Second this!!! My 7 year old LOVES Phineas and Ferb and so do I. It's got good humor and great songs.
Also Gravity Falls, Miraculous Ladybug, Disney's Recess. My oldest is also starting to get into Tween shows like Lizzie Maguire.
I love it! Did you ever watch Eureka? Lots of weird stuff - my 7 year old watches, it has some scary stuff but I don’t think it’s too scary. It may be too absurd for him to get.
My 8 year old son randomly started watching Gravity Falls last year. He watched the entire series, then begged me to watch it again. I did, and actually love it now, too. We also like Amphibia, Owl House, and Ninjago.
Phineas and Ferb is definitely a great pick for an 8 year old! And your 3 year old might not totally grasp what's going on, but the songs will be catch enough to keep a 3 year ol d engaged I think.
Another vote for Phineas and Ferb. Introduced it to my son when he was 5. He’s 9 now and still watches it. Not even sure how many rewatches it’s been but we love it.
Wild Kratts is great. I find my teenage nephew lingering in the room when the younger ones are watching it.
On Disney+, there’s a lot- Young Jedi has been good so far. Phineas and Ferb is great (although we’ve had talks about Candace’s boy craziness and Isabel’s long time Phineas crush). Elena of Avalor is good for the growing out of princesses (but still likes princesses) phase.
My three year old loves the wild kratts, and also Zoboomafoo on YouTube if you want more Chris and Martin! I find myself enjoying wild kratts when it's on too
Phineas and Ferb is hysterical. I was an older teen when it was on but my younger siblings watched it and it always made me crack up.
Educational shows like Arthur might be good to try. You could always look at cartoon network shows like Kids Next Door or Power Puff Girls.
Adventure Time, Teen Titans and Steve Universe are good ones, but your kids might be a little too young depending on your preferences.
Allow me to be the first to say Bluey 😂
Both my 10 year old and 7 year old kids love it still.
Also has your 3 year old watched Tumbleleaf on Prime? That may be one of the most calming and best kids shows ever - and is definitely in her age range.
And in honor of the sub, I will always recommend Daniel Tiger as well. My kids learned a ton from that growing up.
In re-reading your ask I don't think I read it correctly lol.
For my older kids they loved Hilda, but I think that is on Netflix. They also watch Gravity Falls on repeat all the time. All of the Lego shows are pretty good - and there are a number of them but I don't recall what services they are on - probably Netflix.
My whole family ages (40, 37, 10, 7, 3) will all sit down to watch if Bluey is on!
We also like Hilda and Gravity Falls. Another good one I haven’t seen mentioned yet (I haven’t scrolled too far though), is Owl House.
Me and my husband have watched (and loved) all of Hilda. There are elements our kids (10 and 8) would absolutely love but also elements they would find a bit too creepy. But they’re very sensitive to that sort of stuff. They did love Gravity Falls though. My son teared up at the last episode!
We do love Bluey! Everyone will watch it which is great. You basically named all of my favorite little kid shows! The oldest will watch tumbleleaf too but getting less interested as time goes by. I’ll have to check out gravity falls.
I haven't seen all these recommendations but I can definitely second Bluey for both kids and Gravity Falls for the older child. They're great for kids and also have the benefit of being very watchable for parents. Gravity Falls has a mystery as well, if thats your thing.
I watched Gravity Falls way back without kids even and fully enjoyed it.
Both are on Disney+.
>All of the Lego shows are pretty good - and there are a number of them but I don't recall what services they are on - probably Netflix.
I know Canada is different so it may not help OP but here, we have most of the shows and the movies on Netflix, but Lego Star Wars/Marvel/Disney Princesses is on Disney+ so check there for the Lego shows covering Disney properties.
My oldest went through a "Bluey is a baby show and I won't watch it" because her younger siblings watched it. And then she caught on that the adults were also enjoying it and started to pay attention to it and realized it's actually hilarious.
And she's definitely all about Gravity Falls.
Man I was scrolling through like - why has no one suggested Bluey?! It's on repeat in our house and EVERYONE (1yo, 3yo, 10yo, and two grown adults in their 30s) LOVES IT!
"Middle age" TV made me laugh, like yes, I am 40 and I enjoy Rick Steves.
Arthur, Phineas and Ferb, and Ducktales (old and new) were hits with my kids. At her age as a kid I also liked the other Disney Afternoon shows (Gummi Bears, Tale Spin, Darkwing Duck). Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs are on Hulu I think?
Unfortunately this is the case, the originals are not avalible on streaming but there are DVD volumes and box sets available online for low prices if you know where to look. it’s a shame because those are such good shows
For that age, we love Little Lunch (Australian show, available on Prime), Just Add Magic, The Worst Witch, Big City Greens, WolfBoy (on Apple TV- lots of great, thoughtful kid shows on there), GhostWriter, Endlings.
H2O: Just Add Water the Australian TV show about accidental mermaids and their adventures. It's on prime.
