100 Educational TV Shows + Films For Kids
This post is part of our archived content. While we’ve shifted focus, it still may be useful.
Trying to educate your children, work from home, look after a home and have some semblance of a life is very, very difficult.
We’re all about making it easier on ourselves while we’re indoors, so we’ve compiled a list of over 100 of the best educational films for kids of various ages.
You can plonk the kids in front of the TV/laptop and let them entertain and educate themselves for 90 or so minutes.
Try and drink a warm beverage and get on with some semblance of a normal life while they’re otherwise engaged.
Our list of the best educational films for kids isn’t definitive; new films and TV shows come out all the time.
So in the spirit of ‘it takes a village’, let us know in the comments if we’ve omitted an educational film or TV show and we’ll add it in.
As this list covers films and TV shows for nursery children right up to older kids, have a think about the film’s ratings, themes, language and the maturity level of your child.
We’ve put the ratings of films next to each title to give you an idea but you know your children the best and what they can and can’t handle entertainment-wise.
100+ of the best educational TV shows and films for kids:
A wholesome family movie discussing how humans treat animals and nature.
A Man For All Seasons – Rated PG
A 1989 film based on Sir Thomas More’s refusal to accept Henry VIII’s split from the Roman Catholic Church.
Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, the documentary tells the tale of a family of lions on the African savanna.
The story of William Wilberforce and the parliamentary fight to bring slavery to an end.
Use to discuss Wilberforce’s struggles with faith and politics.
An animated and gentle look at racism and immigration in 1800s America.
Any Roald Dahl Film
Choose your favourite Roald Dahl book and watch its corresponding film.
The Roald Dahl website also has a list of activities to do related to the books.
Apollo 11 – Rated U (Available on Netflix)
A documentary about the first Moon landing, in July 1969, featuring those who went.
A fun way to teach your kids about space and the benefits of working together.
Nice way for very young children to learn a few facts about bees.
Almost three hours long, you could use Ben Hur as part of a RE lesson on Christianity.
A nice story about working together and brotherhood. A gentle look at grief.
Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure – Rated PG
A 1989 tale of time travel where kids will get to meet figures from the past.
Read the book together then watch the film and discuss the importance of friendship.
The film can be used as a good basis for starting a discussion on extraterrestrial life.
A slightly silly portrayal of Jamaican people and culture, but the film can be used to talk about sportsmanship and teamwork.
A good vehicle for secondary school age kids (year 9 and above) to discuss the horrors of apartheid.
Use in an English lesson on Jane Austen.
Don’t be fooled by the low rating, this film is best suited to secondary school kids due to the violence.
Use in a history lesson on WW2.
A cartoon where kids can learn about the environment with magical creatures and catchy songs.
One for older kids to discuss the joys of writing and how using your imagination can improve your work.
The Oscar-winning film does have some violence in it but can be used with older kids as a vehicle to discuss restraint, tolerance and history.
A singing and dancing romp through 1960s America.
Can be used to discuss race relations and the portrayal of women in film.
An inspiring look at the role black women played in getting men on the moon.
A great way to discuss emotions with young children.
The book is a classic and the film is just as good, clean and wholesome.
Lord Of The Flies (1963) – Rated PG
We prefer the old black and white version (less violence) and we suggest getting the kids to read the book then watch the film.
A brilliant adaptation of the famous book your child is bound to study at some point during secondary school.
It’s a classic, but young children might be disturbed by the slightly violent scenes.
Operation Dumbo Drop – Rated PG
An American war film that also looks at politics and animal welfare.
An animated film looking at what happens when a virus enters the human body.
Mr Peabody And Sherman – Rated PG
Animated and usually accurate time travel adventures.
Bring the GCSE text to life.
A heart breaking look at the treatment of Aboriginal Australians.
Remember The Titans – Rated PG
A historically accurate look at sport and racism in 1970s America.
Ride Like A Girl – Rated PG
The true story of the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup.
Sgt Stubby: An Unlikely Hero – Rated PG
An animated film about the true story of a stray dog that joins the U.S. Army during World War 1.
The true story of a young surfer’s battles after being attacked by a shark.
A true story retelling the life of an autistic young woman. Better for tweens and up.
Historic drama set in Victorian London where Eddie Redmayne tries to predict the weather in his hot air balloon.
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind – Rated PG (Available on Netflix)
An outstanding film telling the true story of an African boy who creates a device to help his community.
A must-see.
A funny look at NASA’s attempt to get hold of the world’s biggest satellite dish sitting in a sheep paddock in Australia.
Glorious songs and a non-scary look into war.
Plus, national treasure Julie Andrews.
The Story Of 1
BBC documentary about the history of numbers.
Meteorology, tornadoes and storm chasing. A loose and free geography lesson?
Animated story about a WW2 pigeon.
