Curiosity

Tractor Ted, an animated green tractor, takes the viewer through a day of silage-making on a real farm with Farmer Tom and his helper Les. Together they check that the grass is ready, cut it with a mower, rake it into rows, and use a forage harvester to chop it and blow it into trailers, which are driven back and stored in the silage clamp to feed the cows in winter. Along the way the children play hide and seek in the tall grass, Merlin the pony decides he would share his grass after all, and Ted helps squash the heap down. The episode ends back at the farmhouse with Ted noting that he now knows how silage is made.

See all Curiosity shows for 2-year-olds

For 3-year-olds

Three is the age of asking why, often about small everyday things: where the rain goes, why the dog barks. A child this age wonders out loud but still needs the answer to arrive inside a story, not as a lesson. Look for a character who notices something, wonders about it, and tries something out, with the question resolved before the episode ends. Gentle mistakes are useful here; they show that not knowing is a normal place to start.

S01 E12

Little Bear

Fishing with Father Bear

Little Bear and Father Bear set out early to catch the biggest fish in the lake. They pack a picnic, row out in a boat, and Father Bear teaches Little Bear to be his first mate, showing him how to row and cast a line. While they wait, they talk about life at sea, share cookies and imagine what they might catch. They reel in only a small fish, and the day ends with the two of them playing and splashing together in the water.

S01 E04

Pocoyo

Who's on the Phone?

Pocoyo finds a pink telephone and cannot work out what it is. Guided by the narrator and helped by his friend Pato, he experiments, listens, and learns to answer it by saying 'hello'. The caller turns out to be his friend Ellie, who is inviting everyone to a party. The episode ends with Pocoyo and his friends gathered together at Ellie's celebration.

S01 E02

Andy Pandy

The Balloon

Andy Pandy wakes up early and finds a balloon in his cupboard, then takes it outside to play. After Teddy startles him, the balloon floats away and drifts past his friends Missy Hissy, Orby, and Tiffo, who each wonder if it is a new friend. The balloon bursts when Tiffo plays too roughly, leaving everyone disappointed, until Andy remembers he has more balloons at home. The friends gather in the garden and all blow up balloons to play together.

S01 E02

Dinosaur Train

Tiny Loves Fish

In this episode of Dinosaur Train, Tiny the Pteranodon declares how much she loves fish, so Mom and the children board the train and travel to the water to go fishing. Along the way they dive for fish and meet other creatures that eat them, learning how different animals catch their food. The story plays out across a river canyon and open water in the prehistoric world. It closes with a live-action paleontologist explaining real facts about Pteranodons before the credits roll.

S01 E03

Dinosaur Train

The Call of the Wild Corythosaurus

Buddy, a young Tyrannosaurus rex raised by a Pteranodon family, travels on the Dinosaur Train to find a herd of crested Corythosaurus. The family watches and listens as the dinosaurs call to one another, and Buddy forms an idea about how they communicate before testing it with his sister Tiny. The animated story ends with the family back on the train, and a real paleontologist, Dr. Scott, closes the episode out in the field talking about real Corythosaurus. Along the way the characters name dinosaur species and describe how the crested heads help the animals make their sounds.

S15 E14

Curious George

Hawai'i

George the monkey wakes up on a Hawaiian vacation and sets off to explore while the Man in the Yellow Hat goes birdwatching. With his dog friend Hundley, George drifts along the coast, crosses a coral reef, climbs toward a volcano, and photographs plants, birds, and sea turtles along the way. He meets hotel staff, locals, and two botanists who explain Hawaiian nature and culture. By sunset George finds his way back and reunites with the Man, having captured the whole day in pictures.

S01 E13

Pocoyo

The Key to It All

Pocoyo finds a shiny golden key and, with his friends Pato and Elly and a warm offscreen narrator, sets out to discover what it opens. The key leads him through doors, a basement, and an underwater lift down to the sea bed, and finally to a treasure chest buried on a beach. The chest turns out to be full of more keys, and the narrator ties it to a closing thought about staying curious. The friends cheer together before the episode ends.