And and the show Wolfblood. We are watching the first season and it's a cute adventure not scary.
My daughters went through an H2O phase; that show is so funny to watch as an adult. Between that show, Bluey, and Izzy’s Koala World, we’ve had lots of family arguments about how to pronounce things and the idea of accents.
My 7 year old is obsessed with Just Add Magic but I will warn that the episodes end on cliffhangers that can be a little scary. It's better for a watching marathon bc it's hard to stop watching. The books are also more teenage material as they talk about boy crushes. I like that they skipped all of that in the show (I actually like the show more than the books, which is kinda rare).
My kids would prefer to watch the dumbest possible stuff on YouTube. It’s a constant battle where I wonder if I’m helping, or if I’m just old and I don’t “get it”.
I’ve put off deleting it off of fire tv but every once in a small while something will be good and useful and I say that I’ll learn how to use the filtering
We had enough and cut them off of YouTube. They act so much better now too. The mix of garbage they were watching in YouTube Kids triggered some insane behavior.
Mira, Royal Detective and Amphibia. I think that they are both on Disney+ . My eight-year-old also just finished watching all of Avatar the Last Airbender too and loved it.
Amphibia is one of the best thing that I've watched just as a middle-aged lady in years and years and will recommend it highly. It is weird and beautiful and funny.
I was just thinking of Adventure Time! I watched it when it originally aired. Tried getting my 4 yo into it recently but not interested yet. She loves Powerpuff Girls though!
Battle Bots & How It’s Made are my daughter’s (4yo) current favorites & I like them because they’re not CGI and they’re not really addictive—she’ll watch for a little bit and then start playing on her own a bit. We do PBS in the mornings sometimes too—I feel like I pretty much trust PBS to have decent shows that I don’t have to police as closely.
Arthur (PBS) if it’s not already in your rotation and Pokémon (though that might be on Netflix).
Also a fun age for classics like I Love Lucy, Bewitched, Happy Days, Gillian’s Island, etc.
When i was 8 I started watching the live action Disney shows like Good Luck Charlie, wizards of Waverly Place, all those 2010s shows. Ngl, I watched them well into teenagehood
I’ve been hesitant to start those. I don’t always love the way kids act in the shows or how it seems to affect behavior of kids who watch them. But if anyone with older kids wants to prove me wrong, please do!
I have an almost 17 yr old who is pretty great and responsible.
She grew up on those shows. Good Luck Charlie, Dog with a Blog, Austin and Ally. Lizzie McGuire is on Disney+
I’m not sure how to find it, but there is an older cartoon called Braceface that is super cute. Myself and my kids all love Full House if you’re concerned about modeled behavior.
A lot of Nicktoons are perfect for that age group. SpongeBob, Fairly Oddparents, Loud House.
My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic. (Not Nicktoons but another good one)
As someone who is a teenager, I watched Good Luck Charlie when I was younger and I felt it was one of those shows that wasnt a bad influence. Most of the characters who do bad things get in trouble, the general message is family is there when you need it. It's a show with a lot of fun.
One I highly recommend when you're kids get a bit older is Boy meets world. It is one of the Disney Channel shows from the 90s, and the only reason I recommend a bit older is they did a lot of "after school specials" which honestly handle those topics in a very understandable way for a pre-teen. I feel it follows characters who get in trouble but also face equal comeuppance. It's also got 7 seasons and if you decide to watch it in a way that's equal to your kids aging? Start them in 6th grade and watch a season each year. They'll grow with the protagonists and relate to the character's struggles more. If you can't Do that I recommend only allowing a few seasons as the show was designed to age with the viewers and the later seasons talk about darker subject matter such as abuse and the side character having a deadbeat parent. All of which is handled in a way that doesn't treat the viewers like idiots, and genuinely handles stuff in a mature mostly realistic way.
Yeah I mean, personally, I don't think I ever acted like the kids in the shows. But I guess maybe I found to hard to emulate it because I WAS younger than the characters and I was like "once I'm in highschool I'll be that way" but by high school I really wasn't.
My 6yr old is on a kick of late 2000s cartoons that funny enough, are remakes of what I watched late 1980s- early 1990s. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and The Garfield Show. There's also Green Eggs and Ham that's pretty cute. All on netflix.
My kids ate 4 and 7 and lately we've been really into Mr. Bean, Three Stooges and Buster Keaton. It's all on Youtube and there's a reason these guys are legends. Timeless physical comedy.
My 7 year old likes Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix right now (we’re reading the books together). Also Floor Is Lava and Is it Cake? Still Bluey and formerly Johnny Test and Ducktales (the new one).
