As staying at home becomes the new normal, streaming stats are spiking. Kids are now going to school online. But for parents, it’s helpful to find interesting shows for their children during down time. That’s where Amazon Prime Video can help.
For now, the streamer is offering its kids shows free — preschool to age 11 — including its PBS Kids lineup. To access the free programming, users must sign up for an Amazon account, which is free.
Here’s a list of 10 engaging options:
1. Pete the Cat
A very cool blue cat, Pete began as a book series created by James Dean and morphed into a video series. His friend join him in adventures, including Sally the Squirrel, Callie Cat and Grumpy Toad. So beloved is Pete, an off-Broadway musical debuted a few years ago.
2. Creative Galaxy
Arty and Epiphany travel in a rocket ship – and when they want to solve a problem, they find the solution in art. Some of the planets they visit: Cooktopia and Groovophia.
3. The Stinky & Dirty Show
Any kid who loves trucks, will enjoy the sight of Stinky the garbage truck and Dirty the backhoe loader, best friends who learn to think about “what if.” It’s outside-the-box thinking for the preschool set.
4. Just Add Magic: Mystery City
The spinoff from “Just Add Magic,” the sequel has a magic cookbook, a secret recipe and a historic adventure.
5. The Snowy Day
Based on the 1962 book by Ezra Jack Keats, it was notable for its main character — an African American boy who explores his city neighborhood after the season’s first snowfall.
6. Wishenpoof
Bianca has a nifty skill-set: She can make wishes come true. She’s got fairy and non-fairy friends and a teddy bear named Bob.
7. Lost in Oz
Frank Baum wrote 14 books in the “Oz” series, which also inspired the Broadway hit musical “Wicked.” Here, 12-year-old Dorothy and her dog Toto must find Glinda the Good, the most powerful witch in the Emerald City.
8. Mr. Rogers Neighborhood
A PBS classic, “Mr. Rogers,” which originated at WQED in Pittsburgh, has been a comforting presence to generations of children, who learned about feelings, community and respect from its gentle, beloved host.
9. Caillou
Four-year-old Caillou, notable for not having hair, lives with his parents and sister in a blue house on Pine Street. The show is extremely gentle, and adds puppet skits in addition to the animated segments.
10. Danger & Eggs
Proving friends come in all shapes and sizes, a girl named Danger is pals with Philip, a giant talking egg who wears knee pads. They are happiest when thrill seeking.