This Kids Streaming Service Is Offering Black History Month Content

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The CDC reports that children between the ages of 8 to 18 spend an average of 7.5 hours in front of a screen each day. With so much of children’s lives, including actual school, going digital, keeping screens out of a child’s life is becoming less practical with every passing year. Television, streaming services and online videos aren’t going anywhere.

That’s not all bad news, since the Journal of Pediatrics states that watching prosocial shows can improve children’s behavior. The tricky part is finding those shows. Determining how children can safely and appropriately interact with these mediums is an inevitability for parents. Despite best efforts, curating what your kids see isn’t a perfect science. In fact, according to a report done by Common Sense Media, 18 percent of parents state that their children are exposed to inappropriate advertisements “often” or “sometimes.” Sitting beside children and hand-selecting their media is one option, but 26 percent of children who watch videos online either “never” or “hardly ever” co-view with an adult.

Aside from finding age-appropriate children’s TV shows, minority parents face an additional challenge: finding content that allows their children to see themselves in the characters and storylines they view. Axios reports that there is still an overwhelming lack of diversity in children’s programming. White characters comprise 71 percent of the characters kids see in children’s programming. What’s more is the report shows characters of color in shows most watched by kids are more likely to be depicted as violent. Finding age-appropriate, beneficial and diverse programming for kids is a struggle. One streaming service for kids, called Sensical, is addressing these issues.

Sensical is part of the Common Sense Media family and is a streaming service exclusively for children. It features content for three age groups: 2 to 4, 5 to 7, and 8 to 10. The service offers both videos and podcasts, all of which are put through a rigorous screening program rooted in child development research.

In honor of Black History Month and as a part of Sensical’s ongoing effort to make sure all children can see themselves in the content they watch, Sensical is shining the spotlight on Black creators and characters this February. Their “Celebrate Black Stories” lineup features tales of Black artists, culture, history, innovators and change-makers.

Kujo’s Kid Zone

Hosted by Randy Quansah who is a father himself, Kujo’s Kid Zone prompts kids, teachers and educators to discuss issues like social awareness and unity through a series of creative and fun exercises.

From Sensical: “Grab your ‘imagination helmet’ and enter Kujo’s Kid Zone! Episodes encourage children to problem-solve and explore their worlds while teaching lessons of kindness and diversity. The learning extends beyond the screen with prompts to continue the conversations and experiments at home.”

Kid’s Black History

This show is hosted by Raiyah and her mother. They discuss prominent Black figures throughout history and explore several educational topics and how they specifically pertain to Black and African culture and history.

From Sensical: “Join Raiyah and her teacher mom as they teach valuable lessons about Black history, such as the great contributions of Black inventors. Additionally, together they will explore fun topics like the strangest animals in Africa, and be introduced to scientific concepts like why some skin is brown. Across a broad array of topics, Kids’ Black History inspires kids to learn about and appreciate Black history!”

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls (Podcast)

This podcast features the stories of great women who have shaped history, with a focus on Black historical figures.

From Sensical: “A fairy tale podcast for kids about extraordinary women from all over the world. Good Night Stories from Rebel Girls tells the stories of strong, influential females in the past and present who have helped shape it. From Oprah to Kamala, these fierce females’ stories are sure to motivate and inspire. Young listeners are encouraged to ask questions and explore their interests. You don’t have to be female to enjoy and appreciate learning about these change-makers! “

Sensical is free, has over 60 channels and is available for multiple streaming devices.