Netflix is always adding and refreshing new content to the streaming service, and keeping track can be a challenging task. Here's a look at some of the highlights of the children's' and family-friendly content that has been added to the service so far this September.
'Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices' (Season 1)
This series aimed at preschool age kids features celebrities such as Tiffany Haddish, Common, Karamo Brown and Lupita Nyong'o reading children's books by Black authors, sparking "kid-friendly conversations about empathy, equality, self-love and antiracism." A perfect series for starting discussions about race and equality early.
'My Octopus Teacher'
Just added on Monday, this nature documentary directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed features filmmaker Craig Foster as he "forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world." Distance learning might be a drag, but supplementing learning with nature documentaries can make biology, science and the world around us that much more fascinating, and this documentary looks to be a great film for older kids interested in the oceans and marine life.
'The Muppets' (2011) and 'Muppets Most Wanted' (2014)
The Muppets never go out of style, and these two rebooted Muppets movies have just arrived on the streaming service. "The Muppets," written by Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel and starring Segel, features the Muppet gang reuniting to save their beloved theater from demolition, while in 2014's "Muppets Most Wanted," the puppety pals get mixed up in a perilous situation with a group of international jewel thieves, costarring Ricky Gervais and Ty Burrell.
'The Smurfs' (2011)
Another nostalgic reboot of a beloved series, but the little blue guys are just irresistible. Introduce any "Trolls"-loving kiddos to the wacky, weird and wonderful world of the Smurfs, if you dare infect your household with all kinds of un-smurfing-believable slang. The incredible Hank Azaria stars as evil Gargamel, while Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays serve as the Smurfs hosts and guardians when they make their way to New York City.
'How to Train Your Dragon 2' (2014) _ on Netflix Friday
This is the second DreamWorks movie featuring the winning duo of Hiccup and his dragon Toothless. These films are beautifully made fantasy adventures that kids eat up, with a star-studded voice cast, including Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill and more. In this installment, Hiccup and Toothless discover the home of hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider.
