44 Educational Netflix Documentaries for Homeschooling

Schools are closed and really not knowing for sure when they will be opening again. A lot of friends and even I find myself are a little nervous about educating my own children and creating structure.

People are searching for resources wherever they can find them. I was at the Dollar Store the other day and I saw a mom stocking up on school supplies. I thought "Gosh, I wish I was like that mom. Creating a school like atmosphere for her kids. She is so on top of it."

Education has expanded these days and they include tools we never had as children, Netflix of course is one of them.

Netflix offers a wide variety of documentaries and educational shows that teach your kids quite a bit about this wild and crazy world we live in. My kids have enjoyed The Magic School Bus, The Who Was? Show,  and Our Planet. I always feel so good about them watching those shows because I know they are learning something new. And they are like little sponges it shocks me how much they learn and how quickly they pick things up.

You can make learning a lot of fun by watching Netflix. For example, building a fort, grabbing their favorite blankets, they can wear comfy clothes you would never allow them to wear to school and have popcorn. Grab the remote, and spend a hour or so  learning about the world.

44 Educational Documentaries on Netflix:

Nature

1. 72 Cutest Animals (TV-PG)– A countdown of the cutest animals in the world introduces you to 72 adorable creatures.
2. Africa (TV-PG)– Travel through Africa and learn how animals in different ecosystems live and survive.
3. Baby Animals in the Wild (TV-G)– Learn about the natural world with this TV series that tracks baby animals through their daily lives.
4. Blue Planet II (TV – G)– Take a dive into the deepest parts of the sea in a series that shows you the wonders of the ocean.
5. Chasing Coral (TV-PG)– Look into the phenomenon of disappearing coral reefs with a team of divers who try to solve the mystery of their disappearance.
6. Dino Hunt (TV-G)– Paleontologists uncover dinosaur fossils while working to discover an elusive new species.
7. Earth’s Natural Wonders (TV-PG)– See how humans survive in some of the world’s most beautiful, yet harshest, environments.
8. Frozen Planet (TV- PG)– Journey through ice and snow to uncover the coldest areas of our world.
9. Growing Up Wild (G)– Five young animals discover how to survive in a harsh world.
10. If I Were an Animal (TV-Y)– Let two siblings Emma and Tim take your young kids into the fascinating animal world. Recommended for ages 5-8.
11. Life (TV-PG)– Delve into survival with this series that uncovers animal lives from insects to reptiles.
12. Mission Blue (TV-Y7)– Follow Sylvia Earle’s campaign to save a slowly dying ocean.
13. Monkey Planet (TV-PG)– Zoologist Dr. George McGavin gives an in-depth look at the nature and lives of monkeys.
14. Nature: Animals with Cameras (TV-PG)– Cameras attached to nine different species provide an interesting glimpse into animals’ lives.
15. Nature’s Great Events (TV-PG)– Watch spectacular wildlife events with this TV series that shows how changing seasons and events affect the animal world.
16. Our Planet (TV-G)– See our world’s natural beauty and the impacts of climate change in this extensive documentary that covers different ecosystems throughout the world.
17. Planet Earth II (TV-G)– Travel through the earth and see natural wonders hardly touched by humans.
18. The Blue Planet: A Natural History of the Oceans (TV-G)– A sequel to “Blue Planet” shows you the rarely-seen world under the sea.
19. Wild Alaska (TV-PG)– Witness the great state of Alaska change as the seasons come and go and how animals survive through it all.
20. Wild Arabia (TV-PG)– Discover the changing landscapes of Arabia that are rich in both history and beauty.
21. Wild North (TV-PG)– Look at the wildlife and nature in three different Norwegian biotopes.

History

1. American Experience: The Circus (TV-PG)– Discover how the circus rose to become one of the world’s favorite forms of entertainment and why it slowly died out.
2. Beatles: How the Beatles Changed the World (TV-PG)– Investigate the impact the Beatles had on music and culture, then and now.
3. Martin Luther: The Idea that Changed the World (TV-PG)– Learn about a man who fought the beliefs of the Catholic Church in this docudrama about Martin Luther.
4. The West (TV-PG)– Uncover life in the 19th century American West with this documentary that shows what life was like for pioneers and natives trying to tame a wild country.
5. The Wheelchair President (TV-PG)– Find out how the failing health and marriage of Franklin Delano Roosevelt impacted the conclusion of WWII.

Science

1. Brain Games (TV-G)– Games, illusions, and experiments give insight into how our brains create our vision of reality.
2. Brainchild (TV-Y7)– This educational series for younger children teaches them the science of the world.
3. City in the Sky (TV-PG)– Delve into modern air travel and the many facets that make it run.
4. Edge of the Universe (TV-G)– Understand some of the mysteries of space as scientists reveal secrets about comets, asteroids, and other cosmic mysteries.
5. Forces of Nature (TV-PG)– Learn about shapes, elements, color, and motion in this docuseries about the forces governing our world.
6. Nova: Black Hole Apocalypse (TV-G)– This documentary uncovers some of the mysteries of the strangest phenomenon in the universe: black holes.
7. SuperNature Wild Flyers (TV-PG)– Learn about aerodynamics of flight by studying and watching the lives of birds.
8. The Farthest: Voyager in Space (TV-PG)– This documentary chronicles NASA’s 1977 launch of two space probes, created to send pictures and data about the furthest reaches of space back to earth.
9. The Last Man on the Moon (TV-PG)– Hear from Gene Cernan as he talks about what it meant to be the last man to stand on the moon.
10. The Lion in Your Living Room (TV-G)– Learn all about the common household pet, the cat, in this documentary that explores multiple topics from its domestication to the science of a cat’s purr.
11. The Mars Generation (TV-PG)– Follow a group of teens at NASA’s “space camp” as they dream about traveling to Mars.
12. The Pyramid Code (TV-PG)– Discover the scientific knowledge and technological advancement of one of the greatest civilizations in the ancient world: the Egyptians.

Current Events

1. He Named Me Malala (PG-13)– Follow the journey of Pakistani girl Malala, shot for standing up for girls’ education, and her determination to keep fighting.
2. I Am Bolt (PG)– The life of world record holder Usain Bolt comes alive in this documentary about his athletic career.
3. The Pixar Story (G)– Get a behind-the-scenes look at the history and creation of a company that has made some of the most loved children’s movies.

Health

1. Sustainable (TV-G)– Chef Rick Bayless and other farmers describe the sustainable food movement and how it could impact the food industry of the future.
2. What the Health (TV-PG)– This documentary discusses links between diet and disease and talks about healthcare and the pharmaceutical and food industries.

That is a lot of material to get through. This should keep you busy for awhile. This is a perfect way to feel better about your kids sitting in front of the television. There are some in there I wouldn’t mind cuddling up with them and watching it as well.

Source: Netflix.com and Homeschoolacademy.com