Preschool and elementary school kids in the 1990s had no shortage of excellent, educational entertainment options. Kids' television during this time was transforming into a medium that benefited the whole child. Reading and counting, music, object lessons, and social skills were more frequently included in various shows.
PBS was a true leader in the arena of holistic children's programming. There are so many memorable shows from the 1990s, and it's fun to go back and relive the best ones. An honorable mention is Clifford the Big Red Dog, which premiered in 2000.
Arthur is one of the most beloved PBS shows of the 1990s, and it's still airing new episodes today. Marc Brown's children's books led to the animated series starring Arthur, D.W., and all of Arthur's other mammal friends. While the series has been available on Amazon Prime with a PBS Kids extension, many of the show's seasons are disappearing from Prime Video.
Arthur's Ziggy Marley theme song reminds viewers to "learn to work and play, and get along with each other." The show's inclusive stories and practical lessons stay with fans forever.
From 1969 to now, Sesame Street has been teaching kids how to spell, count, color, and be kind to others. With its legendary puppeteers and human castmates, the series has always promoted diversity and celebrated many cultures. From Bert and Ernie to Big Bird and Elmo, these lovable puppets and their human friends are the past, the present, and the future of great children's television.
"Take a look, it's in a book. A reading rainbow!" This important series ran from 1983 to 2009 and was hosted by actor and director LeVar Burton. Burton's gentle voice brought the pages of different children's books to life, and his award-winning series also used footage of children and adults in many environments.
The live-action scenes corresponded with the reading material of each episode. Reading Rainbow shaped children of several generations for the better.
Like many other PBS shows, select episodes of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood are available on Amazon Prime. Fred Rogers is the angel of children's television, running his show from 1968 to 2001. Mr. Rogers broke the fourth wall, loved his neighbor, used creative puppetry, and was not afraid to treat children like the real people they are.
He carefully introduced difficult topics some days while still including basic lessons for everyday child development. It's no wonder that so many recent projects have sought to share more about his life and career.
Barney was born out of a mother's desire to give her young son an entertaining television option. That mom was Sheryl Leach, and she helped bring Barney to life with the character's first videos in the late 1980s, Barney & the Backyard Gang.
The big purple dinosaur made it to PBS in 1992, and Barney & Friends did not end until 2010. With songs like "Clean Up," "I Love You," and "If All the Raindrops," Barney engaged every part of the young viewer's brain. The television series extended to live shows, books, and cuddly miniature Barneys.
The music, the animation, and the unbelievable stories truly took fans of The Magic School Bus (1994-1997) on a journey. From the moment that Little Richard starting singing that theme song (written by Peter Lurye), kids knew they were about to have a good time.
Elementary science teachers loved to take a break by propping the kids up in front of an episode of this show, and students didn't seem to mind! With Ms. Frizzle (Lily Tomlin) and The Producer (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), there was always something to learn and somewhere new to go.
Zoom was one of PBS's educational offerings in the 1970s, and it was remade as a 1999-2005 series. The show was full of creative science experiments, games, skits, crafts, and songs like "Fannee Doolee" and the theme song. The motto was simple: "If you like what you see, turn off the TV, and do it."
While the show is very hard to find and YouTube clips aren't the best quality, fans can go to the "Zoom into Action" YouTube playlist to see their favorite cast members teaching kids in 2020 how to make fun and useful crafts. PBS still shares the show's applicable object lessons for classroom teachers, too.
The Big Comfy Couch aired from 1992 to 2002 and had a brief revival in the 2000s. The Canadian series found incredible popularity in the United States thanks to Loonette the Clown and her doll, Molly.
Loonette taught kids how to get up off the couch and stretch, dance, play, and think. With the help of Granny Garbanzo and Major Bedhead, Loonette always had something to do.
Who could forget the Jack Russell Terrier with a passion for adventure? Wishbone, which has a new movie on the horizon, taught children about literature from 1995 to 1998. Wishbone found his way into Greek epics, British novels and plays, American classics, an African folk tale, and more. As the above photo shows, Wishbone was pretty adorable as Sherlock Holmes.
Before they did Wild Kratts, Chris and Martin Kratt hosted Zoboomafoo on PBS from 1999 to 2001. Kids loved learning about animals with the Kratts and the cutest lemur, Zoboomafoo, who was played by the late lemur Jovian. There is no question that this wildlife show was a valuable part of the ideal educational lineup back in the day.