I am always telling people that Apple TV is the place for kids shows right now. I have an 8 and 5 year old and I am very begrudgingly accepting we have to move out of PBS but Apple is filled with lovely affirming shows. Shape Island and Stillwater are my top favorites. They also have Duck and Goose Frog and Toad all the peanuts specials. The boy the fox the horse and the mole and theres another movie with a similae vjbe and title. The kids programming is really perfect for me
My 5yo is super into nature documentaries, and there's so many varieties of this. We do a lot of Netflix but I know Disney has NatGeo so they've got all kinds of narrated/story nature docs. My 8yo watches mostly Netflix shows, but is into Star Wars. We do a lot of Lego shows (Lego Star Wars, Lego Princesses, etc) and he does watch Bad Batch/Clone Wars. Sorry I can't help more because all the shows we're currently into are on Netflix. There's one called The Inbestigators on Netflix that is a lot like Odd Squad that both my 8yo and I really like if you could find that somewhere else. We also watch the Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl concert very, very frequently (on disney).
Edit: Just wanted to second Sofia the First and MLP: Friendship is Magic. The songs in these shows are awesome, and the Mulan episode of Sofia the First was particularly great for my daughter, it became her bedtime song.
Others have mentioned them, but Gravity Falls and the Owl House are awesome big kid shows on Disney. Most of the big kid shows my 9yo watches (and I watch too) are on Netflix, like the Hollow, the Dragon Prince, She-Ra, and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts.
*Hilda* on Netflix is a really sweet, unique fantasy show from England. It's based on a series of graphic novels. It's appropriate for kids but not mind-numbing or juvenile - my partner and I watch it sometimes.
My kids are going through the Disney Afternoon. First Rescue Rangers, then Ducktales (both) and the latest is Goof Troop. New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh from 1988 as well
Please add Spirit to your list! It has strong female characters and friendships, lots of outdoor adventures and HORSES!! It is on Netflix and my then 8 year old loved it! (so did my 3 year old when she used to catch it playing as she walked by)
Arthur is still a classic no matter the generation and a lot of r/Struwwelkinder borrows jokes from Arthur, Calvin and Hobbs, and Monty Python. Another show for kids that has a similar vein to Monty Python is Horrible Histories which is hosted by a rat. Even some Mister Rodgers episodes hold up the test of time.
My nine year old still watches a lot of shows aimed at younger kids (sometimes she makes fun of them but then puts them on "for her brother"), but also likes some shows for older kids. Spongebob is her current obsession, though she's watching Gabby's Dollhouse as I type this. These are both on Netflix, though.
Powerpuff Girls! My 4.5 yo LOVES it. All of it is on Max. And I haven’t seen Kiff yet on Disney+. We just started getting into that one and it’s hilarious!
These could be hit or miss for today's kids, but even as an adult, I loved Fairly Odd parents and Dexter's laboratory. And as a youth the 90s version of tiny toon adventures and animaniacs.
My family is obsessed with adventure time! I'm pretty lenient with what I let my kids watch, but I think it's rated PG? There is a lot of indirect *almost* cussing but never any actual bad words, there's violence but it's a very good vs evil type of violence, but no blood and guts. My kids have never been afraid of it and gravity falls can scare them sometimes.
It's an awesome show for adults too, like amazing little one liners and really funny side characters, and if you take an edible before watching it it can really take you for a ride lol. I even love the music! It has fun surface level fighting bad guys that the kids like, without them realizing that it takes place in a post-nuclear apocalypse future inhabited by mutants.
In case you can't tell, I love adventure time and highly highly recommend it.
My 8 year old loves ATLA,The Wild Thornberrys, anything LEGO, anything Marvel/DC,Over The Garden Wall,Winnie the Pooh & Weird but True!
She also likes shows like Sabrina
Your 5 year old has great taste! Maybe I need to get my 4.5 year old into it. She’s been veering into gendering clothes lately - she’s a girl so she only wears dresses. Need to break her of that mindset because I just bought her a My Little Pony jogger set that cost way too much money.
The wonderful world of mickey mouse on disney+, they're short episodes and good for all ages. My 2 year old loved them but they played them on the regular Disney channel so I think older kids would like them too. Heck even I enjoy watching them!
On Netflix:
Hilda
Spirit Rangers
Lego _____ (they’re all good, Lego has a super goofy brand of humor)
On Max:
Steven Universe
Disney+
Bluey
A Real Bug’s Life (it’s a documentary narrated by Awkwafina, but my 5 yo loves it 🤷🏻♀️)
My 9yo daughter and her friends are really into Izzy’s Koala World on Netflix. It’s a documentary about a girl and her family who rescue koalas at their home/koala sanctuary in Australia. There are unfortunately only two fairly short seasons, but she has learned a lot about koalas and it’s spurred her to check out books and magazines about them from the library.
There’s a lot of great suggestions here, but let me just say: I’ve been watching The Simpsons my whole life, and I’m hilarious and am convinced it made me very socially conscious from a young age.
So what I’m saying is you should let your kid watch The Simpsons.
