11 Awesome and Fun Shows to Binge-Watch With Your Kids This Winter

It's Winter, which means, as a parent, I've already exhausted all of my indoor crafts, at-home educational activities, and patience in general. What's left (and, let's face it, all I really want to do anyway) is binge-watch some amazing television with my kids. It keeps all of us entertained and requires minimal effort from me (major win).

Sure, I'd love to spend the next couple of days catching up on adults-only Netflix shows like You and Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (I'm currently equally obsessed with and disturbed by the series), but I'm not sure my 5- and 8-year-old kids would really appreciate either show. Instead, we're going to put on our comfy pajamas, grab some blankets, spark up the fire, and cuddle up to some of the following 11 shows, all kid- and parent-approved and perfect to fill hours when it's just too darn cold to do anything else.

01
Kids Baking Championship
Food Network

Kids Baking Championship

Food Network's Kids Baking Championship (episodes available on demand and online) follows 12 young bakers as they show off their skills in creating lovely and tasty cakes, cookies, and more for judges Valerie Bertinelli and Duff Goldman of Ace of Cakes. Even adults will be impressed by their creations, talent, and ingenuity.

02
Anne With an E
Everett Collection

Anne With an E

Based on the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables, Netflix's Anne With an E follows 13-year-old orphan Anne, who's adopted in the late 19th century by brother and sister farmers who need help around their ancestral farm of Green Gables on Prince Edward Island. Plucky, high-spirited Anne switches between enthusiasm for her new surroundings and despair when things go wrong, which they often do. Your kids will be amazed at how different the world looked in the 1890s. No cars or iPads? How did a child survive?!

03
Little Big Shots
NBC

Little Big Shots

Steve Harvey plus some seriously talented kids from around the world equals family-friendly fun for everyone. NBC's Little Big Shots (episodes available on demand and online) will inspire your kids to accomplish feats like becoming a magician, a dinosaur expert, a gymnast, or a ninja — or just make you feel like a lazy parent for not doing more to encourage your own kids' talents.

04
Nailed It!
Everett Collection

Nailed It!

My 7-year-old daughter is currently obsessed with Netflix's Nailed It!, a baking show that challenges amateurs to create professional-looking desserts, at which they inevitably fail miserably. Host Nicole Byer keeps things light and silly, and the whole vibe makes you feel like you're laughing with the contestants, not at them. Try not to giggle at their final results.

05
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Everett Collection

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Neil Patrick Harris as horrible Count Olaf? What's not to love? The three seasons of Netflix's show A Series of Unfortunate Events follow the three orphaned Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, as they navigate the worst of situations and switch into survival mode with some truly admirable courage and savviness. This is adventure and excitement the whole family will enjoy.

06
Dragons Race to the Edge
Everett Collection

Dragons Race to the Edge

Inspired by the How to Train Your Dragon movies, Netflix's Dragons Race to the Edge takes main characters Hiccup and Toothless on new adventures through six seasons. Episodes are about 20 minutes long, meaning even the youngest viewers can probably last through a few.

07
MasterChef Junior
Fox

MasterChef Junior

If you have an aspiring cook on your hands — or just want to inspire your kid to help out with dinner duties — introduce them to Fox's MasterChef Junior (episodes available on demand). The seventh season premieres on Feb. 26 and features kids between the ages of 8 and 13 showcasing their culinary abilities and love for food through a series of challenges.

08
Great British Baking Show
Netflix

Great British Baking Show

Try not to fall in love with the hosts, judges, and bakers (and their accents) on The Great British Baking Show on Netflix. The show was a hit in the UK from the moment it debuted in 2010, and ever since episodes landed on Netflix, Americans, including everyone in my family, are obsessed as well. The contestants are equal parts silly, serious, and supportive of one another, which makes it a competition show you'll be happy for your kids to see. No snark, all sweet(s).

09
The Who Was? Show
Netflix

The Who Was? Show

A live-action sketch comedy show based on the series of best-selling books, Netflix's The Who Was? Show brings some of the most famous names in history — from George Washington and Marie Antoinette to Frida Kahlo and Bruce Lee – to life. The show is just as funny as it is educational, meaning your kids will actually enjoy learning.

10
The Worst Witch
Netflix

The Worst Witch

My 7-year-old daughter and I raced through Netflix's two seasons of The Worst Witch. The story follows bumbling heroine Mildred, who just discovered her powers and is struggling to figure out how to use them as she enters a witch's school and finds herself constantly in troublesome situations. Based on a popular children's book series from the 1970s, the show is super fun to watch and the young cast is equal parts cute and wicked (they are witches, after all).

11
Top Chef Junior
NBC

Top Chef Junior

Universal Kids' Top Chef Junior (episodes online and on demand) recently finished its second season, so now's the time to catch up. Hosts Vanessa Lachey and Curtis Stone, along with celeb-chef guest judges, put the heat on 12 contestants, ages 9 to 14, who compete in challenges like creating a dish inspired by a dream and running their own food truck. The winner receives a $50,000 prize, but all the contestants have inspiring stories and passion for creating delicious food.