At times, it might feel challenging just to grab your kids' attention and share experiences with them especially when they're constantly using their devices -- phones, tablets, or laptops. Watching documentaries with them can be a great way for your family to connect and teach your kids valuable lessons that you might not have direct access to otherwise in your home classroom. Here, we introduce 5 documentaries to help cultivate a sense of intellectual curiosity and compassion in your children without making it a boring lesson. 

     1. Planet Earth I, II

This highly acclaimed BBC’s series about our planet will not only instill appreciation and care for nature in your children but also captivate them with highly engaging narratives and astonishing wonders around the world. 

     2. The Kindness Diaries

This Netflix series is about a guy named Leon Logothetis who travels the world on his vintage motorbike, relying only on strangers' acts of kindness and returning those favors in unexpected ways. Logothetis's journey with the help of many good samaritans around the world will show your children the beauty of giving and sharing and inspire them to value kindness. 

     3.  He Named Me Malala

He Named Me Malala follows the touching, intimate story of a young Pakistani girl and her personal journey to fight for education. Malala's bravery will inspire your homeschoolers to appreciate their access to education and to fight for justice to make the world a better place.

     4. Wings of Life

This Disney movie celebrates the different forms of life on our planet and shows how every life on Earth is interconnected to one another. After watching this movie, you can help your kids apply what they learned from the movie to real life situations and discuss how flowers and birds coexist in your backyard or community gardens. This exercise will help your kids develop a more holistic understanding of their surrounding environment.

     5. A Place At The Table

This documentary is about the harrowing food shortage and insecurity that leave many kids malnourished and hungry across different cities in the United States. Experts and families discuss how to make healthy food affordable and accessible to many starving American families in this well made documentary. It is a great way to inspire and introduce your kids to volunteer for local food banks or charity organizations, an activity that will have a lingering impact on not only those getting help but also your children who will practice compassion and kindness.