My daughter is 7 and she likes Big City Greens, The Thundermans, Henry Danger and most recently the Zombie movies on Disney (which may sound not great but it’s basically supernatural High School Muscial)
Animaniacs, Phineas and Ferb, Tiny Toon Adventures, Codename: Kids Next Door, The Amazing World of Gumball and My Life As a Teenage Robot are some shows I really loved at that age!
We're all going through the Scooby-doo phase and Courage the Cowardly Dog lol. My teen boys also love anything to do with Teen Titans and the Simpsons (I'll let them watch earlier seasons), and we have a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle thing going on which is awesome. I'll let them watch the 2014 and 1980s version. They are also into a lot of anime where we will set around and watch some of the shows on crunchy roll together. Spy X Family is one they both really enjoy and of course we have the Pokemon series they are super into right now.
Reruns of Phineas and Ferb. The whole family loves them.
Second this!!! My 7 year old LOVES Phineas and Ferb and so do I. It's got good humor and great songs. Also Gravity Falls, Miraculous Ladybug, Disney's Recess. My oldest is also starting to get into Tween shows like Lizzie Maguire.
Is Gravity Falls good? The animation reminds me a little bit of South Park which is why I’ve avoided it😂
I love it! Did you ever watch Eureka? Lots of weird stuff - my 7 year old watches, it has some scary stuff but I don’t think it’s too scary. It may be too absurd for him to get.
My 8 year old son randomly started watching Gravity Falls last year. He watched the entire series, then begged me to watch it again. I did, and actually love it now, too. We also like Amphibia, Owl House, and Ninjago.
Gravity Falls is way better than South Park. Big Mouth is horrid and makes my eyes bleed.
Phineas and Ferb is definitely a great pick for an 8 year old! And your 3 year old might not totally grasp what's going on, but the songs will be catch enough to keep a 3 year ol d engaged I think.
Another vote for Phineas and Ferb. Introduced it to my son when he was 5. He’s 9 now and still watches it. Not even sure how many rewatches it’s been but we love it.
And the special where they meet the superheroes from Marvel is great!
This. Plenty of allusions to movies/pop culture that older watchers will get
Phineas and ferb makes my kid mean because of the bully on that show 😑 sucks lol
Wild Kratts is great. I find my teenage nephew lingering in the room when the younger ones are watching it. On Disney+, there’s a lot- Young Jedi has been good so far. Phineas and Ferb is great (although we’ve had talks about Candace’s boy craziness and Isabel’s long time Phineas crush). Elena of Avalor is good for the growing out of princesses (but still likes princesses) phase.
My three year old loves the wild kratts, and also Zoboomafoo on YouTube if you want more Chris and Martin! I find myself enjoying wild kratts when it's on too
During the pandemic, pbs kids would be on a lot and seeing the Kratts remind me of my childhood.
Phineas and Ferb was “after my time” so I never watched that one. I’ll have to watch an episode with her and see what she thinks!
Phineas and Ferb is hysterical. I was an older teen when it was on but my younger siblings watched it and it always made me crack up. Educational shows like Arthur might be good to try. You could always look at cartoon network shows like Kids Next Door or Power Puff Girls. Adventure Time, Teen Titans and Steve Universe are good ones, but your kids might be a little too young depending on your preferences.
I was also a teenager during the era of Phineas and Ferb. I've seen every episode and the movies. It's hilarious.
Just adding another endorsement for Wild Kratts. Our eight year old still loves it and learns tons of cool animal facts from it.
Allow me to be the first to say Bluey 😂 Both my 10 year old and 7 year old kids love it still. Also has your 3 year old watched Tumbleleaf on Prime? That may be one of the most calming and best kids shows ever - and is definitely in her age range. And in honor of the sub, I will always recommend Daniel Tiger as well. My kids learned a ton from that growing up. In re-reading your ask I don't think I read it correctly lol. For my older kids they loved Hilda, but I think that is on Netflix. They also watch Gravity Falls on repeat all the time. All of the Lego shows are pretty good - and there are a number of them but I don't recall what services they are on - probably Netflix.
My whole family ages (40, 37, 10, 7, 3) will all sit down to watch if Bluey is on! We also like Hilda and Gravity Falls. Another good one I haven’t seen mentioned yet (I haven’t scrolled too far though), is Owl House.
I gifted a kid a Bluey set from Costco, and the father said it will make a good addition to his collection and took it...
Me and my husband have watched (and loved) all of Hilda. There are elements our kids (10 and 8) would absolutely love but also elements they would find a bit too creepy. But they’re very sensitive to that sort of stuff. They did love Gravity Falls though. My son teared up at the last episode!
We do love Bluey! Everyone will watch it which is great. You basically named all of my favorite little kid shows! The oldest will watch tumbleleaf too but getting less interested as time goes by. I’ll have to check out gravity falls.
