What does a 6 year old want to watch on Netflix? #StreamTeam

We’re part of the #StreamTeam for Netflix and were compensated for this post. All thoughts are our own. By the time a kid is 6 years old they kind of know what they want and what they like. Ours has only grown up streaming television. When we go to a friend’s house that doesn’t stream he used to ask them to skip through the commercials or ask when the show was coming back on. Recap: he loves streaming. Right now he is really into Bionicle: The Journey of One, Dinotrux, (seemingly anything else with “dino” in the title too), superheroes and time travel. So, what does a 6 year old want to watch on Netflix? Here’s his list of go-to programs. What is your child watching?

 

Bionicle: The Journey to One

Parents go from zero to 60 in knowing what our children know about certain things. I knew that he liked LEGO, but the depth of his knowledge about all of the LEGO properties was startling. When he saw that Bionicle: The Journey of One was on he started telling me about what each character does; why they’re special and what’s so important about that mask.

Bionicle: The Journey to One is fantasy based LEGO animation show that’s solidly aimed at kids 7 and up.  Realistically, boys will enjoy this more than girls though. The animation is top notch and is a show that parents will find themselves being sucked into also. It certainly helps that he loves to build and play with LEGOS, witness this Bionicle casting a shadow in our son’s room.

How our son’s #LEGOBionicle views the room. #LEGOFriends, #StreamTeam @netflix pic.twitter.com/qSvwsUAOEg

— Trey Burley (@Daddymojo) March 14, 2016

LEGO Friends: The Power of Friendship

Our son doesn’t watch this, but in fairness to the girls who like LEGOS and are looking for their show, check out LEGO Friends: The Power of Friendship. It takes place at a summer camp and is all about friendship-with nary a monster fight in sight. Boys will avoid this show like they wash their hands, but girls will get into it.

Dinotrux

Season 2 of Dinotrux is now streaming and it’s awesome. Construction vehicles as dinosaurs who are solving problems, learning how to work together and having fun makes for great viewing to kids 4 and up. There is some fantasy violence but it’s nothing that scares his 4 year old brother.   In a way it reminds of a dinosaur themed Bob the Builder. Often they have to create something or alter landscape to make something happen. They work as a team and the episodes usually end with them having fun or playing a game.

Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows

He stumbled into this after watching Bionicle: The Journey to One. However, Bionicle Web of Shadows is a little darker and just slightly scary for him. It’s a PG rated film that’s 75 minutes, so it takes a longer attention span and has more fantasy violence than the show. He lost interest after 10 minutes or so but goes back here sometimes just to see if it still scares him.

Dinosaur King

Dinosaur King is an Anime series that is jam packed with action. The dinosaurs in the show are quite realistic looking and might scare younger kids. This is one that he likes to watch by himself when his 4 year old brother is not at home.  It’s good for kids 7 and up, but it may seem older due to its manic energy and unique anime style.

Superhero Squad Show

Superhero Squad Show is so much fun to watch. I sneak into the room when he’s watching it and laugh along. He doesn’t get some of the jokes because his knowledge of the heroes and villains isn’t too deep yet. The animation is rounded and perfect for kids 5 and up. It does have some superhero fight scenes that scare our 4 year old a little bit. However, he wants so much to watch this with his brother that he’ll stay in the room and put the pillow over his head during the scenes when M.O.D.O.K is on screen.

Justin Time

Justin Time is a show that ages 2 and up will absolutely love. It’s part history, time travel, imaginative, creative and just flat-out happy. It’s remarkable that a show that skews so young can entertain a 4 and 6  year old so easily, but it does.

Puffin Rock

Puffin Rock is definitely for the younger kids-our 4 year old loves it. Each show contains three episodes that are six minutes long. The animation is beautiful and looks like a moving Eric Carle painting. Its part education with lots of animal facts woven into the voiceovers, but kids won’t notice that they’re learning something. Puffin Rock is a fun show for any age and reminds us of a more education oriented Peep and the Big Wide World.

Shushybye

Shushybye is children’s viewing for those 4 and under. It features large, soft body puppets and a gentle cast of characters to teach the very young about the importance of sleep, dreams, manners and make them laugh. What stands out about this series is the music. A show that caters to the younger set usually doesn’t have music that is this engaging. It’s still simple music, but it’s not boring, which is what most kids encounter in other shows for the very young. If you have a young child check out Shushbye and it’ll most likely surprise you.

For the adults: Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special

I can’t believe that this special is almost 30 years old. This vintage Pee-Wee Herman special is from 1988 and has a guest list that is out of this world. When I saw this in college it was hilarious and cutting edge. It’s still hilarious and shows how far ahead Paul Reuben was for his style of comedy. Kids may want to watch this, but it’s rated PG for some adult humor and sexually suggestive comments.