Shows with Montessori Concepts
Pandemic life with two littles has made us turn to television more than we might usually, but as an ex-Montessori teacher, that didn’t mean we couldn’t find shows with Montessori concepts!
I’m rather picky with the shows that come out for children. These past two years, we’ve been fortunate to find some beautiful shows with great lessons and introduce our littles to others we were already aware of.
I will start off with the honest fact that these aren’t advertised as Montessori shows. However, I feel many of them align with Montessori philosophies and practices so they’re great to show your children. Especially if you’re SICK of watching the dreaded Cocomelon. (if you couldn’t tell, it’s not my favorite…)
1) Number Blocks
Streaming on: Netflix
This show introduces linear counting, skip counting, addition and subtraction and concepts such as greater than to less than and how to write the numerals. It’s really amazing and is SUPER Montessori in how it approaches each lesson. Every episode is no more than five minutes, making it a quick watch that is extremely easy to step away from, but still please the littles with two or three episodes.
2) Story Bots
Streaming on: Netflix
Although my husband and I were familiar with this show prior to having kids ourselves, we recently introduced our littles to it. Little Monster is now at that age where she asks “why” and this is a wonderful show for the question askers. It is all about applying the scientific method to understand how something works and the way they break down ideas like genetics to help a younger audience understand is truly impressive.
3) Bluey
Streaming on: Disney+ (or watch on Disney Jr.)
Bluey is a huge favorite in our house. It follows the day-to-day life of the Heeler family and both children and parents will relate to this show on many levels. I love how much this show models grace and courtesy lessons as well as teaching compromise and co-operative play. I highly recommend “Sleepytime” for bedtime and “Baby Race” for a mommy pick-up. All episodes are less than ten minutes, so again, a great way to squeeze in a couple episodes without spending the whole day in front of the television.
4) Puffin Rock
Streaming on: Netflix
We love putting on this show at bed time. It’s calming and soothing, following the adventures of puffling sister and brother as they explore their island, Puffin Rock. Although the animals in the show wouldn’t normally be “friends” in real life, it does cover the real habits and nature of the animals. Children aren’t always interested in nature shows, so this is a beautiful alternative, especially if you live in a concrete jungle and wildlife is more challenging to come by.
5) Octonauts
Streaming on: Netflix
This is Little Monster’s current obsession. There are tons of episodes and a handful of movies to choose from on Netflix. I really appreciate all the ocean geography and biology they cover in the main show, and their other series, Search and Rescue goes into more world-wide geography. The episodes wrap up with a “creature report” where they review the facts about the animal featured and even show real footage of the animal in nature. Although the main crew is more cartoonish, the featured creature of the episode is an accurate rendering.
Have you found any hidden gems for shows to enjoy with your littles during these crazy times? We’re always looking for something new to enjoy and would love to hear what you’re watching.