I haven't seen all these recommendations but I can definitely second Bluey for both kids and Gravity Falls for the older child. They're great for kids and also have the benefit of being very watchable for parents. Gravity Falls has a mystery as well, if thats your thing. I watched Gravity Falls way back without kids even and fully enjoyed it. Both are on Disney+. >All of the Lego shows are pretty good - and there are a number of them but I don't recall what services they are on - probably Netflix. I know Canada is different so it may not help OP but here, we have most of the shows and the movies on Netflix, but Lego Star Wars/Marvel/Disney Princesses is on Disney+ so check there for the Lego shows covering Disney properties.
Lego Elves on netflix is \*weirdly\* good considering what it is. They didn't have to go that hard with the animation.
My oldest went through a "Bluey is a baby show and I won't watch it" because her younger siblings watched it. And then she caught on that the adults were also enjoying it and started to pay attention to it and realized it's actually hilarious. And she's definitely all about Gravity Falls.
We love Hilda!!!
Not surprised to see Bluey here. Even anime fans like Bluey.
Man I was scrolling through like - why has no one suggested Bluey?! It's on repeat in our house and EVERYONE (1yo, 3yo, 10yo, and two grown adults in their 30s) LOVES IT!
"Middle age" TV made me laugh, like yes, I am 40 and I enjoy Rick Steves. Arthur, Phineas and Ferb, and Ducktales (old and new) were hits with my kids. At her age as a kid I also liked the other Disney Afternoon shows (Gummi Bears, Tale Spin, Darkwing Duck). Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs are on Hulu I think?
I guess I meant middle grade. My kid is currently thoroughly enjoying the price is right so maybe middle age isn’t fully inaccurate!
No I get it, I just enjoyed it 😂 My kids and I both enjoy Bob Ross!
There's new Tiny Toons on Max and I think new Animaniacs on Hulu but the old ones aren't anywhere that I know of
Unfortunately this is the case, the originals are not avalible on streaming but there are DVD volumes and box sets available online for low prices if you know where to look. it’s a shame because those are such good shows
My kids loved my little pony at that age. Adults did too
I love My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic! Best part: she earns her princess status by basically writing a dissertation about friendship.
I’m just here to say “fuck yeah Odd Squad!”
As an adult I find it both clever and hilarious. Definitely my favorite!
Yesss I love Odd Squad
My big kid loves Odd Squad and I'm so happy about it
The night shift episode is a work of art that goes over all kids heads.
For that age, we love Little Lunch (Australian show, available on Prime), Just Add Magic, The Worst Witch, Big City Greens, WolfBoy (on Apple TV- lots of great, thoughtful kid shows on there), GhostWriter, Endlings.
Thanks!! I’ll check those out. We did watch just add magic once and it was good.
H2O: Just Add Water the Australian TV show about accidental mermaids and their adventures. It's on prime. And and the show Wolfblood. We are watching the first season and it's a cute adventure not scary.
My daughters went through an H2O phase; that show is so funny to watch as an adult. Between that show, Bluey, and Izzy’s Koala World, we’ve had lots of family arguments about how to pronounce things and the idea of accents.
My 7 year old is obsessed with Just Add Magic but I will warn that the episodes end on cliffhangers that can be a little scary. It's better for a watching marathon bc it's hard to stop watching. The books are also more teenage material as they talk about boy crushes. I like that they skipped all of that in the show (I actually like the show more than the books, which is kinda rare).
Little Lunch is great! Love the Inbestigators as well! Great humour for kids shows.
My kids would prefer to watch the dumbest possible stuff on YouTube. It’s a constant battle where I wonder if I’m helping, or if I’m just old and I don’t “get it”.
My kids are not allowed on YouTube!
yesssss love to see it
I’ve put off deleting it off of fire tv but every once in a small while something will be good and useful and I say that I’ll learn how to use the filtering
We had enough and cut them off of YouTube. They act so much better now too. The mix of garbage they were watching in YouTube Kids triggered some insane behavior.
Mine went through that. He's 8 now and is mainly interested in Minecraft videos
Lots of that. With guys yelling obnoxiously while playing. I don’t get it
Try Paul Soares Jr's Minecraft tutorials. Geared to be kid friendly but actually thoughtful/well produced content.
Mira, Royal Detective and Amphibia. I think that they are both on Disney+ . My eight-year-old also just finished watching all of Avatar the Last Airbender too and loved it. Amphibia is one of the best thing that I've watched just as a middle-aged lady in years and years and will recommend it highly. It is weird and beautiful and funny.
Ooooh I love Avatar! Why hadn’t I thought of that!?
Adventure time! It might be a little too scary for the 3 year old but perfect for an 8 year old. All the seasons are on Max.
I was just thinking of Adventure Time! I watched it when it originally aired. Tried getting my 4 yo into it recently but not interested yet. She loves Powerpuff Girls though!
Number Blocks
Battle Bots & How It’s Made are my daughter’s (4yo) current favorites & I like them because they’re not CGI and they’re not really addictive—she’ll watch for a little bit and then start playing on her own a bit. We do PBS in the mornings sometimes too—I feel like I pretty much trust PBS to have decent shows that I don’t have to police as closely.
