TV Programs that Stimulate Your Child

We constantly hear about how bad television is for our children, but how often have you let your kids watch it, just so you could get something done? If you pay attention to what programs your children are watching and make sure that they aren't being brainwashed, there is nothing wrong with a little TV.

Depending on the age of your child, there are plenty of different shows to choose from. However, some are better than others for stimulating your child's mind and creativity. Let's take a look at what constitutes a good TV show, according to age.

0-3: At this age, children are learning by example and watching everything around them. Look for shows that offer counting, word and vocabulary repetition and music. Things put to music are often retained easier and the rhythm also encourages toddlers to be more active.

Great shows for this age group: Sesame Street, Hi5, Baby Chef, and Blue's Clues.

4-6: This age group is still learning rapidly, but they are becoming more discerning and will probably have pretty strong opinions about what they want to watch. You can help direct this by taping the shows that you prefer they watch and then using the videos when they want to watch television. Look for programs that encourage action and movement, since kids in the preschool years are very into jumping and dancing. They also love to learn and retain new facts, especially about animals.

Great shows for this age group: Animal Planet, Hi5, and Blue's Clues.

7-10: School-aged kids are probably going to want to watch more of what their friends watch, but you can still get them to watch good shows if you find something that appeals to their curiosity and keeps them entertained, although educational. Kids of this age are usually fascinated by how things work, so science shows can be good for them.

Great shows for this age group: Extreme Animals, Art Attack, and Dragonfly TV.

By the time your kids hit their preteens, you probably aren't going to be controlling much of what they watch. They will also be more interested in watching more adult oriented shows. This article is only meant to provide guidelines for TV watching up to the age of 10, after that, you are on your own!