Watching our children grow up is a process full of many lasts — last nursing session, last time they ask you to wipe their butt… last Sesame Street episode! Yup, as kids get older, even their preference for TV shows changes. And by the time they turn into tweens, they often become interested in shows that look at life from more of an adult perspective, sometimes even helping guide them through the first awkward stages of adolescence.
When many of us were in this phase, there weren’t tons of shows to choose from. Thanks to technology, kids today have access to a practically endless variety of shows. And this list of good shows for 11 to 12-year-olds on Netflix is sure to score you some points with your tween when you add them to their watch list, especially when you brag about knowing the characters (thanks, Fuller House reboot). Who knows? Maybe they’ll even let you watch with them. Here’s hoping, right?
1. Fuller House
The original cast (Minus Michelle — “Aw, Nuts!”) got a little bit fuller in the Full House reboot. Yes, Uncle Jessie is still doing it for us, but we can’t help loving this modern twist on the classic, and your tween will, too, thanks to new characters like DJ’s son, Jackson, and Kimmy’s daughter, Ramona.
2. Alexa & Katie
Besties Alexa and Katie are looking forward to the start of high school, but when one of them is diagnosed with cancer, they have to find ways to support each other while navigating the big changes in their lives — and still having fun along the way.
3. Bunk’d
This spinoff of the hit Disney Channel show, Jessie, picks up with siblings Emma, Ravi, and Zuri Ross swapping their NYC penthouse for Camp Kikiwaka in Maine to spend their summer in rustic style at the same camp that their parents met at as teens. Together, they face their fears and make new friends.
4. Is It Cake?
This fast-paced show follows skilled bakers as they go through the challenges of creating cakes that look like everyday objects in order to trick celebrity judges trying to tell the difference between the real thing and… cake!
5. The Great British Baking Show
Another baking show that’s fun for the whole family! Amateur bakers from the U.K. undergo a series of difficult challenges to impress veteran bakers and judges while competing to be crowned the best baker.
6. A Series of Unfortunate Events
Unlucky orphans Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire go through a series of unfortunate events while trying to evade Count Olaf and his gang of strange associates who are after the orphan’s inheritance.
7. Family Reunion
Star of the ‘90s show Sister, Sister, Tia Mowry returns as the mother of a family that travels from Seattle, Washington, to Columbus, Georgia, for a family reunion. When they decide to stay to be closer to family, the McKellan crew has to adjust to life away from the big city.
9. The Baby Sitter’s Club
Based on the popular book series, a group of teen friends experience what it’s like to run their own babysitting business while navigating life.
10. The Floor Is Lava
The floor is literally lava (OK, it’s bubbling red water but just as fun to watch!) in this show that challenges competing groups of three to make it to the finish line without falling in the lava. The team who makes it across successfully and in the fastest time wins a lava lamp trophy and a cash prize.
