So you’ve decided it’s time to introduce your kids to the wonderful world of streaming media. Great idea! Streaming services offer a ton of kid-friendly content to keep your little ones entertained for hours. The only problem is, with so many options out there, how do you choose? As parents ourselves, we’ve taken the time to test out all the major streaming services and pick out the 8 Best Streaming Services for Kids. We evaluated each service based on content, features, and overall value to find the top choices no matter your budget. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the pros and cons of each pick and help you determine which streaming service is the best fit for your family. Get ready to make movie night a whole lot easier!
introduce parenting for kids
As a parent, finding the right streaming service for your kids can feel overwhelming. There are so many options these days! The good news is, many streaming services offer kid-friendly content and parental controls.
Netflix is a popular choice for families. They have an entire section dedicated to kids with shows like Boss Baby, CoComelon, and Avatar. You can create kid profiles with content ratings restrictions and screen time limits.
Disney+ is ideal if you want wholesome content. They have movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic. Everything is rated G, so you don’t have to worry about inappropriate content.
For the little ones, PBS Kids is fantastic. They stream shows like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Wild Kratts and Peg + Cat. The content is educational and helps build skills like sharing and problem-solving.
Hulu also has a kid-focused section with movies and TV shows like Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and Teen Titans Go!. Enable their parental controls to restrict mature content.
The key is finding a service with lots of content your kids already love. Compare available shows and movies, parental control options and pricing. Most offer free trials, so you can test different services to find the perfect fit for your family. With the right streaming service, you’ll have happy kids and peace of mind.
Best Overall Streaming Service for Kids: Netflix
When it comes to streaming services for kids, Netflix is hands-down the best overall option. With a huge selection of shows and movies for little ones, there’s no shortage of entertainment for children of all ages.
For preschool-aged kids, you can’t beat the selection of fun, educational shows like Super Why!, WordWorld, and Sid the Science Kid. These teach letters, numbers, and more while keeping kids engaged. For bigger kids, Netflix has popular shows like A Series of Unfortunate Events, Trollhunters, and The Who Was? Show.
They also have a ton of family-friendly movies, from animated films like The Incredibles and Kung Fu Panda to live-action movies like Goonies and Hook. The best part is that Netflix produces a lot of original content for kids with new shows and movies added all the time.
With personalized profiles, you can set content ratings for each child to ensure they only see age-appropriate stuff. Netflix is also available on pretty much any device, so kids can watch on tablets, phones, laptops, streaming media players, and smart TVs.
For a few bucks a month, Netflix offers a kid-friendly streaming service that both children and parents will love. If you’re looking for an all-in-one option to keep the little ones entertained, Netflix is really the way to go.
Best Free Streaming Service: YouTube Kids
An Ocean of Kid-Friendly Content
YouTube Kids is the best free streaming service for children, with a seemingly endless supply of videos, shows, songs, and more—all tailored for kids. This free app is available on Android and iOS devices, as well as some smart TVs.
Once you set up profiles for your children based on their age, YouTube Kids filters content to only show age-appropriate videos. It offers a huge catalog of kid-focused content like cartoons, learning videos, science experiments, arts and crafts tutorials, nursery rhymes, and educational games. Popular shows include Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Blippi, and Crash Course Kids.
YouTube Kids also has strong parental controls so you can block channels, set time limits, turn off search to restrict browsing, and get reports on your child’s viewing activity. While no system is perfect, YouTube does work to ensure videos are kid-friendly and comply with COPPA privacy laws. They also rely on parents and community members to flag inappropriate content for review.
For zero cost, zero commitment, and zero hassle, YouTube Kids is an excellent streaming choice for children. Between the massive content options, customization features, and parental controls, both kids and parents are sure to find something they enjoy.
Best for Young Kids: PBS Kids
Best for Young Kids: PBS Kids
PBS Kids is the perfect streaming service for preschoolers and kindergarteners. With shows like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Wild Kratts, and Super Why!, your little ones will learn social-emotional skills, science and reading fundamentals in a fun, engaging way.
PBS Kids has an easy-to-use interface so your kids can pick their favorite show with just a few clicks. You’ll find full episodes as well as clips, games and coloring pages to keep them entertained for hours. The content is all commercial-free, so you won’t have to worry about them seeing inappropriate ads.
An added bonus is the PBS Kids Video app which lets your kids stream their favorite shows on the go. The app is free to download and play, with no in-app purchases or third-party ads. Your kids can watch full episodes or clips and play games even when you don’t have an internet connection.
For $5/month, you get on-demand access to over 1,000 episodes of shows focused on skills like sharing, numbers, letters and more. PBS Kids is a nonprofit service, so your subscription directly supports the creation of educational media for children. If you have preschoolers or kindergarteners, PBS Kids should be at the top of your list of streaming services. Help your little ones learn and grow with the familiar characters and nurturing environments of PBS Kids.
Best for Learning: Khan Academy Kids
Best for Learning: Khan Academy Kids
Khan Academy Kids is perfect for preschool through 2nd grade kids. This free app offers over 5,000 interactive learning activities to help your child develop skills in math, reading, writing, and more.
