In times of yore, children were warned that television would rot their brains. Today, though, there’s an impressive selection of edutainment, programming that both teaches and tantalizes. These shows have given many children an entrepreneurial edge that will serve them well the rest of their lives. This AICPA Insights article shares a shortlist of shows that will stimulate your kids’ minds – and their industrious spirits.
5 TV shows to teach your kids about business
Entrepreneur Mikaila Ulmer founded Me & the Bees Lemonade when she was just four years old. At age 12, Mikaila won funding from Shark Tank investor Daymond John. Now 13, her product line is available at Whole Foods Market stores. Mikaila represents a growing movement of young entrepreneurs throughout the country.
Children are watching their entrepreneurial parents every day and they’re picking up on best practices. Kids are much further ahead in their understanding of the business world than what we, as parents, realize.
You can help your kids get involved and start thinking about business. Here are five TV shows you can watch with your young children this summer. All shows are age appropriate and have an element of excitement to get your child’s business ideas flowing:
In this ABC reality series hosted by Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family), toy inventors pitch their prototypes to a panel of toy experts who evaluate the products for price, market viability and safety. The experts send the best ideas to “The Toy Box” where a panel of kids judge the toys and decide the ultimate winner. At the end of the season, the winning toy is manufactured and distributed by the toy company Mattel.
The show is appropriate for kids under age 12 and fun for the whole family as you weigh the merits of each toy and hope your favorite will win. Season two aired in the fall of 2017. All episodes are available on demand through your cable provider and via streaming services such as Hulu, Sling and YouTube TV.
Now in its sixth season, this Emmy Award-winning public television series presents a mix of sketch comedies, animation and stories featuring real-life young entrepreneurs. Though the presentation is somewhat disjointed, it has excellent educational value, including free lesson plans, outreach activities and a monthly e-newsletter.
A unique element of this show is that it includes charities and other non-profit business ideas. Clips are available online along with a locator tool to see when the show will air on your local PBS station.
This popular reality cooking show gives kids ages 8 to 13 the chance to showcase their culinary creations through a series of challenges. The kids learn about cooking and the restaurant business.
Did you know egg ravioli can be a real money maker? If you master the technique, it can fetch $30 a plate! Season 6 began airing March 2, 2018 on Fox. Previous seasons are available on demand via the Fox website and various streaming services.
For older kids, teenagers and adults, this series teaches valuable lessons on how entrepreneurs can successfully pitch their ideas to angel investors (wealthy individuals) and raise first-round capital. Some college business entrepreneur classes actually require students to watch Shark Tank. My daughter shared that with me when I suggested she watch it.
Season nine on ABC wrapped up in February 2018. Reruns from previous seasons air nightly on CNBC.
With season three scheduled to premiere in the fall of 2018, each of the show’s first two seasons featured a small American town where experts Amanda Brinkman and Robert Herjavec provided free consulting and $500,000 in free marketing services to revitalize small businesses.
On main streets across America, CPAs live their own dreams of small business ownership and help other entrepreneurs of all ages do the same. And we’re here to assist CPAs along the way.
Carl Peterson, Vice President – Small Firms, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants
