Top Ten Entertaining, Engaging, Educational Cartoon Shows in India

Which parents will not be happy if the kid shouts out the answers to the questions the cartoon characters ask in the show, or  if the show does wonders in your child’s colour or shape recognition?

Many shows in the Cartoon channels are engaging, but in different ways…While some are very entertaining like Tom and Jerry, Oggy and Cockroaches, Chota Bheem, Motu Patlu, Ben10, Doramon, some shows are truly smart, funny, educational, and can hold the attention.

Then, which are the good cartoon shows? ........ In my opinion - those which engage your child and teach him or her something positive, along the way. And, if you can join your child to watch, that's an added bonus.

This is the list of shows which I believe are not only Entertaining and Engaging, but also very Educational :  

1.    Umi Zoomi

This is a delightful series for preschoolers, which reinforces math skills like counting, measuring, and spatial relations. The show’s interactive format keeps kids engaged and excited about helping the characters solve the problems they encounter, and they will sharpen other skills like shape recognition and color identification along the way.

2.    Mister Maker

Mister Maker  is a preschool television series commissioned by  Michael Carrington at the BBC for CBeebies. The series launched in 2007 and also airs on BBC One and BBC Two.

Mister Maker does something interesting and that gives him an idea of what to make. He collects the required things from the Doodle drawers or an art and craft shop and makes it. Then he wakes up the shapes and they do a song and dance, followed by a randomly selected shape (circle, triangle, square or rectangle) to form a picture or to find how many (particular shape) are there. 

3.    Dora the Explorer

Dora the Explorer is an American educational animated TV series created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, and Eric Weiner. Dora the Explorer became a regular series in 2000. The show is carried on the Nickelodeon cable television network, including the associated Nick Jr. channel.

Dora the Explorer features the adventures of little Dora, her monkey Boots, Backpack and other animated friends. In each episode, viewers join Dora on an adventure in an animated world set inside a computer. The titular character seeks viewers' help in solving a puzzle or mystery she faces in each episode.

4.    Blue Clues

Blue's Clues is an American children's television series that premiered on Nickelodeon in 1996. Producers Angela Santomero,Todd Kessler and Traci Paige Johnson combined concepts from child development and early-childhood education with innovative animation and production techniques that helped their viewers learn.

It is about an animated puppy that helps its human master by revealing the clues to solving everyday problems.

5.    Gali Gali Sim Sim

Galli Galli Sim Sim (Devanagari: गली गली सिम सिम) is the Hindi language adaptation of the American children's television seriesSesame Street (famous for its Muppets), for India.

This classic educational series sometimes deals with strong emotions -- such as missing a friend, suffering from low self-esteem, and being worried about a new sibling's arrival -- but the messages for kids are always positive and self-affirming. The show's superb educational content supports early skills in literacy, math, and science and exposes kids to a variety of cultures through music, dance, and language.

About 157 million children in India are watching the show on Indian children's TV channels, Turner's Cartoon Network, POGO and Doordarshan.

6.    MAD

A Pogo original production by Turner, the Music Art and Dance show "M.A.D.", is a do-it-yourself show. 

Rob, the favourite anchor of kids' TV takes you on a fun-filled, interactive, creative journey, transforming ordinary materials into stimulating works of art with his MAD twist. Every single time you discover new styles, that are easy, and exciting, and for everyone to try and enjoy.

Armed with simple art tools like a pencil, paintbrush, colours and paper, Rob will take you on a creative joyride, and help you explore the world of possibilities through art. From new and easy painting techniques, to fun and exciting paper crafts. Playing with shadows and silhouettes, recycled boxes and bottles, was never so much fun! And to make the MAD experience even bigger and better, Rob allows his imagination and creativity to run wild, and gives us the most spectacular, most magnificent, most gigantic BIG Picture. So hop on board and get set for an art adventure like no other. Because MAD hai, toh sab cool hai!

7.    Little Einstein

Little Einsteins is an American animated television series on Disney Junior. The educational preschool series was developed for television by Douglas Wood who created the concept and characters, and a subsequent team headed by Emmy Award-winning director Olexa Hewryk and JoJo's Circus co-creator Eric Weiner, and produced by Curious Pictures and The Baby Einstein Company.

Little Einsteins takes us on an adventure with four children: Leo, June, Annie and Quincy. Each of these four children have their own specialization, Leo loves to conduct, Annie loves to sing, Quincy loves to play instruments while June loves to dance. This show never leaves its primary focus of helping children learn to explore and introduce new concepts into their minds, though it certainly attempts to expand the viewer's curiosity.

8.    Octonauts:

The Octonauts is a British children's television series, produced by Silvergate Media for the BBC channel Cbeebies. The series is animated in Ireland by Brown Bag Films but uses British voice actors. The TV series is based on American-Canadian children's books written by Vicki Wong and Michael C. Murphy of Meomi Design Inc.

The Octonauts follows an underwater exploring crew made up of stylized anthropomorphic animals, a team of eight adventurers who live in an undersea base, the Octopod, from where they go on undersea adventures with the help of a fleet of aquatic vehicles.

9.    Micky Mouse

Mickey Mouse is a funny animal cartoon character and the official mascot of The Walt Disney Company. He was created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at the Walt Disney Studios in 1928. An anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves, Mickey has become one of the most recognizable cartoon characters in the world.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, with morals and lessons teaches about helping others in a fun and energetic way.

10. Akbar and Birbal

Discovery Kids lights up the television screen with the humorous stories in its new animation series Akbar & Birbal. The tales of famous Emperor Akbar and his trusted adviser Birbal have been passed on from generation to generation, enthralling young and old listeners alike. The series will take its viewers to the era of Mughals where they will witness amusing exchanges between Akbar and Birbal. Discovery Kids will offer children an experience to cherish for a lifetime.