It’s no surprise that many young children love watching cartoons the most. With dynamic animations, catchy songs, and adorably endearing characters, even adults can watch them for hours on end. However, while kids may love watching cartoons, parents shouldn’t always assume they're safe.
A child’s brain develops most before they turn 5, and they are greatly impacted by everything around them, including the TV shows they are exposed to. This means it's best if parents ensure their children watch shows that encourage creativity, problem-solving, and communication.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development recommends that children aged 2 to 5 watch content with positive messages about family, life, and relationships. Parents should also ensure children avoid overly promotional media.
The Pros and Cons of Cartoons for Kids
Some of the best educational cartoons for kids can help them receive an early education on important fundamentals such as colours, shapes, numbers, and more. They can also teach children about society while enriching their vocabulary as they mimic their favourite characters.
However, many popular children’s cartoons – including Spongebob Squarepants, The Powerpuff Girls and Jimmy Neutron – may contain subtle adult themes such as references to drugs and theft, which could impact your child’s development.
1. Watch Beside Your Kids
Ensure your kids are only watching educational cartoons by watching with them. While parents have an almost endless list of things to do throughout the day, taking the time to understand what their children are watching and the values it promotes helps you protect your children from harm.
2. Limit Screen Time and Filter Content
Educational cartoons can help your children learn, but it’s just as important to balance their screen time with other activities such as puzzles, sports, and playdates with friends.
M1’s Cyber Guardian makes it easy to limit your child’s online screen time, block access to harmful content, and monitor their online activity. Cyber Guardian is also able to filter inappropriate contentfrom the internet. You can even customise your own filter on the Cyber Guardian portal.
3. Access Educational Content
Although children's cartoons can be a great learning tool, there are other educational media too. Discovery Channel, for example, has shows about space and nature. Netflix subscription plans also give parents access to a wide variety of kids’ shows that offer more learning possibilities. With 4 seasons of CoComelon and 6 seasons of Numberblocks available on Netflix, check out M1’s Netflix deals and tap onto our 5Go Access pack so that your kids can even watch these shows on the go!