Educational DVDs

Here's our current recommended selection of documentaries and other films that are available on DVD that have an educational or horizon expanding aspect for children to them. In each case a link is provided to where you can get hold of the item in question. As with all pages on our site the content on this one will be refreshed & amended as inspiringyourkids.com develops and grows.

Planet Earth

Narrated by David Attenborough this is surely the definitive portrait to date of the planet we all share. Landscapes from across the globe, the creatures that live in them and the environments they must contend with and adapt to are featured in eleven hours of film that is stunning for children and adults alike. With deserts; jungles; mountains; caves; rivers and oceans amongst the jaw dropping locations and a massive galaxy of life in its many varieties featured, this box set is informative, breathtaking and inspiring. Available from Woolworths Group plc

Walking With Dinosaurs

Roaming and ruling the earth for 160 million years before mysteriously disappearing, dinosaurs are one of the most captivating subjects for a great many children. Both kids already hooked on the particular fascination of the 'great lizards' and those who thus far have escaped their particular spell, will be amazed and astounded by the 6 thirty minute films on this DVD set that so graphically and realistically capture their life and times. Although originally broadcast as a BBC TV series back in 1999, the computer generated animation that made this the first special effects blockbuster documentary, will still enthrall young and not so young viewers today, and provide what remains as the premier educational and entertainment experience available, examining and exploring the dinosaurs and the insects, plants, geography and climate that they lived amongst. With narration by actor Kenneth Branagh and a great 50 minute 'making of' documentary this package truly succeeds in bringing the distant past vividly to life. Available from filmnight.com

In Search Of Myths And Heroes

Legends with their mystery and epic sweep are favourite subjects for many children and young people, and in the four documentaries contained in this DVD set Michael Wood entertainingly and informatively explores where myth ends and history begins in terms of stories associated with King Arthur; the Queen of Sheba; Shangri-La and Jason & the Golden Fleece. Journeying to the locations that form the backdrop to each of the tales, the documentaries use meticulous research to present the facts surrounding the emergence of the legends, and present a range of insights into the themes these powerful and enduring stories address. The highly engaging approach ensures that anyone, child or adult, with an interest in the world around them will come away from viewing these great films with a deeper sense of these four legends which form key parts in our cultural tapestry. Available from dvd.co.uk

March Of The Penguins

For two months you stand in a hundred mile an hour gale in the coldest place on earth - or at least you do if you're a male Emperor penguin doing your best to become a dad by hatching an egg. This is one of the sequences from this astonishing documentary which took French filmmaker Luc Jacquet and his crew a year to make enduring the harshest weather the Antarctic could blast at them along the way. Morgan Freeman narrates the resulting 80 minutes of gripping documentary which chronicles how these robust creatures emerge from their ocean feeding grounds to trudge across 70 miles of ice to look for and find a mate on the same part of the Antarctic each year. The film traces their journey and the scenes of mingling and selection. Once courting is complete mothers to be retrace their steps to replenish their food intake in readiness for their parental feeding duties, whilst their male counterparts get into that two month huddle. Females return for hatching time while dads stagger off, their protective duties done. This is great educational entertainment which despite some potentially upsetting scenes for sensitively natured youngsters represents a wonderful family experience. Available from amazon

The Planets

This two disc DVD set presents eight fifty minute documentaries that together explore and explain the wonders that are the present nature and history of our solar system. While some critics have quibbled about the amount of special effects deployed in the telling of this story, this is a breath taking educational journey that succeeds in entertainingly drawing in young minds and adult attention to the scale of the space that is local to us, the characteristics of the planets, their moons and other objects that are Earth's near neighbours and the people, mostly but not exclusively American and Russian, who have been involved in exploring and seeking to understand them. While young astronomers will find this of particular interest, any child with a lively mind from about eight upwards who has as much as glanced at the night sky noting the moon or Venus, is likely to find this fascinating viewing. The commentary of Samuel West together with the soundtrack add considerably to the overall experience this excellent set of documentaries brings. Available from filmnight.com

The Blue Planet

This is the four DVD Special Edition version of the most comprehensive series ever made on the world's oceans and the incredible array of creatures who call them home. The brilliant photography captures much that has never been seen before, as well as documenting more familiar sights, in a supremely informative fashion. David Attenborough provides the gently informative commentary as the full spectrum of sea life from the smallest to the largest is presented in a mesmerising fashion. As a Special Edition amongst its other features this version has three previously unscreened programmes adding yet more to the feast provided for the hearts, minds and spirits of viewers whether adult or child. Available from Woolworths Group plc

The Ascent Of Man

Curious children of ten and over are likely to be able to join lively minded teenagers in finding, what is still arguably the best history and science documentary series ever made, accessible. Presented by the charismatic and fantastically knowledgeable Dr Jacob Bronowski, this four DVD box set weaves the story of the cultural developments and achievements of the human race from its emergence through to the modern era. For many youngsters more used to a sound bite driven method of delivery with fast changing camera angles offered in place of content, this may prove to be a challenge in concentration terms, but if watched with adults you can encourage them to extend shortened attention spans here in a brilliant and scintillating education of how we as human beings have got to be us with our current world view. This series was an astonishing achievement when it was made and sharing it with the older children in your life represents a rare and life sustaining gift. Available from filmnight.com

Civilisation

Older children and teenagers with lively minds will find the eleven hours of footage which comprise this series a stunning summary of the key trends in music, art, architecture and science that have shaped Western thought and history from the time of the Ancient Greeks to the near present. Despite being almost 40 years old, and with the benefit of the remastered audio of this 2005 DVD release, Kenneth Clark's series has lost none of its relevance and ability to convey what has shaped how we think and live. It will present a challenge for many younger viewers in concentration terms, but consumed in digestable portions the rewards, even from taking away only a facet of what is on offer in terms of the ability to make connections and sparking off interests in particular subjects, are immense. Available from dvd.co.uk