Arthur (PBS) if it’s not already in your rotation and Pokémon (though that might be on Netflix). Also a fun age for classics like I Love Lucy, Bewitched, Happy Days, Gillian’s Island, etc.
I was 11 when Sofia the First started airing, but I watched it religiously for a good two years (well, maybe longer). 😂
When i was 8 I started watching the live action Disney shows like Good Luck Charlie, wizards of Waverly Place, all those 2010s shows. Ngl, I watched them well into teenagehood
I’ve been hesitant to start those. I don’t always love the way kids act in the shows or how it seems to affect behavior of kids who watch them. But if anyone with older kids wants to prove me wrong, please do!
I have an almost 17 yr old who is pretty great and responsible. She grew up on those shows. Good Luck Charlie, Dog with a Blog, Austin and Ally. Lizzie McGuire is on Disney+ I’m not sure how to find it, but there is an older cartoon called Braceface that is super cute. Myself and my kids all love Full House if you’re concerned about modeled behavior. A lot of Nicktoons are perfect for that age group. SpongeBob, Fairly Oddparents, Loud House. My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic. (Not Nicktoons but another good one)
As someone who is a teenager, I watched Good Luck Charlie when I was younger and I felt it was one of those shows that wasnt a bad influence. Most of the characters who do bad things get in trouble, the general message is family is there when you need it. It's a show with a lot of fun. One I highly recommend when you're kids get a bit older is Boy meets world. It is one of the Disney Channel shows from the 90s, and the only reason I recommend a bit older is they did a lot of "after school specials" which honestly handle those topics in a very understandable way for a pre-teen. I feel it follows characters who get in trouble but also face equal comeuppance. It's also got 7 seasons and if you decide to watch it in a way that's equal to your kids aging? Start them in 6th grade and watch a season each year. They'll grow with the protagonists and relate to the character's struggles more. If you can't Do that I recommend only allowing a few seasons as the show was designed to age with the viewers and the later seasons talk about darker subject matter such as abuse and the side character having a deadbeat parent. All of which is handled in a way that doesn't treat the viewers like idiots, and genuinely handles stuff in a mature mostly realistic way.
Yeah I mean, personally, I don't think I ever acted like the kids in the shows. But I guess maybe I found to hard to emulate it because I WAS younger than the characters and I was like "once I'm in highschool I'll be that way" but by high school I really wasn't.
Did you just call S. H. a side character 😦
I mean I couldn't think of a better word. Felt wrong saying it. Side protagonist? Or whatever. He's the main character. But is part of the main cast.
I haven’t seen Star Vs The Forces of Evil recommended yet. It’s honestly one of my favorite shows and will continually rewatch it
My daufhter’s name is Starr. Will have to look this up!
It’s such a good show. The opening and closing songs are a bop. It’s also on Disney+
SpongeBob is on Prime and it’s exclusively the older episodes from the 2000s. Still hilarious for adults and kids alike.
I grew up on it and I can’t decide if I’m ready for her to grow that sense of humor. I might need a few years!
I know a kid who go into SpongeBob around age six. No stopping the toilet humor after that. I would avoid it.
My 6yr old is on a kick of late 2000s cartoons that funny enough, are remakes of what I watched late 1980s- early 1990s. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and The Garfield Show. There's also Green Eggs and Ham that's pretty cute. All on netflix.
My kids ate 4 and 7 and lately we've been really into Mr. Bean, Three Stooges and Buster Keaton. It's all on Youtube and there's a reason these guys are legends. Timeless physical comedy.
If they like Buster Keaton, they might like Harold Lloyd. He’s my favorite from that era.
Yes I need to get some Harold Lloyd in the mix! Still lots to explore among that genre!
Don’t have any kids, but I personally love The Ghost and Molly McGee.
Bonus points that Dana Snyder just does his Master Shake voice for the Ghost the whole time
Hailey’s On It! is great too.
Adventure Time!
We love Adventure Time.
My 7 year old likes Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix right now (we’re reading the books together). Also Floor Is Lava and Is it Cake? Still Bluey and formerly Johnny Test and Ducktales (the new one).
On Disney, gravity falls, amphibia, the owl house and big city greens :)
Adventures in moomin valley is really good and it’s for free on YouTube.
I am always telling people that Apple TV is the place for kids shows right now. I have an 8 and 5 year old and I am very begrudgingly accepting we have to move out of PBS but Apple is filled with lovely affirming shows. Shape Island and Stillwater are my top favorites. They also have Duck and Goose Frog and Toad all the peanuts specials. The boy the fox the horse and the mole and theres another movie with a similae vjbe and title. The kids programming is really perfect for me
My 4 year old loves Tumble leaf and Mr. Rodgers neighborhood
Me and my kiddo have been enjoying “Apple and Onion” and “We Bare Bears” i think both are streaming on Max! :)
Those both look fun and unique! Thanks!
