Best Animal Shows for Kids
Elementary & Middle School
When you really love animals, it’s hard to get enough!
When a child (or an adult…) loves animals, their brain becomes thirsty for more and more new information. It is challenging to find enough kid-friendly programs about animals to keep them learning (and entertained!).
Since I spend most of my time talking with kids about animals, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to hear about what animal TV shows, movies, documentaries, books, and other resources they have used to learn about wildlife. I also grew up as one of those animal-loving kids and have a few favorites of my own! Check them out.
1. Wild Kratts
I am a zoology and ecology educator who spends her days teaching science to kids with animal obsessions. It is incredibly rare for one of my students to come to class without having some amazing animal fact that they learned from the Kratt brothers. And the Kratt brothers are no joke. They fostered a love of animals and nature in me when I was a child through their earlier show, Zaboomafoo (see more below).
Through a mix of live action and animation, the Kratt brothers explore hundreds of species and their unique “creature powers” (which are actually adaptations!). Their upbeat, enthusiastic energy captivates kids. Wild Kratts is geared toward kids aged 6 to 8, though some of my older students also enjoy it!
Fast Facts:
Recommended ages: 6-8
Air date: 2011-2023
Episodes: 158
Where to watch:
- PBS Kids - Free
- Hulu - Premium subscription
- Amazon Prime Video - Premium subscription
- YouTube TV - Premium subscription
2. Octonauts
If your little ones are ocean lovers, then Octonauts may be the perfect option. The Octonauts are made up of 8 explorers who adventure into ocean ecosystems where they must save themselves or other animals from danger. The team is led by Captain Barnacles, a courageous polar bear, while the rest of the crew is comprised of other adorable yet professional animated animals.
While Octonauts focuses primarily on ocean ecosystems and animals, they venture to some non-ocean ecosystems, like the Amazon River and polar ice sheets. They even created a spinoff that explores more terrestrial ecosystems called Octonauts: Above & Beyond. The complete animation and silly nature of the show make the target audience a bit younger than Wild Kratts.
Fast Facts:
Recommended ages: 4-7
Air date: 2010 - Current
Episodes: 121
Where to watch:
Netflix - Subscription
3. The Zoo
As a former zoo employee, one of the best parts of my job was seeing the ins and outs of zoo operations. Seeing how animals are cared for, how they move between zoos, and how their lives are enriched was so fascinating. The Zoo offers that same opportunity to, well, anyone!
The Zoo gives you a full glance into the daily operations of the Bronx Zoo. During any given episode, you may follow zoo staff into animal enclosures to feed them lunch. You may take a trip inside the animal hospital to learn how zoo animals receive medical care. You may discover how zookeepers prepare animals like rhinos for a cross-country road trip.
The complete behind-the-scenes access The Zoo gives you is hard to find anywhere else. After so much interest in The Zoo at the Bronx Zoo, they started a spinoff show at the San Diego Zoo, one of the most impressive zoos in the world! You can find both The Zoo and The Zoo: San Diego occasionally airing on Animal Planet.
Fast Facts:
Recommended ages: 8+
Air date: 2017–2021
Episodes: 60
Where to watch:
- Discover Plus - Premium subscription
- Max - Premium subscription
- Hulu - Premium subscription
- Amazon Prime Video - Premium subscription
- Animalplanet.com with any cable provider
4. Crikey! It's the Irwins
When I was younger, I knew of Bindi and Robert Irwin as two little kids who sometimes appeared on The Crocodile Hunter with their dad, Steve Irwin. The Crocodile Hunter is one of many animal shows that contributed to my love and admiration for animals, so it only makes sense that his kids carry on his legacy now that he is gone. And they’re doing it in a new and incredible way!
Bindi, Robert, and their mother, Teri, host Crikey! It’s the Irwins, a show that explores the hundreds of animals cared for by the Australia Zoo along with wildlife that calls Australia home. Each episode demonstrates the exciting ins and outs of zoo operations along with rescues and rehabilitations of injured and sick wildlife. Their enthusiasm and love of nature will teach your kids about exotic wildlife and encourage them to become Wildlife Warriors!
Fast Facts:
Recommended ages: 6+
Air date: 2018-2022
Episodes: 44
Where to watch:
- Discover Plus - Premium subscription
- Max - Premium subscription
- Hulu - Premium subscription
- Amazon Prime Video - Premium subscription
- Animalplanet.com with any cable provider
5. Zoboomafoo
If I could attribute my deep love and appreciation for animals and nature to one television show, it would be Zoboomafoo. I have crisp childhood memories of sitting on my living room floor watching Chris, Martin, and Zoboo (a sifaka lemur) investigate amazing animals and their behaviors.
Each episode of this mostly live-action show explores a new group of animals. They investigate how and why animals have different traits. They discover how and why animals do unusual behaviors. Zoboo, a real sifaka lemur who morphs into an English-speaking lemur puppet, helps Chris and Martin make their discoveries, as do live animal guests that frequently grace the show!
Fast Facts:
Recommended ages: 6+
Air date: 1999-2001
Episodes: 65
Where to watch:
- Amazon Prime Video - Premium subscription
- Youtube
EdZOOcating Adventures
Science for Kids Who Love Animals
EdZOOcating Adventures is a K-8 science program for homeschoolers & classrooms.
Each of our 60+ lessons include...
Videos • Readings • Quizzes • Activities • Projects • Glossaries • Animal Facts
Your learners will explore core science topics while furthering their passion for wildlife and nature.
3 day free trial • $9.99/month • $100/year
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