Education options for the cord cutting family on Netflix

We’re part of the Stream Team for Netflix and were compensated for this post. The end of a school year means the kids are home more. Even if you have summer camps and family vacations planned the kids will still be in front of the television more. This means that you’ve got to be careful what they watch, especially if your family is like ours and cut the cord. Relying on Netflix for your home entertainment options can still be educational for kids during the summer.  Here are six cool options that are great for kids as young as two.

Octonauts

What’s the Midnight Zone? Our children saw that episode on Netflix more than four years ago and can still tell us marine trivia. Sure, The Octonauts are just an animated show, but it immediately attracts children who are two years old and up. It’s filled with fun characters and much more education than  you realize. Case in point: the midnight zone, it’s the really deep part of the ocean where those shy, colorful creatures hang out.

BBC

A quick search of some BBC options on Netflix reveal Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina, Octonauts (!) and Sarah and Duck, but also dozens of fabulous nature documentaries. Those documentaries will be rated G or PG and have the trademark BBC quality that adults know and seek out. From sharks, wolves, planets, continents and weird animals there’s a BBC documentary that will suit your child (or you!).

The Magic School Bus

Take chances, make mistakes and get messy. It’s the stuff of science and The Magic School Bus. That classic show merged education and imagination in true 90’s fashion. It also had panache and was really fun to watch, plus you learned something. It’s no wonder that a new version of the show will be on Netflix soon. The new Ms. Frizzle will be voiced by Kate McKinnon and The Magic School Bus Rides Again! will be streaming sometime in 2017.

Ask The Storybots

Take real world images, digitally put five different shaped bots into the scene and have them explain why seemingly simple things happen. How do airplanes fly, why do I have to brush my teeth and other questions that parents legitimately do get asked, but often don’t know the answer to. This six-episode season will attract all ages and keep parents along for the ride.

PBS

Don’t forget the classics. Similar to BBC, except with more Clifford, The Magic School Bus (!), The Cat in the Hat, Sid The Science Kid, Super Why! and Barney, they have a nice selection of documentaries about weather, animals, dinosaurs and history.

White Rabbit Project

Because the attraction of Mythbusters was more than the two main cats, White Rabbit Project is here. It proves, recreates and has fun with history, as well as well-known ideas or tech. The charm still exists and is great documentary-style fun to watch.