Sesame Street
Obviously, we have to start with the PBS Kids show. From individual letters to entire words, Sesame Street taught me all the basics of the English language. The characters don’t talk in a ‘baby-ish’ voice, enunciating each word so that children know exactly how they sound. Personally, my favorite was Grover; his Super Grover 2.0 alter-ego resonated with my little four-year-old brain.
Arthur
One of the only memories I have of this show is DW flapping her hands and beginning to fly. I guess the physics really added up to me in preschool because I tried doing that during recess the next day. Other than that, DW was such a diva and top-tier rage baiter.
Zoboomafoo/Wild Kratts
This segment genuinely freaked me out, specifically because of the lemur—why’d it look at me like that? Aside from the creepy lemur, I would still watch Wild Kratts today if I had the time…The episodes were so entertaining and funny while also including so much information on the animal they were focusing on.
Caillou
Ahh, yes, the bald kid. I probably sang the theme song so much, I’m surprised my parents didn’t ban me from watching it. However, the fact that Caillou’s sister has ginger hair while both parents are brunette still throws me off…
Curious George
Literally the cutest monkey ever! His adventures with the Man in the Yellow Hat were peak entertainment. The most memorable episode for me was when George got his foot stuck in a chair! It’s crazy how easily children can interpret his monkey sounds, even though they barely have a grasp on English.
Sid the Science Kid
This one specific episode was definitely the trigger for my fear of having cavities, so thanks to Sid the Science Kid, I brush and floss every night! Overall, one of my favorite shows—if you don’t look at the teacher’s eyes too closely…
Honorable mentions: Dinosaur Train and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
Any child wishing to go into research should definitely binge-watch Dinosaur Train. It teaches the scientific method so well and in an approachable manner for kids.
Also, not sure why, but I thought Daniel Tiger was Chinese, but I guess I was just projecting! All of the characters are so adorable, but O is definitely my favorite.