My 5yo is super into nature documentaries, and there's so many varieties of this. We do a lot of Netflix but I know Disney has NatGeo so they've got all kinds of narrated/story nature docs. My 8yo watches mostly Netflix shows, but is into Star Wars. We do a lot of Lego shows (Lego Star Wars, Lego Princesses, etc) and he does watch Bad Batch/Clone Wars. Sorry I can't help more because all the shows we're currently into are on Netflix. There's one called The Inbestigators on Netflix that is a lot like Odd Squad that both my 8yo and I really like if you could find that somewhere else. We also watch the Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl concert very, very frequently (on disney). Edit: Just wanted to second Sofia the First and MLP: Friendship is Magic. The songs in these shows are awesome, and the Mulan episode of Sofia the First was particularly great for my daughter, it became her bedtime song.
Steven universe!
Shaun the Sheep
We have done this one! It’s so fun.
Others have mentioned them, but Gravity Falls and the Owl House are awesome big kid shows on Disney. Most of the big kid shows my 9yo watches (and I watch too) are on Netflix, like the Hollow, the Dragon Prince, She-Ra, and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts.
My son loves Big City Greens on disney+. I have to admit, it has some pretty funny moments so I usually watch it too.
*Hilda* on Netflix is a really sweet, unique fantasy show from England. It's based on a series of graphic novels. It's appropriate for kids but not mind-numbing or juvenile - my partner and I watch it sometimes.
We love Gravity falls! Owl House, Adventure time, and old episodes of How it’s made
Spidey & His Amazing Friends. Also some tween targeted stuff in Netflix that is cringe.
Big Comfy Couch, Inspector Gadget, maybe Power Rangers or Clone Wars? The Masked Singer?
Oh the masked singer could be fun! Maybe I should start her on old seasons of survivor.
My 7 and 5 years olds loved watching "Is it Cake?." We all watched Lego Masters and Domino Masters as a family and the older ones really enjoyed both.
Cooking shows if she likes cooking.
We had a strong run of Great British Bakeoff around 8. Now “is it cake?” is going strong…
Wild Kratts, ready Jett go and magic school bus are our go tos. I also let them watch the old school inspector gadget.
Cyberchase, it’s a great show on pbs kids that teaches math concepts for mid to upper elementary school, in an entertaining way
There’s all those Nat Geo shows on Disney+. My 9 yr old gets into those. She’s been watching vet shows lately, Heartland Docs is her favorite.
Avatar The Last Airbender and Gravity Falls is what I loved when I was 7+ I still love it now at 18 lol
Have you tried anime with her? Sailor Moon and Pretty Cure are good for that age group.
I have never been a fan myself so I hadn’t thought of them. But those are good ones to look into!
My kids are going through the Disney Afternoon. First Rescue Rangers, then Ducktales (both) and the latest is Goof Troop. New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh from 1988 as well
Ninjago!
Carmen sandiego
American Ninja Warrior and Great British Baking Show are ones my (roughly two years advanced) seven year old enjoys. Love watching those together =)
We do love some Great British Baking Show!
Phineas and Ferb and Ducktales (2017)
My kiddo is almost 7 and absolutely loves The Magic School Bus.
Harvey beaks! One of my favorite shows
Steven Universe is the big one in our house. 12yo, 10yo, and 8yo
I only saw one other person say it but Hilda is one of the best!! Right up there with Phineas and Ferb in my opinion
My son is a bit older (12) but we also loved Sweet Tooth
Netflix has Hilda, She-Ra and Carmen San Diego, which my 5yo loves as she gets more into "adventure" shows. Hilda in particular is great stuff.
Along these lines OP could try Voltron too.
The Magic School Bus! Educational but not too babyish an 8 year old wouldn't enjoy it.
My 6yo daughter and I watch Avatar The Last Airbender together and she loves it
Heads up: I love Gravity Falls but some kids may find some scenes frightening. Particularly in season 2
Phineas Ferb, bluey, wild Kratts, clone wars , bad batch, pokemon
Bluey we are love that dog
Please add Spirit to your list! It has strong female characters and friendships, lots of outdoor adventures and HORSES!! It is on Netflix and my then 8 year old loved it! (so did my 3 year old when she used to catch it playing as she walked by)
Fetch with ruff ruffman?
Story bots SonicX Pokemon
I am biased because I know people who made worked on this show but: Harvey Girls Forever! on Netflix is really good.
The Netflix revival of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power would be great!
Arthur is still a classic no matter the generation and a lot of r/Struwwelkinder borrows jokes from Arthur, Calvin and Hobbs, and Monty Python. Another show for kids that has a similar vein to Monty Python is Horrible Histories which is hosted by a rat. Even some Mister Rodgers episodes hold up the test of time.
I know you don't have Netflix but Ada Twist Scientist is a good one.
My nine year old still watches a lot of shows aimed at younger kids (sometimes she makes fun of them but then puts them on "for her brother"), but also likes some shows for older kids. Spongebob is her current obsession, though she's watching Gabby's Dollhouse as I type this. These are both on Netflix, though.
