Finding something good for your child to watch on Netflix isn’t always easy. There are plenty of entertaining shows, but sometimes you want something that does a little more. Something that makes your child curious or gives them an idea worth exploring afterward.
Three good places to start are Brainchild for everyday science, The Who Was? Show for history, and The InBESTigators for solving mysteries. But children have different interests. Some love experiments, others prefer stories, and some want to learn about animals.
Here are ten shows worth considering, what they offer, and one question to ask after watching. Netflix availability varies by country and can change.
For kids who love science and asking questions
1. Brainchild: Science hiding in everyday life
Why do we dream? How does memory work? What do germs actually do? Brainchild explores these everyday questions with experiments, humour and demonstrations.
Why it’s worth watching: It connects science with things children recognize, including emotions, memory, creativity, social media and the natural world.
Ask afterward: “What surprised you most, and why?”
View the show’s real artwork and details on Netflix
2. StoryBots: Answer Time: Big questions explained simply
The StoryBots are curious animated characters who travel around finding answers to questions about maths, science and everyday life.
Why it’s worth watching: Playful explanations make unfamiliar ideas easier to approach and give parents a starting point for further questions.
Ask afterward: “Can you explain that answer in your own words?”
View the show’s real artwork and details on Netflix
3. Emily’s Lab: Real experiments, real curiosity
Hosted by science communicator Emily Calandrelli, this series features children participating in real experiments involving light, liquids, movement and other scientific ideas.
Why it’s worth watching: Children see real people testing ideas rather than only animated explanations. Episodes also present experiments for home use, with adult supervision.
Watch trailer: Emily’s Wonder Lab trailer on Netflix. I could not verify an official YouTube trailer.
Ask afterward: “Could we safely try one of the show’s home experiments together?”
View the show’s real artwork and details on Netflix
4. The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Science through imaginative adventures
A magical school bus takes a class on impossible journeys to explore nature, weather, space and scientific ideas.
Why it’s worth watching: These imaginative journeys can make unfamiliar science easier to picture. They also invite children to distinguish reality from fiction.
Ask afterward: “Which part of that adventure could happen in real life?”
View the show’s real artwork and details on Netflix
For kids who enjoy history, mysteries and solving problems
5. The Who Was? Show: Making history entertaining
History doesn’t have to begin with a textbook. This live-action comedy sketch show introduces well-known people including Mahatma Gandhi, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein and Joan of Arc.
Why it’s worth watching: It makes historical figures and their ideas memorable. The sketches simplify events, so they work best as an introduction rather than a complete history lesson.
Watch trailer: The Who Was? Show official trailer on Netflix (1 min 16 sec). A verified official YouTube upload was not found.
Ask afterward: “If you could meet one of these people, what would you ask?”
View the show’s real artwork and details on Netflix
6. The InBESTigators: Learning to look for clues
Four schoolchildren start a detective agency and solve mysteries around their school and neighbourhood.
Why it’s worth watching: Children can follow clues, make predictions and try to solve each mystery before the reveal. That opens a discussion about evidence versus guessing.
Ask afterward: “What do you think happened, and which clue supports your answer?”
View the show’s real artwork and details on Netflix
7. Ada Twist, Scientist: Asking questions and testing ideas
Ada and her friends investigate everyday problems using observation, questions, experiments and teamwork.
Why it’s worth watching: The characters don’t always get everything right at first. They test ideas and change plans, which can introduce a useful approach to problem-solving.
Ask afterward: “What small mystery could we investigate at home?”
View the show’s real artwork and details on Netflix
For kids curious about the world around them
8. Our Planet: Discovering how nature works
Narrated by David Attenborough, Our Planet explores wildlife, habitats and environmental change through nature photography.
Why it’s worth watching: Children see animals and places they might never encounter in person. Some wildlife and predation scenes can be intense, so parents may want to preview episodes.
Ask afterward: “What might happen if one animal disappeared from that habitat?”
View the show’s real artwork and details on Netflix
9. Waffles + Mochi: Exploring food and different cultures
Two curious puppet friends travel around the world discovering ingredients, cooking and meeting people from different cultures.
Why it’s worth watching: Children can discover where food comes from, how people prepare it, and traditions surrounding different ingredients.
Ask afterward: “Could we cook something simple using an ingredient from this episode?”
View the show’s real artwork and details on Netflix
10. Mark Rober’s CrunchLabs: Engineering through real challenges
Former NASA engineer Mark Rober takes on unusual building challenges and experiments, often using large-scale projects.
Why it’s worth watching: Children see engineering as testing ideas, finding problems and improving designs. Some demonstrations are unsafe to copy, and the series includes promotional material.
Watch trailer: Official trailer from Netflix Family.
Ask afterward: “Could we build a much smaller, safer version using cardboard or building blocks?”
View the show’s real artwork and details on Netflix
An educational label doesn’t guarantee learning
A child might watch an entire episode about electricity and remember very little. Another might watch a detective show and spend the next hour thinking about its mystery. What matters is not only the educational label. It’s also what interests the child and what they do with it.
You don’t need to test your child after every episode. That would make television feel like homework. A genuine question can be enough. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ family media guidance encourages parents to consider the child, the content and the context, not only how long children watch.
What should you choose tonight?
Start with your child’s interests. If they love science, try Brainchild. If they enjoy history, consider The Who Was? Show. If they like mysteries, put on The InBESTigators.
Choose an episode and see what catches their attention. Maybe they’ll ask a question or want to build something. Maybe they’ll simply enjoy the show. The point isn’t to make every viewing session into a lesson. It’s to have a few good options ready when curiosity shows up.
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