal to a wide range of ages.
Generally, the spectrum runs from overly colorful and cute series for the littlest kids to often provocative proactive and dramatic teen shows.
But gems are out there, with just the right amount of innocence and intrigue, that appeal to everyone. We've rounded up 30 shows younger and older kids can watch, and most importantly, coexist peacefully while stuck at home.
Preschoolers to little kids
"Spirit Riding Free"
Lucky, the granddaughter of a railroad tycoon, forms a tight bond with Spirit, a wild stallion, and a group of friends after moving to a small Western town. The show has action, adventure and a theme song that won’t make you want to scream.
How to watch: Netflix
"Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood"
We’re all in need of a happy, safe place at the moment. The world of Mister Rogers has provided that for kids across generations, teaching them about kindness, love and friendship. Consider his enduring messages like “Look for the helpers” and “When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary.”
How to watch: PBS Kids, Amazon Prime
More: How to choose the right streaming services for your kids
"Sesame Street"
This groundbreaking kids show celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. That’s five decades worth of Big Bird and Elmo for the little kids, catchy songs about the alphabet, numbers and life lessons for big kids and celebrity cameos for mom and dad (Ryan Reynolds dressed as the letter A? Yep).
How to watch: PBS, Hulu and HBO
"Wild Kratts"
Real-life brothers Chris and Martin Kratt get the animation treatment for their latest educational series. The Kratts use their special “creature power transformation” technology to discover the wonders of bugs, birds, big cats, whales and other wildlife.
How to watch: PBS
"Beat Bugs"
The Beatles catalog is adapted to fit the adventures of a band of bugs who navigate life in a suburban backyard. The theme song, "All You Need is Love," is a nice message to hear on repeat now.
How to watch: Netflix
"Paw Patrol"
Dogs are the heroes while taking on the roles of police officer, firefighter, rescue pilot and more. The plot can get a little predictable, but kids don’t seem to care.
How to watch: Nickelodeon/Nick Jr.
"Bluey"
An Australian import, this new-to-the-U.S. show follows a family of blue heeler dogs. The dad is sympathetic and silly (watch the “Takeaway” episode). Mom’s fun and the voice of reason. Sisters Bluey and Bingo love each other but have to learn how to include each other (watch “Butterflies”) and compromise (watch “Grannies”).
How to watch: Disney Plus
"Elena of Avalor"
Another Disney princess! There’s something about Elena that’s just watchable. Maybe it’s the magic battles between her and evil sorceress Shuriki. Or how she enlists the help of flying cats called jaquins.
How to watch: Disney Plus
"Nella the Princess Knight"
Nella combines two kids’ favorites: princesses and knights. She wears dresses and wields a sword. She’s friends with unicorns and dragons. What could be more appealing?
How to watch: Nick Jr.
More: You can get a huge deal if you sign up for this Hulu, ESPN+, and Disney+ bundle
"Blippi"
Can kids have a cult favorite? If so, it’s got to be Blippi. The blue-and-orange bespectacled Blippi (real name Stevin John) visits children’s museums, aquariums, car washes and rail yards to teach kids about colors, numbers and how the world works.
How to watch: YouTube
Little kids to tweens
"Planet Earth"
Kids stuck at home get a glimpse of the world’s wonders in this epic docuseries narrated by the great David Attenborough. There are multiple seasons, too!
How to watch: Rent or buy on Amazon and iTunes.
"Lost in Oz"
Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are tornadoed into Oz, a realm of magic and intrigue. To get home, she must collect every magical element with the help of a witch named West and a munchkin called Ojo. It’s not as easy as it sounds.
How to watch: Amazon Prime
"The Amazing Race"
A perennial favorite, this reality competition series follows teams of two as they race around the world. On each leg, pairs follow clues that lead them to challenges such as shaving their heads as part of a Hindu ritual for good luck and eating more than 2 pounds of caviar in Russia. It’s good clean fun.
How to watch: CBS
"The Dog Whisperer"
Host Cesar Millan teaches people how to get their unruly pups into a “calm and submissive” state by changing their own actions, not the dogs’. I feel like there’s a message for us parents in here, but I can’t put my finger on it.
How to watch: Disney Plus
"Dragons: Race to the Edge"
After you’ve exhausted all the ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ movies, switch to this series that has the same characters (Hiccup, Astrid, Toothless and others) facing a new set of adventures in and around the island of Berk.