Learn about saving the planet
A sweet film about kindness, friendship, and acceptance.
Fact-based drama focusing on events that took place in Northern Ireland during World War 2.
Animated film teaching tolerance and teamwork.
The Best Educational TV Shows For Kids
Absolute Genius With Dick & Dom
Learn about the geniuses whose ideas, creations and discoveries have shaped the modern world.
Absurd Animals
A humorous look at Mother Nature and some of the planet’s most silly animals.
Alphablocks
An excellent way to learn essential phonics skills.
Andy’s Adventures
CBeebies favourite Andy takes you on a series of adventures covering prehistoric times, dinosaurs, safari, sounds and more.
Any David Attenborough Series
Pretty much any and everything Sir David produces will teach your kids about, and how to respect, the natural world.
Art Ninja
Art lessons with a fun and engaging host.
Blackfish
A powerful documentary about the treatment – and death – of orcas in captivity. One for tweens/teens.
Blaze And The Monster Machines
A cartoon where the two main characters solve problems using science and maths.
Brainchild
Science show presenting easy to understand facts for kids.
Chernobyl
One for older kids, use it as a history lesson on Chernobyl.
Deadly Dinosaurs
Steve Backshall talks dinosaurs.
Dinosaur Train
Kids can learn about natural science, natural history and palaeontology.
Maddie’s Do You Know
A fab show where kids get to find out how things are made or how they work.
Dora The Explorer
A great theme song and a way to learn teamwork and a little bit of Spanish.
Down On The Farm
An informative look at life on a farm for small children.
Drain The Oceans
Disney+ show exploring the treasures at the bottom of the sea.
Expedition Unknown
A series looking into the truth of various myths and legends.
Go Jetters
Early geography lessons for very young children.
Grace’s Amazing Machines
A look at the biggest and fastest machines in the world
Horrible Histories
A brilliant and hilarious look at History; the songs are catchy and we reckon you as the parent will learn a thing or two also!
If I Were An Animal
Nature series looking at the life and habits of various animals.
Kevin Hart’s Guide To Black History
A wonderful series showing black people accomplished so much more than history gives them credit for.
Little Einsteins
A wonderful theme song and a wonderful show all about science.
Mallory Towers
A brilliant BBC adaptation based on the Enid Blyton books.
Messy Goes To Okido
Young children can learn more about the world around them.
Noughts And Crosses
An excellent BBC adaption of the excellent Malorie Blackman book.
Numberblocks
Preschool children can learn to count and add.
Octonauts
Learn about life under the sea.
Odd Squad
A group of kids use maths to solve problems.
Operation Ouch
An outstanding show featuring Doctors the kids will love as they explain all there is to know about the human body.
Lots of humour and gross bits.
Scorpion
Tech-savvy teens should enjoy this series.
Sesame Street
An absolute gem of a show. All kids should watch it!
Spy In The Wild
Brilliant nature doc from the BBC.
Team Umizoomi
Kids can learn about counting, measurement, shapes and patterns.
Storybots
Kids can learn about topics including outer space, dinosaurs and shapes.
The Deep
Action and adventure cartoon about life under the sea.
The Universe
Science documentary about the secrets of the universe.
The Who Was Show
Funny and educational show for kids on Netflix looking at famous characters from the past.
Tumble Leaf
Learn how things work.
Walking With Dinosaurs
A must see for dinosaur fans.
What’s The Big Idea?
All about discovery and learning.
Where In The World
Geography for the very young.
Wild Kratts
Learn about wild animals.
Elmo’s World
In each five-minute episode, lessons are taught through the lens of fun and familiar pre-school relevant topics, live action films, and interactive thinking games such as matching, sorting, and counting.
Even if a film isn’t particularly educational, you can always turn it into a learning opportunity.
For example, here’s how to have a Marvel-inspired home school session:
- Create your own comic with original characters.
- Do a research project on the spider that bit Peter Parker
- History – how does Marvel’s Thor relate to actual Norse mythology?
- Physics – build a robot, based on Iron Man.
- Make a Captain America inspired snack mix.
- Make green Rice Krispy treats inspired by Hulk.
- Make pizza dough and cut/form into I am Groot – use olives as eyes.
- Make a Marvel menu: chicken shawarma (Avengers), tacos (Avengers Endgame) etc
- There is an official marvel cookbook being released in July called Marvel Eat The Universe.
- Do some work around alliteration as a lot of the names are examples of alliteration such as Peter Parker and Bruce Banner.
- Use stop motion animation to create a scene from one of the movies or make a flipbook movie.
- Search YouTube for superhero-themed workouts.
- Download free printables from Disney and ask your child to spend 30-60 minutes (depending on their age) working through the booklet WITHOUT bothering you!
What do you think are the best educational films and TV shows for kids?