There isn’t much content on YouTube or Netflix that passes for educational these days, but thankfully, plenty of other streaming services are helping pick up the slack. You can look for black holes in space, learn how to make a cinematic masterpiece with an Oscar-winning director, or find a show that won’t warp your preschooler’s mind, all at the click of your remote.
We’ve gathered some of the best educational streaming services for kids and families, many of which are free or an affordable add-on to your budget.
NASA+
The government-funded space agency recently launched an ad-free streaming app featuring livestreams, mission updates, docuseries, animated programs, and behind-the-scenes videos revolving around launches and research.
Cost: Free
Kanopy
If you have a library card from a participating institution, you can access the wealth of ad-free educational content on Kanopy for free, including The Great Courses and cartoon shorts based on children’s books, including titles by Mo Willems. There's a limit on how much adult-oriented content you can stream each month, but viewers have unlimited access to children’s selections.
Cost: Free with a library card
PBS Kids
If your kids are ready for Elmo, they can catch episodes of Sesame Street on this free app, along with other educational shows like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Wild Kratts, and The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That. There isn’t a complete archive of PBS kids' shows here, but there's enough to get you through a Saturday morning, with new episodes appearing weekly for some titles.
Cost: Free
MasterClass
Have you ever wanted to learn filmmaking from Martin Scorsese or architecture from Frank Gehry? MasterClass allows you to gain insight into the creative processes of some of the greatest minds of our day with over 180 award-winning pre-recorded videos, spread over 11 categories.
Cost: Plans start at $10.
Disney+
We’re recommending this service not for its Disney Junior content (Bluey is educational, right?) but for the rich content from National Geographic, including documentaries like Free Solo as well as historical dramas such as A Small Light, which chronicles the story of Miep Gies, who helped hide Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis during World War II.
Cost: Plans start at $7.99 a month.
Discovery+
What if there was a place where all your favorite cooking and home improvement shows stood alongside news documentaries and your favorite Shark Week programming? You can stream all this content on the Discovery+ app, which includes shows from Animal Planet, TLC, Food Network, Discovery Channel, and CNN. And if you want to watch some Investigation Discovery docs or 90 Day Fiancé, you’re also covered.
Cost: Plans start at $4.99 a month.
Sensical
Have you ever used Common Sense Media to help you decide what movies and television shows are appropriate for your kids? If so, chances are you’ll love Sensical, their streaming app. The service claims there are more than 15,000 videos relating to various educational topics targeted toward three age ranges: preschoolers (ages 2-4), little kids (ages 5-7), and big kids (ages 8-10). The only drawback to this free service is that advertising supports its programming, but Common Sense Media has vetted sponsors.
Cost: Free
Amazon Kids+
If you’re okay with Jeff Bezos helping your kids navigate cyberspace, Amazon Kids+ offers educational content tailored to their age group. The service includes access to books, programming, music, and other content from kid-focused brands (including Lego and PBS) with no ads or in-app purchases.
Cost: $4.99 monthly for Prime members and $7.99 monthly for non-Prime customers. Every Amazon Kids device comes with a year’s subscription to the service.
Nebula
There’s a lot of great educational content on YouTube. But for every great video that breaks down concepts revolving around engineering, physics, or current events, there’s someone tormenting hamsters. Nebula weeds out the weird stuff to give subscribers ad-free quality videos they can download onto their devices alongside original content and podcasts (but keep in mind that most of it is already free on YouTube).
Cost: Plans start at $5 a month.
Curiosity Stream
Founded by John Hendricks, the former chairman of Discovery Communications, this streaming service boasts original non-fiction content featuring people like Stephen Hawking and David Attenborough and titles produced by the BBC with insight into numerous topics, all in HD and 4K.
Cost: Plans start at $4.99 a month. There are also options to bundle with other services, including Nebula, One Day University, Topic, Tastemade, Da Vinci, and Somm TV.
Skillshare
The best way to describe Skillshare is that it’s a lot like MasterClass but more hands-on with more practical topics, including design, photography, illustration, and video. Your teachers, who include graphic designer Aaron Draplin and YouTuber Marques Brownlee, may not be household names, but that doesn’t make them any less qualified to teach.
Cost: A 30-day free trial with yearly memberships starting at around $159.
Noggin
With characters from Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig on its website, you might mistake Noggin for a Nick Jr. streaming service. You’re not wrong, with the network’s characters being the big draw. However, the ad-free content, aimed at those between ages 2 and 6, includes educational videos and books teaching math, reading, and identifying big feelings.
Cost: Start with a free trial. Subscriptions start at $7.99 a month.
MagellanTV
Documentary fans will find thousands of shows and movies on anything from nature to true crime. There are a few well-known titles and no original offerings, but the service adds new content weekly.
Cost: Monthly subscriptions start at $4.99 a month.
History Vault
Not to be confused with the History Channel’s app, this separate paid streaming service has content from its pre-American Pickers days, including Ancient Aliens, The Universe, and America: The Story of Us. And yes, you can stream entire seasons of Ice Road Truckers.
Cost: Plans start at $4.99 a month.