The Best TV Shows on PBS Kids

Every PBS Kids Show Ranked From Best To Worst

With its programming history stretching from 1969 to 2023, PBS Kids offers an impressive lineup of over 20 shows. Icons of PBS Kids, Sesame Street and Barney & Friends made their debut in 1969 and 1992, setting industry standards. Explore our list of the top rated shows up to date from May 2026 that includes over 20 unique series.

  • Peep and the Big Wide World
    Peep and the Big Wide World (2004)8.4

    Peep is a newly hatched chicken who goes on daily adventures with his friends Chirp the robin and Quack the duck. The pals live a large urban park they call "the big wide world" and is the setting for all their lessons. Peep learns specific science concepts on his travels, while the series also incorporates real kids playing and experimenting in their own big wide worlds.

  • Adventures from the Book of Virtues
    Adventures from the Book of Virtues (1996)8.3

    Growing up can be confusing! When Zach and Annie face difficulties in their lives, they go to special place called Plato’s Peak. There, Plato—a talking buffalo!—and his friends are always willing to lend a helping hand.

  • Wishbone
    Wishbone (1995)8.1

    Wishbone is a children's television show. The show's title character is a Jack Russell Terrier of the same name. Wishbone lives with his owner Joe Talbot in the fictional modern town of Oakdale, Texas. He daydreams about being the lead character of stories from classic literature He was known as "the little dog with a big imagination". Only the viewers and the characters in his daydreams can hear Wishbone speak. The characters from his daydreams see Wishbone as whatever famous character he is currently portraying and not as a dog.

  • The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!
    The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! (2010)7.9

    The Cat in the Hat is back -- and this time, he's teaching Sally and her brother, Nick, some awfully nifty things to think about!

  • The Magic School Bus
    The Magic School Bus (1994)7.7

    An eccentric schoolteacher takes her class on wondrous educational field trips with the help of a magical school bus.

  • Cyberchase
    Cyberchase (2002)7.6

    The series takes place in Cyberspace, a virtual world, and chronicles the adventures of three children, Jackie, Inez, and Matt, as they use math and problem solving skills to save Cyberspace and its leader, Motherboard, from The Hacker, the villain.

  • Dragon Tales
    Dragon Tales (1999)7.4

    Two siblings, Max and Emmy, find an enchanted dragon scale capable of transporting them to a whimsical fantasy land inhabited by colorful anthropomorphic dragons by reciting a rhyme. They befriend four friendly dragons Cassie, Ord, Zak, Wheezie and Quetzal.

  • Ghostwriter
    Ghostwriter (1992)7.2

    Ghostwriter is an American television program created by Liz Nealon and produced by the Children's Television Workshop and BBC One. It began airing on PBS on October 4, 1992, and the final episode aired on February 13, 1995. The series revolves around a close knit circle of friends from Brooklyn who solve neighborhood crimes and mysteries as a team of young detectives with the help of an invisible ghost named Ghostwriter. Ghostwriter can communicate with the kids only by manipulating whatever text and letters he can find and using them to form words and sentences. The series was filmed on location in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

  • Sesame Street
    Sesame Street (1969)7.1

    On a special inner city street, the inhabitants—human and muppet—teach preschoolers basic educational and social concepts using comedy, cartoons, games, and songs.

  • Martha Speaks
    Martha Speaks (2008)7.0

    Martha, a beloved family dog, is accidentally fed alphabet soup — this gives her the power of speech and the chance to speak her mind to anyone that will listen.

  • Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood
    Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (2012)7.0

    The life of 4-year-old Daniel Tiger and his friends as they learn fun and practical strategies and skills necessary for growing and learning.

  • Clifford the Big Red Dog
    Clifford the Big Red Dog (2000)6.7

    The adventures of a larger-than-life red dog on Bridwell Island.

  • Dinosaur Train
    Dinosaur Train (2009)6.4

    Join Buddy, a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and his adoptive Pteranodon family on a whimsical voyage through prehistoric jungles, swamps, volcanoes and oceans, as they unearth basic concepts in life science, natural history and paleontology.

  • Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks
    Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks (2003)6.2

    The adventures of Piggley, a spunky eight-year-old pig, and his friends Dannan the Duck and Ferny the Bull on Raloo Farm in Ireland.

  • Sid the Science Kid
    Sid the Science Kid (2008)6.2

    Sid is an "inquisitive youngster" who uses comedy to tackle questions kids have about basic scientific principles and why things work the way they do.

  • Barney & Friends
    Barney & Friends (1992)5.8

    Barney & Friends is an American children's television series aimed at children from ages 2 to 5. The series, which first aired on April 6, 1992, features the title character Barney, a purple anthropomorphic Tyrannosaurus rex who conveys educational messages through songs and small dance routines with a friendly, optimistic attitude.

  • Nature Cat
    Nature Cat (2015)5.3

    Nature Cat can’t wait to get outside for a day of backyard nature excursions and bravery! But there’s one problem; he’s still a house cat with no real instincts for nature. That doesn’t stop this passionate and curious feline, who loves learning and experiencing all he can about nature.

  • Teletubbies
    Teletubbies (1997)4.5

    Pre-school fun, fantasy and education with colourful rotund characters Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po in a magical land called Teletubbyland.

  • Work It Out Wombats!
    Work It Out Wombats! (2023)4.5

    Full of endless energy, Malik, Zadie and Zeke run, bounce, roll and romp, always on the lookout for interesting Treeborhood problems to solve. Malik is thoughtful, considerate and sometimes set in his ways (which can be a good thing when you’re problem-solving). His speedy, adventurous younger sister, Zadie, is a brainstormer extraordinaire, with ideas that range from silly to very smart. Zeke is the youngest sibling — a funny, curious cuddle-bug who loves to play and explore. Super, their grandmother, is the Superintendent and unofficial “Mayor” of the Treeborhood.

  • Ready Jet Go!
    Ready Jet Go! (2016)N/A

    Earth science and astronomy take center stage in this animated series. Two neighborhood kids -- Sean and Sydney -- befriend the new kid on the block, Jet Propulsion, who just happens to be an alien from planet Bortron 7. Together they explore the solar system and how it affects the planet, while also learning about friendship and teamwork.