So, here we are again. Back and forth to the shelters, with children who are out of school, and who need to be entertained and reassured.
The good news is that the range of kids’ programming available to Israeli families has never been wider. Each satellite network and streaming service has content for children of all ages, and there is some paid content that has become free during the war.
Yes has made many children’s channels free across many platforms, and Hot has also expanded its VOD service and added content for children. Both networks have over a dozen Israeli children’s channels.
The most calming can be the channels with Israeli songs, both new ones and classics, such as the Hop! Yaldut Yisraeli channel (Hop! Israeli Childhood) or the Shirei Yelduti (Childhood Songs) channel.
These channels mix animated videos with songs by stars beloved by kids such as Yael Abecassis (you may know her as the Shabbat Queen on Hop!), the late Uzi Hitman, and Arik Einstein, as well as songs by Yehonatan Geffen from the classic children’s album, The 16th Sheep, performed by Gidi Gov, David Broza, Yoni Rechter, and Yehudit Ravitz.
An opportunity to learn with your children
If you didn’t grow up in Israel, you may find yourself learning the music your children hear in their schools and preschools as you watch, so you can sing along.
In addition, Hot and Yes offer programming designed to help kids cope with the current war, including the new series, Hachi Eitan – a new dramedy from Hop! focused on building resilience. Sadly, this is an area in which Israeli channels have had a great deal of experience.
If you have Hot or Yes, you can order HBO Max for six months for free, and I don’t see a downside to giving it a try. You can also get a three-day free trial straight from HBO Max, and it’s possible to order it per month, for six months, or for a year. The big attraction for families with children is the full library of the Harry Potter movies.
The movie series started about 25 years ago and has held up beautifully. HBO Max also offers other iterations of all things Harry Potter, such as the Fantastic Beasts series and Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, which is described as “ pairs of professional bakers create spellbinding edible showpieces on the sets where the Harry Potter films were made.”
Another option for parents is to subscribe to Apple TV+ for a month and buy whatever films your children love – they have an incredible catalog, which you can download to your computers and other devices, and then you own them for good, even if you don’t continue to subscribe. This is the solution I used for my children’s favorite films, before they became available here on various streaming services.
Apple also offers the opportunity for two-day rentals at prices that start at NIS 16.90 and it has just about any kids’ movie you would want to buy or rent, and some series, including Yo Gabba Gabbaland! And Frog and Toad.
But for many, the best part of Apple TV+ for children will be the collection of the original Peanuts specials, including It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!. These specials are from about 60 years ago, and I don’t know if they will appeal to all of today’s children, but they have aged remarkably well, and they were a bit hit with my family.
Another option is Disney+, and its strongest suit is its children’s programming. It features all the classic Disney cartoon musicals, such as The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and Aladdin, and let’s face it, the cartoons were better than the live-action versions.
It also has the Frozen movies, and the full Pixar library, including the Toy Story series and the Cars series, along with Finding Nemo, Up, the Inside Out movies, and so many others. It also offers short films featuring the characters from these films, including a dozen Toy Story short films.
Disney+ has dozens of cartoons with its classic characters, such as Mickey Mouse, including recent ones and the original films from nearly a century ago, such as Mickey’s first appearance in Steamboat Willy (1928). There are also cartoon versions of the Marvel superheroes and the famous Bluey series.
Tweens will enjoy The Simpsons, all 37 seasons of which are available on Disney+, as well as the 2007 The Simpsons movie. Some kids will like Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, the Final Show, which are also available here.
Disney+ is the streaming home of the Marvel movies, including The Avengers movies, Spiderman, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, X-Men, Deadpool, Fantastic Four, Black Widow, and many others.
If you and your kids like to watch Star Wars movies together, you should check out all the original Star Wars movies on Disney+, including the three from the 1970s and 1980s, the ones from the 1990s and the early 00s, and the more recent ones, plus all the spinoffs such as Andor and The Clone Wars.
Netflix’s offerings include the DreamWorks films, such as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, and the Madagascar series. It also offers the Minions, Pokémon, Power Rangers, Smurfs, and Spy Kids movies.
More recent popular series and films for kids on Netflix include KPop Demon Hunters, which is for kids over 10, and cartoon versions of the Jurassic World movies, also for that demographic. The many Barbie cartoon series for kids, not to be confused with the live-action movie, are on Netflix.
Netflix also features most of the Hayao Miyazaki movies from his Studio Ghibli, including such classics as Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Kiki’s Delivery Service. If your kids are animal lovers, there are many nature shows, intended for younger viewers, such as Surviving Paradise: A Family Tale.
People often ask me which satellite network or streaming service is the best one to get, and the answer will be different for each family.
It often turns out that when you subscribe to a certain service, you may find that you and your family watch it more or less than you imagined you would, and you may also discover movies and series that you didn’t know your children would enjoy until they tried them.
So, if you’re unsure, I’d advise experimenting a little and seeing what provides the most reliable relief from the sirens.