With Khan Academy Kids, your child will go on educational adventures with lovable characters like a monkey, a robot, and a group of penguins. The lessons are fun and engaging, teaching skills like counting, the alphabet, addition and subtraction, phonics, and beginning reading.
An added bonus is that the app tracks your child’s progress so you can see what they’re learning and provide extra help if needed. Khan Academy Kids is available on iOS and Android and is completely free to use with no in-app purchases or ads. This makes it an ideal learning tool for younger kids.
Some other benefits of Khan Academy Kids:
- Aligned with Common Core standards for math and ELA.
- Covers skills for preschool through 2nd grade.
- Fun games and interactive activities keep kids engaged.
- No in-app purchases or third-party ads. Completely free.
- Available on iOS, Android, Amazon devices, and as a web app.
- Parent dashboard lets you see your child’s progress and learning.
For an entertaining and educational app perfect for preschool and early elementary ages, Khan Academy Kids is a fantastic choice. With a huge range of free activities, your child will build foundational skills while having fun on their learning adventure.
Best for Offline Viewing: Amazon FreeTime Unlimited
Offline Viewing
If you have kids and unreliable Wi-Fi, Amazon FreeTime Unlimited is a great option. It allows for offline viewing of thousands of TV shows, movies, books, educational apps, and games. Once content has been downloaded, kids can enjoy it even without an internet connection.
FreeTime Unlimited provides over 20,000 popular titles from PBS Kids, Nick Jr., Disney, and more. Parents can feel good knowing all content is kid-friendly and age-appropriate. You can set daily time limits, filter content by age, and review what your kids are watching to make sure it aligns with your values.
FreeTime Unlimited offers profiles for up to four children so each kid can have their own personalized experience. They can save shows, movies, books, and games to their own offline library. As an added bonus, Amazon provides kid-friendly tablets like the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet which comes with a 2-year worry-free guarantee.
For parents looking to limit screen time but still allow educational content and entertainment, FreeTime Unlimited hits the sweet spot. You get peace of mind with strict parental controls and the option for offline viewing when Wi-Fi isn’t available. At under $3 per month, this service provides amazing value for any family.
Apple TV
An Extensive Library for All Ages
Apple TV+ offers an enormous selection of kid-friendly shows and movies to choose from, with content for preschoolers through teens. There are animated series, live-action shows, educational programs, and family films galore. Some of the popular options for younger kids include Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Doc McStuffins. For bigger kids, you’ll find shows like Andi Mack, Best Friends Whenever and Raven’s Home. There are also great movie options like the Toy Story and Frozen franchises.
With the huge library of content, you’re sure to find something to suit your child’s interests and age level. The service makes it easy to set up separate profiles for each family member so that recommendations and viewing history are tailored for them. Parental controls allow you to restrict certain content by rating, require a password for purchases, and monitor what your kids are watching.
Related Article : The Ultimate List of Best Movies to Stream in June
Reasonably Priced with Free Trials Available
An Apple TV+ subscription is very affordable at just $4.99/month. They frequently offer free or discounted trials, especially around the holidays, so you can test it out risk-free. If you already have an Apple device like an iPhone, iPad or Apple TV, the streaming service is included for free for up to a year with the purchase of a new device.
Apple TV+ may be a great choice for families looking for a budget-friendly streaming option with a huge selection of kid-appropriate content and solid parental controls. The free trials and bundled subscriptions with Apple devices make it easy to try before committing to a paid membership.
Disney +
A Treasure Trove of Family Favorites
Disney+ is a streaming service dedicated to all things Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. For kids and families, it’s a treasure trove of favorite movies and shows.
Disney+ has a huge catalog of animated classics like Snow White, Cinderella, The Lion King, and Frozen. All the Pixar films are there too, from Toy Story to Inside Out. For live-action fans, you’ll find everything from Mary Poppins to Pirates of the Caribbean.
The service also features lots of original content, like the Star Wars series The Mandalorian, the Marvel show Loki, and the Disney Channel hit High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. There are also nature documentaries, kid-friendly unscripted shows, and movies from the Fox acquisition like Avatar and The Sound of Music.
With parental controls, you can set age ratings to block content for young viewers. Profiles for up to seven users allow you to set viewing restrictions for each family member. At under $10 a month, Disney+ is an affordable, commercial-free service with high-quality, curated content for all ages. For kids and families, it’s the ideal complement to services like Netflix or Hulu.
Disney+ brings the magic of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and more straight to your living room. With a huge catalog of beloved movies and shows, plus new originals, it’s a streaming service built for kids, families and the young at heart.
Conclusion
So there you have it, parents – the 8 best streaming services for kids to keep your little ones entertained and give you some peace of mind. With so many great options at your fingertips, you really can’t go wrong. Pick one, pick a few, or rotate between them all. The important thing is finding what works for your family and sticking with it. Before you know it, you’ll be curling up on the couch with your kids watching their favorite shows and movies, making memories that will last for years to come. Now get to streaming! The entertainment and bonding await.
