TL;DR: If you’re tired of the same three episodes of Bluey on loop or trying to find something that doesn't feel like "brain rot" for your ten-year-old, the 2025 slate is looking surprisingly decent. Our top picks for family night right now are:
- The Best for Everyone: Win or Lose (Disney+)
- The "I Can't Believe This is Star Wars" Adventure: Skeleton Crew (Disney+)
- The Smartest Spinoff: Dream Productions (Disney+)
- The "Actually Scary" Choice: Goosebumps: The Vanishing (Disney+/Hulu)
- The High-Stakes Animated Return: Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (Netflix)
Ask our chatbot for a personalized watchlist based on your kids' ages
We’ve all been there: It’s Friday night, the pizza is getting cold, and you’ve spent forty-five minutes scrolling through Netflix while your kids argue about whether they want to watch a "baby show" or something that looks like it was generated by a malfunctioning AI.
The struggle in 2026 isn't a lack of content—it’s the sheer volume of "okay-ish" shows that are designed to keep kids in a trance rather than actually tell a story. We’re looking for the stuff that has a soul, handles themes like friendship and failure without being preachy, and doesn't make you want to scroll on your phone in the dark while it's on.
Here is the breakdown of what is actually worth your family’s collective attention right now.
For a while there, it felt like every new animated show was just a loud, bright, 11-minute sensory assault. But 2025 has brought back some narrative depth.
Pixar finally jumped into long-form series, and honestly, they should have done this years ago. It follows a middle-school softball team in the week leading up to their big championship game. The hook? Each episode tells the same week of events from the perspective of a different character—the nervous pitcher, the overbearing umpire, the kid who’s just there for the snacks.
Why it works: It’s a masterclass in empathy. It shows kids that the person they’re annoyed with usually has a whole internal world they know nothing about. Plus, the art style changes to match each character's personality. It’s clever, it’s funny, and it’s one of those rare shows that hits just as hard for the parents as the kids. Ages: 7+
If your family loved Inside Out, this is a no-brainer. It’s a mockumentary-style show set in the studio where Riley’s dreams are made. It’s basically The Office but for the subconscious.
The No-BS Take: Sometimes spinoffs feel like a cheap cash grab (looking at you, Cars on the Road), but this one actually expands the world in a way that feels smart. It deals with why we have nightmares and how our brains process memories, but it does it with enough slapstick to keep the younger ones from getting bored. Ages: 6+
This is the sequel series to Camp Cretaceous, and it’s surprisingly dark—in a good way. The "Nublar Six" are older now, and they’re dealing with a conspiracy that involves dinosaurs in the wild.
Why this matters: This isn't a "dinosaur of the week" show. It’s a serialized thriller. If your kids are into Minecraft or Roblox games that involve survival and mystery, they will be locked into this. Be warned: it doesn't pull its punches regarding danger. Ages: 9+ (due to some intense "dinos eating people" vibes)
Check out our guide on whether your child is ready for scary content
Live-action for kids is a minefield. It’s either overly scripted sitcoms with laugh tracks that feel twenty years out of date, or high-budget fantasy that’s too confusing to follow. These two 2025 standouts get it right.
Think The Goonies but in space. It follows four kids who get lost in the galaxy and have to find their way home. Jude Law plays a mysterious Force-user who may or may not be a Jedi.
The Screenwise Review: This is exactly what Star Wars needed. It moves away from the heavy political drama of Andor and the "toy-commercial-of-the-week" feel of later Mandalorian seasons. It captures that 1980s Amblin feeling—kids in real danger, using their wits, and dealing with the fact that the universe is a lot bigger and scarier than their home planet. It’s a great entry point if your kids haven't "clicked" with Star Wars yet. Ages: 8+
Season 2 (The Sea of Monsters) is finally here, and the production value has leveled up. For the uninitiated, it’s based on the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan.
Why Kids Love It: Percy is the ultimate relatable protagonist—he’s got ADHD, he struggles in school, and then he finds out he’s a demigod. The show treats the source material with a lot of respect, which is a relief after the mediocre movies from a decade ago. It’s a fantastic way to get kids interested in Greek mythology without them realizing they’re learning. Ages: 8+
Learn more about the differences between the Percy Jackson books and the show
If your kids are starting to ask for "scary" stuff but aren't quite ready for Stranger Things, 2025 has provided a perfect middle ground.
This is an anthology-style season (think American Horror Story but for middle schoolers) starring David Schwimmer. It’s about siblings who discover a mystery involving kids who disappeared decades ago.
The No-BS Take: It’s actually creepy. If you have a sensitive 7-year-old, skip this. But for the 10-to-13 crowd who thinks they’re "too old" for cartoons, this is gold. It deals with grief and family secrets in a way that’s sophisticated but still grounded in the Goosebumps fun. Ages: 10+
When we talk about "family shows," we’re usually looking for that "Goldilocks zone"—not too babyish, not too mature. Here are a few things to keep in mind for the 2025 lineup:
- The "Binge" Factor: Netflix still loves the "all-at-once" drop (like with Chaos Theory), while Disney+ usually sticks to weekly releases (Skeleton Crew, Win or Lose). We actually prefer the weekly release for digital wellness. It creates something to look forward to and prevents the "zombie stare" that happens after four hours of continuous streaming.
- The YouTube Creep: Be aware that many of these shows have "companion" content on YouTube. If your kid watches Skeleton Crew, they’re going to be served theory videos on YouTube. Some of those are great; some are hosted by people who use a lot of "not-so-family-friendly" language.
- The Merch Trap: Shows like Jurassic World and Star Wars are designed to sell toys. If you're trying to keep the "I want that" requests to a minimum, maybe stick to the standalone Pixar series.
Read our guide on managing YouTube "rabbit holes" after watching shows
You might hear your kids talking about "brain rot" or calling things "Ohio" or "Skibidi." In the context of TV, "brain rot" usually refers to low-effort, high-stimulation content (like certain YouTube Shorts or mindless "surprise egg" videos).
The shows listed above are the antidote to brain rot. They have:
- Character Arcs: People actually change and grow.
- Consequences: Actions have results that aren't just reset by the next episode.
- Complex Themes: They tackle things like jealousy, fear of failure, and identity.
If you can get your kids to trade 30 minutes of scrolling through TikTok for one episode of Win or Lose, that’s a massive win for their attention spans and emotional intelligence.
2025 is a year of "quality over quantity" in the streaming world. The era of streamers throwing hundreds of millions at every random idea is over, and what's left are the shows that actually had a reason to be made.
If you only have time for one show this month, make it Win or Lose. It’s the most "human" thing on TV right now, and it’ll give you plenty to talk about during the carpool run the next morning.
- Audit the Watchlist: Sit down with your kids and watch the trailers for these five shows. Let them pick the order.
- Set a "Family Night" Ritual: Pick one night a week for the "big screen" experience. It helps differentiate "intentional viewing" from "background noise viewing."
- Check the Wise Scores: Before you hit play on something new, check the Screenwise app for the latest parent reviews and safety scores.