5 TV Shows to Enjoy With Your (Older) Kids

TV is a big source of entertainment in our house. Like the go-to source of entertainment. Being a childless adult I got to watch whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. After I became a parent the channels moved towards more kid-appropriate shows (even though my ears bled when hearing an auto-tuned song on the Disney Channel). Now that my oldest is a tween, I’ve tried to find shows that we can watch together without rolling our eyes at each other when we sit down.

Here are the top 5 shows we like to watch together:

Timeless (NBC) — A new show that revolves around a trio that goes back in time to keep history the same. Each episode they try to stop a bad guy from changing history while also trying to figure out the mystery of the time changer and why. They face moral dilemmas because they aren’t allowed to “change” history even when the events are altering their current lives.

Expedition Unknown (Travel Channel) — Archaeologist Josh Gates travels the world to discover the truth behind unsolved events. We enjoy all of the shows he has been on, including Destination Truth. This show is particularly fun because he is trying to solve mysteries surrounding the places he visits. Gates is a crack-up and always seems to get into some sort of sticky situation, so the hour long show moves pretty quickly. 

Mysteries at the Museum (Travel Channel) — A show on the Travel Channel that delves into the history behind artifacts. Host Don Wildman takes you around the world to different museums and finds items to explore. Even if the object and story behind it is well known the show gives little tidbits that give you more details than you probably knew. This show has many versions and Wichita has been featured on their sister show, Mysteries at the Monument.

Holiday Baking Challenge (Food Network) — Another show with many different versions, and we’ve watched them all. If you like to watch people make outrageous desserts, no matter the season, they have it. Throughout the show the bakers give tips and tricks to incorporate in your own baking too. Contestants are vying for $50,000 so they go all out! The judges are fun and have good banter between themselves, the hosts and the contestants.

Face Off (SyFy) — A competition for special effect make-up artists. Weekly challenges have the contestants see who can create the best artistry and techniques. During each challenge the artists must sketch and create their looks by applying them on an actor and modeling them for the judges. A panel of judges who have been, or are heavily involved in the TV and film industry determine the winner. This is a great show to let your kids know there are many different career opportunities out there.

Bonus Channel: HGTV is a hit for both kids and adults in our house. Our personal favorites are Property Brothers and Love It or List It

Watching some of these shows have brought out conversations I never dreamed of having with a 9 year old. It also gave me a jumping off point to some of his likes and dislikes without him coming out directly and telling me. Since most of these are non-fiction shows, I’ve been able to find a niche of books for him that dive into more detail on some of the historic events we’ve learned about. Who knew watching TV could be this educational?

Kendra Fernandez
Kendra lives in Derby with her husband Leonard and her two boys- Leo and Jacoby. She works in downtown Wichita but spends most of the rest of her waking hours wrangling two crazy boys. You will more than likely find them at a game or practice. Besides spending time with her family Kendra loves to read and watch Game of Thrones, HGTV marathons and the Royals! She is also very active in PTO at her sons' school and is always trying to find ways to interact with other parents.