How to watch: Netflix
"The Boss Baby: Back in Business"
Another DreamWorks movie spinoff, this series follows Boss Baby as he tries to balance home life with working for Baby Corp. (Same, Boss Baby. Same.)
How to watch: Netflix
"Raven's Home"
Remember Raven Baxter from “That's So Raven”? She still has her powers but is all grown up with a divorce and two kids in this spinoff. Fun banter, wacky situations and lovable characters make this a good one for the fam.
How to watch: Disney Plus
"MasterChef Junior"
Maybe watching kids their age cook Gordon Ramsay-worthy food will inspire your kids to get in the kitchen and learn to feed themselves. Or it could backfire and amp up the “I’m hungry!” wailing even more. How much of a gambler are you?
How to watch: Hulu
"Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"
Adult contestants answer questions set at a (supposedly) elementary school level. If you start feeling like a genius in the early rounds, just wait for when your kid screams out the correct answer to something you don’t know while you pretend to check emails on your phone.
How to watch: Nick and Amazon Prime
"Star Wars: The Clone Wars"
Cultivate a love of ‘Star Wars’ in your kid from an early age with this animated series from George Lucas and Lucasfilm. Some fans say the stories and characters – such as Anakin, Count Dooku, C-3PO and Mace Windu – are an improvement from the movies.
How to watch: Disney Plus+
Tweens to teens
"Stranger Things"
To watch “Stranger Things” is to love “Stranger Things”. A tight-knit group of friends and a struggling family battle the unknown to uncover the truth behind a young boy’s disappearance. Plus, the '80s hairdos and soundtrack are pure nostalgia.
How to watch: Netflix
"High School Musical: The Musical: The Series"
A TV series about the theater musical about the Disney movie franchise. Huh? The concept is a bit like the dream layers in “Inception”: confusing until you watch it. But it features witty one-liners, impressive singing and dancing and PG-rated love triangles.
How to watch: Disney Plus
"Great British Baking Show"
Ordinary men and women from around the United Kingdom show off their baking prowess in this lovable, feel-good competition. It lacks the flashy challenges and cruel judges of most American reality cooking shows, and instead is packed full of puns about soggy bottoms, self-deprecation and seriously impressive bakes.
How to watch: Netflix
"MythBusters Jr."
"MythBusters" co-host Adam Savage returns in this spinoff that finds tween and teen engineers, mechanics and inventors completing experiments to answer questions like “Can duct tape be used as a viable parachute?” and “How much water can a wet dog shake?” Bonus: it’s a sneaky way to get some STEM into your kid’s day.
How to watch: Hulu
"The Mandalorian"
If your older kid hasn’t yet watched the “Star Wars” series that gave the world Baby Yoda (yes, we know, he’s technically called The Child), he or she should start it immediately.
How to watch: Disney Plus
"A Series of Unfortunate Events"
Neil Patrick Harris is unrecognizable as Count Olaf, an evil relative trying to steal the fortune of the orphaned Baudelaire children. At times it feels as if Wes Anderson did a kids' series, but in a good way.
How to watch: Netflix
"The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance"
If you’re a fan of Jim Henson’s 1982 cult favorite "The Dark Crystal,” you can enjoy sharing this prequel series with your family. USA TODAY TV critic Kelly Lawler says it’s faithful to the original while modernizing and expanding the story to make it more epic and more poignant.
How to watch: Netflix
"Fuller House"
This spinoff of '90s favorite “Full House” captures the warm fuzzies of the original as D.J. (now a widowed mom of three), her sister Stephanie (an aspiring musician) and Kimmy Gibbler (also a single mother), who go back to their childhood home to experience the ups and downs of life together.
How to watch: Netflix
"Find Me in Paris"
A ballerina princess time-travels from the past to become a student of the Paris Opera School. The teen dramedy is filmed in Paris, so the scenery and dancing are on pointe.
How to watch: Hulu
"Free Rein"
We started this list with a horse-themed show for little kids and will close it with a horse-centered show for older kids. This drama follows Zoe Phillips, a 15-year-old girl from Los Angeles, who makes a special bond with a horse as she spends the summer at her mom's childhood home on an island off the coast of England. Of course, there's more it to than that, but your kids will just have to watch to find out.
How to watch: Netflix
This article originally appeared on Reviewed.com: Coronavirus: 30 great kids' shows for different ages
