If you have been around any toddler for more than 10 minutes you’ve heard of CoComelon. Over the summer I worked with 3-year-olds at a day care center and all I heard was children’s songs for hours on end. For those of you who don’t know this devil’s spawn of a show, first, I envy you. Secondly, it’s a classic animation that plays nursery rhymes.

This idea inspired me to look back on what I watched as a young child to see if it was just as annoying. Looking back, I can honestly say I’d rather watch a lot of things than CoComelon. Here are just a few.

Because CoComelon is animated, we will stick to animated kids shows that were produced in the 2000s-2010s.

1. “My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic” (Age 5+)

This may be one of the newest shows on my list – with a release in 2010 – but this show may have had one of the biggest impacts on my life. With bright animation, extremely catchy songs and amazing lessons about self-growth and making friends, it is one of the more wholesome kids shows of the decade.

2. “Wow Wow Wubbzy” (Age 3+)

This is a show packed with adorable nostalgia, running on Nick Jr. in 2006. I recently stumbled upon it on YouTube to watch for free and I was reminded of the soft, huggable animation of the show. Our three main characters complement each other both aesthetically and in personality; their biggest strength comes from the focus on teaching social skills.

3.“Fetch With Ruff Ruff Man” (Age 14+)

“Fetch with Ruff Ruff Man” is a show with a live-action and animation component to it. It’s a game show where a set of eight preteens compete to finish challenges involving science, engineering and math. “Fetch,” while definitely for older kids, is still exciting to watch and is one of the few shows with a big payoff. Every season you get a grand champion and you can root for your favorite player all season long.

4.“SpongeBob SquarePants” (Age 6+)

“SpongeBob SquarePants” has been around forever, starting way back in 1999. Sometimes you need a show that makes you laugh. This show does just that by following a fun yet slightly annoying main character. It takes you through the day-to-day of the hard-working and passionate SpongeBob. But it compensates for some of the goofy, unrealistic parts of the show with the sarcastic and relatable Squidward. This relationship creates a balanced experience for all watchers, kids and adults alike.

5.“Wild Kratts” (Age 6+)

This is the single show that I showed to my class of crazy 3-year-olds this summer and they loved it! The show follows two zoologist brothers, Kris and Martin, as they follow or discover an animal in its natural habitat to find the animal’s unique abilities. The show also encourages respect for animals and touches on concepts such as endangerment, extinction and threats to natural habitats. Truly an amazing show for any animal-lover kid.

6.“Cyberchase” (Age 8+)

I was terrible at math when I was a kid, which is partly why I work with words and not numbers. That being said, this show is one of the few that make math fun to me. We follow three relatable teenage characters who are transported to cyberspace and use math to protect it from Hacker, the show’s antagonist. If you ever struggled with math, I guarantee you watched this (or should have).

7. “Yu-Gi-Oh” (Age 6+)

This one leans into the anime realm, but I think it still works for this list, as it was a major part of growing up for me: I spent weekends playing and watching Yu-Gi-Oh with my older brother. The show follows the underdog Yugi Motto as he enters the realm of competing in Duel Monsters. With strong messages of friendship as an overarching theme, along with game strategy, it’s definitely for older kids. But if you want to sneak anime into a younger sibling’s watch list, this is a pretty good one.

8. “Max and Ruby” (Age 3+)

One of the best parts of this show that I remember is Max, a classic mischievous younger brother who doesn’t speak — but you can always tell when he’s up to something with his signature smirk! The show follows him and his older sister as they attempt to get along in their day-to-day lives. And if you have a sibling you know just how hard and fun that can be!

9.“Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends” (Age 7+)

A bit on the older side again, but the concept is so whimsical and fun that it was impossible for me not to add “Foster’s” to this list. The show centers around Bloo, the imaginary friend of an intelligent little boy named Mac who had to give him up. With other imaginary friends, they go on adventures that focus on building friendships and the importance of friendships.

10.“Strawberry Shortcake” (Age 3+)

“Strawberry Shortcake” was my mother’s favorite and is the only one on this list that was passed down to me by my parents. It’s been around since the 1980s, but I think the best interpretation of the characters comes from the 2003 iteration from my childhood. This show teaches good morals and manners with bright fruit and sweets-based characters, and is always a joy to have on. The songs are sugar-filled sweetness and catchy beyond belief, so be careful if sweets aren’t really your thing.