S02 E01

Curious George

Up, Up and Away

George visits Rankin's farm for blueberries and helps inflate Mrs. Rankin's hot-air balloon, then climbs aboard with the neighbor boy Bill. When the tether comes loose, the two float off across farmland, a lake and toward the sea while the Man with the Yellow Hat and Mr. Quint give chase by boat. George experiments with the burner, the sandbags and finally the vent, working out how to make the balloon descend. They land safely, and George even takes the bird photographs Bill had forgotten.

S01 E01

Dinosaur Train

Valley of the Stygimolochs

Buddy, a young Tyrannosaurus Rex, and his Pteranodon sister Tiny ride the Dinosaur Train with their mother to the Valley of the Stygimolochs. There they meet a family of dome-headed Stygimolochs and learn how these dinosaurs look and behave, with Buddy forming a guess and checking it against what he sees. The animated adventure moves between train rides and exploring the valley on foot. It closes with Dr. Scott, a real paleontologist, who connects the episode to actual dinosaur science.

See all Curiosity shows for 3-year-olds

For 5-year-olds

By five, children want real answers and can follow a simple explanation from start to finish. They enjoy guessing what will happen and then finding out whether they were right. Look for a series that treats a question seriously, shows the steps of finding out rather than jumping to the fact, and uses words a five year old can repeat afterwards. It helps when the series is comfortable saying that some things are still unknown.

SciShow Kids

Amazing Cave Animals

Host Jessi, a male co-host and Squeaks the robot rat get ready to visit their friend Sam the bat in his cave. Along the way they explain that a cave is a habitat, show real footage of an olm, a Mexican tetra and a cave spider, and point out that these animals have no eyes. They walk the viewer through why deep cave animals rely on smell and touch instead of sight, and invite the child to close their eyes and notice their own senses. The episode ends back in the studio as the hosts finish packing for the trip.

S02 E30

Puffin Rock

A Special Seashell

recommended age co-watching from 4

On the Irish island of Puffin Rock, young puffin Una sets out to find shiny shells to cheer up her little brother Baba, who is home sick. With her friend Silky and help from Bernie the shell expert, she gathers shells, but a group of seagulls carries off her hidden collection. Back home, the one plain spiral shell she has left turns out to be special, letting Baba hear the ocean and finally fall asleep. The episode closes with a bedtime scene and family credits.

SciShow Kids

Super Slugs

Host Jessi and her robot rat Squeaks explore how a sea slug called the emerald Elysia can make its own food from sunlight. From a bright studio set, Jessi explains that plants and algae use chloroplasts to turn light into food, and that the slug keeps those tiny machines running after eating algae. Real footage of slugs, algae and ponds is mixed with simple animated diagrams. The episode closes with Jessi and Squeaks heading to the garden to pick tomatoes for a salad.

SciShow Kids

Animals That Eat Poop

Host Jessi and her robot rat Squeaks explore why some animals, especially dung beetles, collect and eat poop. From a bright studio set, Jessi explains what beetles are, describes the dung beetle's horns, wings, and strong legs, and works through the mystery of the ball Squeaks saw one pushing. Using real footage and simple diagrams, she shows how nutrients pass from grass through cows into poop, which beetles then reuse for food and to feed their young. The episode ends with Squeaks eager to learn about more unusual animals.

See all Curiosity shows for 5-year-olds

For 6-year-olds

At six, curiosity reaches beyond the house and the garden: other countries, other times, how people figured things out. Children this age can hold a question in mind across a whole episode and notice when one answer opens another. Look for a series where finding out takes effort and a bit of persistence, and where the people asking the questions are shown thinking, not just knowing. Room for follow-up questions afterwards is a good sign.

S01 E02

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum

I Am Marie Curie