PBS KIDS and HappyKids.TV and provide 24/7, high-quality educational children’s programming. PBS KIDS is a 24-hour children’s entertainment network that offers educational services, games, and TV shows designed to inspire, nurture curiosity, and encourage kids to love learning. The channel launched in 1999 and features favorite characters such as Angelina Ballerina, Arthur, and Clifford the Big Red Dog.
The network is operated by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), which is home to around 350 stations that provide history, nature, public affairs, and science programming. The channel first launched in 1999, shut down in September 2005 due to a lack of funding, and relaunched with a brand new service in January 2017. It combines live TV broadcasts with animated shows that are largely geared towards improving the literacy, numeracy, and emotional skills of children between the ages of 2 and 11.
PBS KIDS can also be accessed via its Plug & Play streaming stick – in the shape of a toy car – that can be plugged into an HDMI port on a TV. It offers a convenient way to gain access to educational games, TV shows, and video streams. Its website features additional learning resources, such as eBooks, skills workshops, and a vast library of YouTube content.
HappyKids.TV is home to the largest collection of educational resources and children’s entertainment available. Its lineup includes some of the most recognizable children’s TV characters and franchises such as Pokemon, Sonic The Hedgehog, Teletubbies, and Wallace & Gromit. It provides activity guides, movies, music, and rhymes as well as popular TV shows for a variety of age groups, from babies to teenagers.
PBS KIDS vs. HappyKids.TV at a glance
| PBS Kids | HappyKids.TV | |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Number of titles | 30 | 75,000+ |
| Supported devices | Phones, tablets, Smart TVs , connected TV devices | Phones, tablets, Smart TVs , connected TV devices |
| Recommended age range | 2-11 years | 0-10 years |
| Ad-free | No | Yes (on mobile) |
| Offline downloads | Yes | Yes |
Where can I find the PBS Kids channel?
PBS KIDS can be accessed on any device that supports its mobile or TV app. The channel is also available to stream exclusively through Amazon Prime Video. Various local TV networks nationwide carry the channel, so check your local listings for availability. Users can play games and stream shows on the PBS KIDS website and via the network’s own streaming stick.
PBS Kids is available on the following devices:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android phones and tablets
- Apple iOS phones and tablets
- Google Chromecast
- PBS KIDS Plug & Play
- Roku
- Web browsers: Apple Safari version 4 or newer, Internet Explorer version 7 or higher, Mozilla Firefox version 3 or higher
- Xbox One
PBS KIDS features
PBS KIDS does not provide specific age ranges for its content. But shows are targeted towards older and younger children. It also offers closed captioning features so that everyone can get in on the fun.
In addition to TV programming, the PBS KIDS’ website features hundreds of games of varying difficulty and genres, from coloring and engineering to adventure and teamwork. It also has a wide range of apps with kids’ favorite characters, a series of eBooks, and several skills-building exercises.
Where can I find the HappyKids.TV channel?
HappyKids.TV is available through connected TV devices that support its app.
Devices that HappyKids.TV can be found on include:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android phones and tablets
- Android TV
- Apple iOS phones and tablets
- Apple TV
- LG, Sony, and Vizio Smart TVs
- Roku
HappyKids.TV features
HappyKids.TV sorts its content into distinct age group segments that make it simple for parents to find the videos best suited to their child. It offers content geared towards toddlers (zero to two years), preschoolers (two to four years), and four to six-year-olds. After that, shows and videos are segmented for six to ten-year-old boys and six to ten-year-old girls. The channel also contains separate sections for specific content types, including kids’ movies and TV shows, Minecraft videos, and tweens videos for kids aged 10 and above.
PBS KIDS content vs. HappyKids.TV content
PBS KIDS content
PBS KIDS features a small library of content with several all-time favorite kids’ TV characters, including:
- Arthur
- Clifford the Big Red Dog
- Curious George
- Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood
- Kart Kingdom
- Martha Speaks
- The Ruff Ruffman Show
- SciGirls
- Scribbles and Ink
- Sid The Science Kid
- Splash the Bubbles
PBS KIDS’ main attraction is Sesame Street, the hit children’s show featuring the likes of Bert, Ernie, and Oscar The Grouch teaching children to count, learn colors and the recite alphabet. It also features several classic animated shows such as Arthur, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Curious George. More recent favorites include Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, which teaches kids practical learning skills, and Ready Jet Go!, an animated series that introduces children to astronomy and science.
The PBS KIDS platform also contains games and further educational resources featuring all the shows and popular characters from across its content library.
HappyKids.TV content
HappyKids.TV is home to a huge library of educational resources, TV shows, learning videos, and more. The most popular titles available on the network include:
- Barbie Vlogger
- Garfield
- Inspector Gadget
- Lego Ninjago
- My Little Pony
- Pokémon
- Shaun the Sheep
- SonicX
- Teletubbies
- Transformers Animated
- Wallace & Gromit
HappyKids.TV is a great resource for children’s entertainment, with a wide range of well-loved characters. These include Sonic the Hedgehog in SonicX, as well as Nick Park’s classic animated series Wallace & Gromit and its spin-off series Shaun the Sheep. The channel is also home to the hit kids’ show Teletubbies, as well as classic franchises like Garfield, Inspector Gadget, My Little Pony, and Pokémon.
The channel also features a good range of kids and family films, such as animated hits A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures, Hero Quest, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Totally Spies: The Movie, as well as films like Antboy, Bob The Butler, Hatched, School of Life and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Movies based on popular films that have been adapted for kids — such as Dude, Where’s My Dog and Pirates of the Plain — are also available.
The final cut
PBS KIDS and HappyKids.TV both offer great educational features and learning resources in addition to popular entertainment for children. PBS KIDS provides a small but strong library full of programming with classic children’s characters and a good mix of kids’ shows, both new and old. But it cannot compete with the huge library of content available on HappyKids.TV, which is home an outstanding collection of learning guides, TV shows, and videos.
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