Educational TV for Kids

After kids get past the preschool age or so, targeted educational programming for their age groups seems to dwindle drastically. In searching for quality programming for older kids, I have found that a lot of kids really love the informational programming in several different genres, even though the shows are not necessarily produced for kids.

It is not surprising that children are interested in animal shows on The Animal Planet or Discovery Channel, but a lot of kids are also interested in informational and how-to programming as well. The design shows on HGTV, for example, or cooking shows on the food channels. Over the last few weeks our family watched a few of the The Next Food Network Star episodes leading up to tonight's finale. My kids were as riveted as we were watching the contestants compete in crazy cooking challenges. We had a lot of fun watching together, and we all learned something about cooking and the cooking entertainment industry. Seeing true professionals showcase their talents in different areas of expertise inspires kids to learn more and to try different activities. So, if you are looking for kids' shows that offer a little more value for the time in front of the tube, one option is to try watching some documentaries, cooking shows, or how-to shows that might spark their interest.

What shows do you watch as a family?