The original post: /r/television by /u/wallysmith127 on 2026-05-05 16:53:10+00:00.
As I’m sure many other parents are, I’m particular about the media I show my daughter. I tend to avoid “empty calorie” shows, stuff like Paw Patrol and Cocomelon (apologies to those who dig those shows though!). We just finished watching Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure and it was a delight. While it wasn’t as high on the “teachable moments” scale as some other shows we’ve watched, it was good enough to keep watching due to the fun it had with the IP.
Ideally looking for something animated, but open to ideas. Here are some off-the-top rankings of shows/movies we’ve watched for “teachable moments” calibration (looking for shows in the 6-8 y/o range):
S-tier: Bluey, Hilda, Mira Royal Detective, Kpop Demon Hunters, Inside Out 1 & 2, My Neighbor Totoro, Moana, Sesame Street (though this doesn’t interest her anymore)
A-tier: Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, In Dreams, WALL-E, Over the Garden Wall, Monsters Inc, Toy Story 3, Top Chef Junior, Frozen 1 & 2 (A-/B+ tier), My Melody & Kuromi, Pokemon Concierge, Kiki’s Delivery Service
B-tier: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Ariel, Puppy Dog Pals, Dino Ranch, Rataouille, We Bare Bears
C-tier: Paw Patrol
Gravity Falls is one I started on my own many years ago but I fell off. It’s quirky and fun but it might be a bit above her head at this time, plus I don’t know how it’d land on the scale above.
She’s also watched a bunch of My Little Pony but I haven’t sat down to watch most of it. I’d probably put that in the A-/B+ range from what I’m familiar with
We’ve watched a bit of The Wonder Years here and there, but it’s a show I’d love to go all the way through with her when she’s a bit older, maybe approaching junior high.
Also open to movies (we’ve watched a bunch more than the ones listed here) , though television shows feel a bit trickier to find. We really enjoy going through longer narratives in shorter time frames.