The Best Children’s TV Channels in Canada
Canada has an abundance of diverse TV channels. Whether you’re into sports, sitcoms or movies, there are several channels for you. Despite the vast amount of options, ordering TV channels and packages can still feel overwhelming and difficult. Fortunately, we at Planhub are introducing our TV plan searching tool shortly. This interface will allow users to seamlessly compare TV plans across Canada based on price and content. To celebrate this exciting milestone, we wanted to help out with an area that may be difficult for most adults. If you can’t decide on which kid’s channels to order for your children, we’ve got you covered. For the rest of this post, we’ll outline some of the best children’s TV channels in Canada depending on their target audiences.
Newborns & Preschool (0-5)
For newborn babies and kids attending Pre-K/Kindergarten, we suggest four essential channels. First off is CBC Kids, a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Network. Since the 1980s, CBC Kids has been a staple channel for children of all ages. It’s broadcasted many iconic series over the years that countless Canadians have grown up on. Currently, they still air Arthur, The Adventures of Paddington, and many more cartoons. For more educational and enjoyable animated series, look no further than Family Jr. Owned by Disney, Family Jr. broadcasts more recognizable series like Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends, and Caillou.
Additionally, Treehouse TV operates under YTV as a channel targeted at younger audiences. Although they also broadcast animated series, they also air some of the most well-known live-action shows. Since the 90s, they have introduced Canadians to Sesame Street, Peppa Pig, and The Wiggles. Last but not least, if you’re looking for a French channel for this age group, consider Yoopa. In addition to dubs of popular series, they also broadcast original Canadian content in French.
Youth (5-10)
As children begin to get older, their taste in television begins to shift drastically. Thankfully, we have just the right channels for you. For fans of animated shows, Teletoon is one of the best children’s TV channels. From entertaining series like Wayside to award-winning shows like Adventure Time, Teletoon has something for everyone. Similarly, YTV broadcasts many popular cartoons, as well as live-action series for children in elementary school. SpongeBob Squarepants, Avatar: The Last Airbender and iCarly are only a fraction of YTV’s beloved series.
Fortunately, the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet operate as educational networks for audiences interested in science, nature, technology and more. Although some of the content is geared towards adult audiences, these two networks will introduce younger kids to concepts that they will grow very passionate about. If your children are fascinated by dinosaurs, sharks, or the solar system, there’s an array of daytime shows they would enjoy from both these networks.
Older Children/Teenagers (10-15)
Thankfully, Canada still offers many great channels for older children and teenagers. Once again, we’d recommend the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and YTV. These channels air more mature content late at night that teenagers will appreciate far more than younger children. Additionally, Disney XD is a great choice for students in high school. The channel is regarded for its original series based on popular Disney intellectual properties like Marvel and Star Wars. Teenagers will love series like Star Wars: Rebels, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Phineas & Ferb.
Last but not least, Vrak is a great French channel for teenagers. Vrak airs beloved teen dramas and sitcoms dubbed in French. Shows like That 70s Show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gilmore Girls can be enjoyed in their entirety by French-speaking audiences. Vrak used to include more dubs of children’s shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, but they stopped airing them in 2019. Fortunately, the network also broadcasts many original Quebec productions geared towards teenagers, such as Une grenade avec ça?
Now that you have a better understanding of the best children’s TV channels in Canada, we hope you can benefit from it. The next time you order channels from your TV provider, consider the networks we discussed this in article, we’re sure that both you and your children will find something to enjoy.