In my area, we have about 4 weeks before teachers are back at school and about 5 weeks before kids go back. Things are very much still up in the air about what we will be doing for in person/online instruction. It looks likely that we will be doing a hybrid model of in person and online learning. I am certain kids will have more time at home than usual and teachers will have more on their plate than ever.
I know that this often means more screen time for kids especially kids whose parents are at work or working from home. I know parents are doing their best, but sometimes they need an hour to do a work call uninterrupted or have 5 minutes peace! Today I want to share with you our favorite math TV shows for when you just need the kids engaged in learning independently. These are also great shows to recommend to parents of your students for when they have just had enough!
Number Blocks
This show recently popped up on my kids' recommended list on Netflix. Since then, I have seen parents and teachers posting about it on Facebook several times! In the name of blog research, my kids and I spent an hour on a rainy afternoon checking out a few episodes. It is definitely a show that is to young for my kids but they were still engaged enough to watch several episodes. It is a great option for kids 2-5. It does a particularly good job introducing the idea of decomposing numbers. They have quite a few episodes available on Netflix and they also have a very active Youtube channel.
Here is one of the videos from their Youtube channel that shows kids how to build the number blocks with playdoh.
Peg + Cat
This was a favorite of my kids' when they were in preschool and kindergarten. It used to be on Netflix but doesn't seem to be currently. Luckily there are full episodes available on Youtube and on PBS kids. This one is great for pre-k up through grade 1!
Cyberchase
This one is the best choice for bigger kids! There are lots of episodes, it was a show on years ago that then was canceled and then started up again! It tackles all kinds of math topics and is super engaging for kids. Great for grades 1-4! This is another one from PBS kids that is also available on Youtube.
This one definitely saved my sanity during quarantine this spring! My 3 kids could all watch it together and all get something out of it.
Monster Math Squad
This one is another one that is new to my family. It is available on Netflix and Youtube and is another show aimed at preschool and early elementary. Despite being to old for the target audience, my kids agreed to watch an episode for the purposes of this article. My older 2 pronounced it as terrible and only stuck around for one 12 minute episode. My youngest who just finished Kindergarten said it was okay but wanted to watch more so I think she enjoyed it but likes to be just like her big brothers. If you have kids at several ages I would start with Number Blocks instead of Monster Math Squad.
Leap Frog Number Land
This one was around when my kids were smaller but they were such big fans of Peg + Cat they never really got into this one. It works on early number concepts like counting and writing numbers to 10. Another option for the preschool to Kindergarten crowd. Available on Netflix with some clips available on Youtube.
Team Umizoomi
This one rounds out the crowd of math shows aimed at the preschool crowd! It is from Nick Jr and is available on Amazon prime video. It is a good option for those who already have Prime Video and preschool aged kids!
Odd Squad
Another great show for the bigger kids! This one has a detective spin and explores elementary math concepts. Also available on PBS kids and Youtube! We discovered it recently and it has been my kids' got to show in recent weeks! An excellent option for elementary age kids!
What would you add to the list? Feel free to leave your favorite in the comments below or head over to our Facebook page and leave your thoughts there!
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