Kids Picks: 5 animated and live action show recommendations kids (ages 8-12) should watch
Ever wonder what shows are out there for kids to watch? If you are anything like me, you do this on the daily, weekly, monthly, etc. Then, you couple this with what shows are connected to books you once read and/or that your kids could or should be reading. Well, in an effort to get to the bottom of this and save you and/or your loved ones (friends, family) similar hassles, I went straight to the source and asked my 9-year-old daughter Aya about her top picks for shows for kids in the 8-11 age range. The result are the 5 shows she talks about in the link above. For convenience, I will relay below those picks alongside trailers: #1 Gravity Falls on Disney and Hulu The story of twins Mabel and and Dipper who go to live one Summer with their Grunkle Stan is full of mystery, kid heroes, and good-hearted awkward family fun. It’s a winner. The show originally debuted nearly a decade ago and only ran for a few seasons but all that said, it stands the test of time, much like Scooby Doo from the ‘70s minus the reboots until the ‘10s ushered in Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated - That was a great series. As a bonus: Kristen Schaal (Last Man on Earth, Bob’s Burgers) voices Mabel and Jason Ritter (son of John Ritter) is Dipper. #2 Big City Greens on Disney and Hulu Think classic City Mouse + Country Mouse tail (sorry couldn’t resist). It’s a story of country mice trekking to the city and transplanting there. Similar to Gravity Falls, two siblings are involved in this story. This time, the duo known as Cricket and Tilly - who move with their dad to the big city to live with their grandma on her farm, have their own adventures. #3 The Owl House on Disney Aya’s favorite show, per her commentary in the audio link above, just happens to be progressive show that won a Peabody Award for LGBTQ+ inclusion. The Owl House follows Luz as she uncovers a magical place, finds acceptance and a support crew of people that get her and empower her to take chances. It’s pretty phenomenal. #4 Secrets of Sulpher Springs on Disney Two middle-school aged kids go on a time-traveling adventure with mystery and a healthy bit of adult/parental skepticism going on, because let’s face it, kids doubt adults. This time the boy and girl go back in time to uncover the mystery of the disappearance of a girl that went to Summer camp in the 90s with their parents. I endorse this show for adults as well. I think I was more excited for the weekly installments than the kids and Fridays couldn’t come fast enough. Not on Aya’s commentary but also a good child disappeared in the past and kids try to solve the mystery for their parent(s) type theme is Home Before Dark on Apple TV, though this is definitely for older kids. The main character in the show, a child journalist, is modeled after real-life child journalist Hilde Lysiak who is the youngest member of the Society of Professional Journalists. (thanks, Wikipedia) #5 Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir on Netflix and Disney Secret crushes, hidden identities, and super powers in high school animated form. This show is from France and has a huge U.S. following. It’s good fun and highly addictive. The latest installment, Miraculous World: Shanghai is on Disney and Plug for Adults: This Way Up on Hulu. Down-on-her luck Aine (Bea), an Irish transplant to the UK has not had an easy time of it as Season 1 attests to. Premise: Aine is fresh out of a mental health facility having attempted to end her life and she’s trying to reacclimate to “normal” which includes getting to know her sister (Horgan) again, finding a place to live and getting a decent job all while convincing everyone she’s not losing her mind again. Season 1 shows Aine experiencing growing pains while Season 2, which just dropped on Hulu on Friday, sees Aine getting in the groove of her new normal and learning to accept happiness on her own terms. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with
