Screen-time goals went out the window at our house when the pandemic hit. Working from home means meetings and deadlines don’t stop. So, that has, unfortunately, meant a lot more television time.
Just like anything else, though, some kids' television shows are better than others. Some make me cheer. But even hearing the theme song for others make me cringe. I'll start with the latter.
Ryan’s World (YouTube)
Credit: Ryan’s World/YouTube
Let’s just get Ryan’s World out of the way.
Ryan Kaji is a wildly popular YouTube sensation. How much is wildly popular? He has many different channels but Ryan’s World is the most popular with … wait for it … 25.4 million subscribers. On Ryan’s World, Ryan and his family play pretend drive-thru, find surprise eggs on giant inflatables, have water balloon fights, have Nerf gun battles, and travel to sites across the globe.
Forbes said Kaji was the highest-earning YouTuber of 2019 winning more than … wait for it … $26 million in revenue. That’s not even to mention his Nickelodeon show, Ryan’s Mystery Playdate (but that’s for another time).
Ryan the kid is amazing. Fun to watch, nice to other kids, charismatic, and smart (and his screen presence is finely honed). But the videos are just … well, there’s just not much substance to them, even when he is doing science experiments.
The episodes feature the same catch phrases, music, and rhythm throughout, nothing to challenge young minds. Honestly, it feels like digital brain rot.
Craig of the Creek (Cartoon Network)
Credit: Craig of the Creek/YouTube
One show I love, though, that's kind of new for us is Craig of the Creek, especially for older kids.
It’s only been around for a couple of years on Cartoon Network. It follows Craig Williams and his buddies and their adventures in a nearby creek and forest in suburban Maryland.
Of the episodes I’ve seen, the show is amazingly original, its morality tales are scaled up for older kids (Craig is 9 in the show), and it’s flat-out funny. There’s this one where Craig has to, uh, go to the bathroom, but he can’t just go in the creek because, uh, well … In another episode, the trio explore a nearby sewer.
“If I make it out of here without a serious bacterial infection, I’m never hiding again because I’m a creek kid,” says Craig to this friends. “We’re all creek kids, and we should always be proud of that!”
Rabbids Invasion (Nickelodeon)
Credit: Rabbids Invasion/YouTube
Another just absolute stinker show is Rabbids Invasion. I don’t need to go into too many details here because there’s not many details to go into.
I’ll try: There’s these weird-looking, rabbit-looking things. They mock each other mercilessly, beat each other to get what they want, and only talk in these weird variations of “baa baa.” Watch it. You’ll understand. And there are some adult themes occasionally thrown in. It’s kinda gross.
The show usually is on when we’ve been unable to monitor what’s happening on the television. It’s banned here and they know why.
Odd Squad (PBS Kids)
Credit: Odd Squad/YouTube
Odd Squad may be my favorite kid show running. PBS just brought a brand-new squad for a brand-new season this year. The cast is more diverse than ever and the oddness is more odd than ever.
In past episodes of Odd Squad, the kid investigators stamped out oddness (like a giant chicken that shoots laser beams from its eyes) with a mix of teamwork, math skills, problem-solving techniques, and many, many gadgets.
The show, too, is amazingly original. The jokes are often and offbeat. The kid actors bring it all to life with crazy-original characters like (my faves) Coach O and Agent Obfusco.