30+ Best Netflix Kids' Shows for When You Need a Little "Me Time"
Make every second of screen time count.
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When it comes to children's television, there's something so convenient about streaming something on Netflix. It's always on, the next episode is automatically at the ready, and you don't have to deal with commercials for things that your kids will inevitably bug you to buy after getting the jingles stuck in their heads. You just fire it up and start watching whatever you want.
But what to watch? Thankfully, there's a lot of choice, and the best Netflix kids' shows can rival the quality of prestige television for adults. For the littlest ones, you can find shows that teach them new words, help them identify emotions, or introduce them to the music of the Beatles or Motown. Movie fans can find series spin-offs of their favorites, like Trolls, Boss Baby, Shaun the Sheep, or Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Older kids can find ongoing sagas with more complex storylines and characterizations based on YA series. And parents might even find re-dos of some of their old favorites, like My Little Pony or She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Throw one on, and you won't have to feel so bad about screen time.
Another reason you don't have to feel bad? Netflix is now introducing more parental controls to its service. New features let parents PIN-protect other profiles to keep kids from using them, filter the content based on age ratings, and see what their kids have been watching. To find out how to set the parental controls, visit Netflix's website.
Trolls: The Beat Goes On
The lighthearted Queen Poppy and the stick-in-the-mud Branch get up to more musical adventures in the spin-off series to Trolls. The bright colors and cute designs make this a pleasure to watch, as well as listen to. It's a great thing to throw on after watching Trolls: World Tour, which is skipping theaters and going straight to on-demand viewing on April 10 (not on Netflix).
Last Kids on Earth
Based on the book series, Last Kids on Earth follows a typical suburban 13-year-old — living in the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Together with his middle-school friends, he battles monsters and spends time in his treehouse. If you've already finished all the available episodes and are hungry for more, there's good news: Season 2 premieres on Netflix on April 17.
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Shaun the Sheep: Adventures From Mossy Bottom
Netflix debuted the delightful A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon earlier this year. If that whets your kids' appetites for more gently droll adventures with a claymation farmhouse animals, this show delivers.
Carmen Sandiego
In this series, Carmen Sandiego is a master thief who uses her skills for good (while still imparting a lot of information about geography and history). Adults will recognize the voices of Gina Rodriguez from Jane the Virgin and Finn Wolfhard from Stranger Things. If the kids enjoy it, there's an interactive special: Carmen Sandiego: To Steal or Not to Steal, that launched on March 10.
Mighty Express
Your kiddos favorite trains are back with Season 4 of Mighty Express (July 27), with more exciting adventures, teachable moments rooted in friendship and troublesome conundrums that call for teamwork. Season stand outs include a medieval-themed episode, a storyline that has lots (and we do mean lots!) of bubbles and some science fun that will have your kids wanting to experiment!
Go! Go! Cory Carson
Head to the town of Bumperton Hills for the charming tale of this all-car universe. Experts predict that Cory Carson toys are going to be big this holiday season.
Archibald's Next Big Thing
Tony Hale, Rosamund Pike, and Jordan Fisher provide voices for this series, about a chicken who's always getting into mischief (but who always finds his way home again). The series was created by Veep's Hale and started off as a web series, so it has a quirky sense of humor.
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Spirit Riding Free
The Oscar-nominated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron inspired a number of Netflix series; the most recent is Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy, following the characters as they leave their hometown and attend the tony Palomino Bluffs riding school.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
This excellent version of She-Ra is a little bit more of an action heroine, leading a rebellion against an evil Horde. Don't hold your breath waiting for He-Man to show up — this one is all about the ladies, and it offers a complex, nuanced look into the relationships between the heroes and the villains. The fifth and final season will premiere on May 15.
Pokémon The Series: Sun and Moon
One of the more popular films on Netflix right now is Pokémon: Mewtew Strikes Back. If that stirs up a desire for more Pokémon, there are three seasons of Sun & Moon ready to go.
The Boss Baby: Back in Business
Fans of the movie The Boss Baby will also love its spin-off series, which stars the same achievement-oriented infant as his plans to run Baby Corp bump up against his life as, well, a baby. (Stinky diapers happen to even the most powerful baby CEOs.)
Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated
If your family wants to pretend to be armchair detectives along with some meddling kids, there's a lot of Scooby Doo on Netflix. In addition to two season of Mystery Incorporated, there are also three seasons of What's New, Scooby Doo?, so you can get them into the Mystery Machine gang before Scoob comes out this year.
DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders
If you have a How to Raise Your Dragon fan who is sad the movie franchise is complete, you can keep them in the world of dragons and vikings a little longer. This show follows twins who were raised by dragons and can speak their language.
DC Super Hero Girls
From the creator of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, this show re-imagines Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Green Lantern, Bumblebee, and Zatana as students of Metropolis High. The episodes are short — less than 15 minutes — so they're good to throw on if you just have a minute.
Super Monsters
When the sun goes down, a pre-K classroom full of kids become monsters — but this show is anything but scary. Instead, they learn about how to to master their monster powers, as well as their emotions.
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
It's better than you remember from your childhood: Six ponies, all with different interests and abilities, learn a lesson about friendship in every episode. If your kids make it through all eight seasons, know that there's a ninth one aired on TV already, and should make its way to Netflix at some point.
Hilda
Adapted from a series of graphic novels, Hilda is a girl who is always having adventures with magical creatures, like elves and trolls, helping them solve some of their problems. The gentle stories are accompanied by some beautifully designed animation.
Green Eggs and Ham
Entering into the wacky world of Dr. Seuss, the Green Eggs and Ham series tells further stories about Sam-I-Am and Guy-Am-I. Veteran comedians like Keegan Michael Key, Adam DeVine, Ilana Glazer, Tracy Morgan, and Jillian Bell — along with talents like Michael Douglas — provide the voices.
Ask the Storybots
Five robots of different sizes and colors come together to answer questions like "Why is the sky blue?" — which they explain through songs, skits, and special guests that parents would appreciate (think Snoop Dogg, Jon Legend, Edward Norton, Whoopi Goldberg, and Ali Wong). The educational bent makes this appropriate for even the littlest watchers.
True and the Rainbow Kingdom
True and her best-friend Bartleby have wish-granting powers, and they use them to help their friends. This cute, colorful series is focused on kindness, compassion, and empathy.
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
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