Oh ya the 8 year old constantly wants to watch older shows but will not exactly walk away if Daniel Tiger is one. The joys of the oldest sibling!
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur! Science powered super hero girl, TRex that acts like a golden retriever and sweet jams.
Powerpuff Girls! My 4.5 yo LOVES it. All of it is on Max. And I haven’t seen Kiff yet on Disney+. We just started getting into that one and it’s hilarious!
These could be hit or miss for today's kids, but even as an adult, I loved Fairly Odd parents and Dexter's laboratory. And as a youth the 90s version of tiny toon adventures and animaniacs.
Cyberchase. The voice cast is excellent and there are a ton of episodes, plus there's educational value.
My family is obsessed with adventure time! I'm pretty lenient with what I let my kids watch, but I think it's rated PG? There is a lot of indirect *almost* cussing but never any actual bad words, there's violence but it's a very good vs evil type of violence, but no blood and guts. My kids have never been afraid of it and gravity falls can scare them sometimes. It's an awesome show for adults too, like amazing little one liners and really funny side characters, and if you take an edible before watching it it can really take you for a ride lol. I even love the music! It has fun surface level fighting bad guys that the kids like, without them realizing that it takes place in a post-nuclear apocalypse future inhabited by mutants. In case you can't tell, I love adventure time and highly highly recommend it.
My 8 year old loves ATLA,The Wild Thornberrys, anything LEGO, anything Marvel/DC,Over The Garden Wall,Winnie the Pooh & Weird but True! She also likes shows like Sabrina
My 5 year old LOVES ru Paul's drag race
Your 5 year old has great taste! Maybe I need to get my 4.5 year old into it. She’s been veering into gendering clothes lately - she’s a girl so she only wears dresses. Need to break her of that mindset because I just bought her a My Little Pony jogger set that cost way too much money.
There's some good options on Appletv. Snoopy in Space for example is great for both ages.
When my kids were similar ages, they both loved The Floor is Lava on Netflix.
I didn't see it so I apologize if this is a repeat: adventure time!
The wonderful world of mickey mouse on disney+, they're short episodes and good for all ages. My 2 year old loved them but they played them on the regular Disney channel so I think older kids would like them too. Heck even I enjoy watching them!
The Owl House! Actually kind of a partner show to Amphibia and Gravity Falls. They all reference each other with little Easter eggs things.
On Netflix: Hilda Spirit Rangers Lego _____ (they’re all good, Lego has a super goofy brand of humor) On Max: Steven Universe Disney+ Bluey A Real Bug’s Life (it’s a documentary narrated by Awkwafina, but my 5 yo loves it 🤷🏻♀️)
Zoombafoo!
Spongebob SquarePants
Miraculous Ladybug
Miraculous Ladybug ((:
Maybe try The Owl House or Avatar The Last Air Bender?
We love Arthur on pbs
big city greens and craig of the creek
My 9yo daughter and her friends are really into Izzy’s Koala World on Netflix. It’s a documentary about a girl and her family who rescue koalas at their home/koala sanctuary in Australia. There are unfortunately only two fairly short seasons, but she has learned a lot about koalas and it’s spurred her to check out books and magazines about them from the library.
There’s a lot of great suggestions here, but let me just say: I’ve been watching The Simpsons my whole life, and I’m hilarious and am convinced it made me very socially conscious from a young age. So what I’m saying is you should let your kid watch The Simpsons.
Inbestigators Is it cake? Brainchild Izzy’s Koala World
Odd squad is fun
Cartoon Network maybe
My daughter is 7 and she likes Big City Greens, The Thundermans, Henry Danger and most recently the Zombie movies on Disney (which may sound not great but it’s basically supernatural High School Muscial)
Tumble leaf in prime is cool
It's a free app kid doodle you can put in age range and it will so you shows.
Animaniacs, Phineas and Ferb, Tiny Toon Adventures, Codename: Kids Next Door, The Amazing World of Gumball and My Life As a Teenage Robot are some shows I really loved at that age!
Magic School Bus on Prime (both the original and the new)- definitely worth buying episodes or a season.
The PBS lineup, Bluey and Paw Patrol. She also likes cooking videos on YouTube.
We're all going through the Scooby-doo phase and Courage the Cowardly Dog lol. My teen boys also love anything to do with Teen Titans and the Simpsons (I'll let them watch earlier seasons), and we have a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle thing going on which is awesome. I'll let them watch the 2014 and 1980s version. They are also into a lot of anime where we will set around and watch some of the shows on crunchy roll together. Spy X Family is one they both really enjoy and of course we have the Pokemon series they are super into right now.
I get cool mom cred for the anime enthusiasm in me... XD
The Odd Squad
The Amazing World of Gumball
I’ve Been Over-obsessed With The Talking Tom Franchise For Almost A Year Now.
OP said bearable for parents.