Kids

LIST: Classic Cartoons Kids Should Watch In 2025

by Kevyn Gohu
July 9, 2025

As we run out of recent series and shows to watch, here are some of the classic cartoons that they should watch

Cartoons will always be part of every kid’s life. Whether it’s an after-school show or something to comfort them during the rainy season, cartoons always bring a bright smile to kids. Especially the classic ones, it’s full of life lessons, and also the reason why there are so many memes on the internet. Without further ado, here are some classic cartoons kids should continue watching in 2025:

Steven Universe

Steven Universe is a classic kids’ cartoon that focuses on a half-human and half-alien boy named Steven. Made in 2013, what we love about the series is that many of the episodes focus on healing and moving on, especially in the context of relationships. Each character has their struggles that are fleshed out with Steven helping them come to terms with them. At one point, even Steven has his moment of needing healing, and it can be pretty vindicating for those who feel like they’re Steven: the one who always has it together, the one who always has answers, and the one who never wavers.

As of now, Steven Universe can be streamed on YouTube.

X-Men Evolution

Although Marvel’s X-Men has made its return with X-Men ’97, X-Men Evolution became popular in its own right because of how young some of the characters were and how the older mutants had to fix a lot of the messes they’ve made. Every girl who couldn’t fit in school or anywhere could relate to Rogue, who covered up and didn’t get close to others because of their powers. For boys, there was Cyclops (Scott), Iceman (Bobby), and many other male characters who eventually realized that they can always brute force the problem. They had to come up with quick and clever ways to fix things.

This series was first released in the year 2000.

The Justice League: Animated Series

Many will probably remember that in Cartoon Network’s time slots, The Justice League: Animated Series would interchange with X-Men Evolution every so often. While we have Zack Snyder’s version of The Justice League, this 2004 animated series is what got many kids back in the day into the comic books. The plot and episodes are what many said made this series a classic. While there was the typical smackdown expected from superhero cartoons, there was also a lot of arguments and debate, which helped the kids back then understand the moral greyness reflected in real life.

RWBY

With Vol. 10 now in production, now would be a good time to refresh memories and get the kids into it. RWBY is considered a classic for its animation, appearing way too smooth for its time back in 2013. But what we like about RWBY, besides the animation, is how well thought out the lore and the characters are. Their weapons, their fighting styles, and even the creatures were the wellspring for many kids’ imagination and an introduction to sci-fi.

Currently, all of RWBY’s previous volumes can be streamed on YouTube.

The Amazing World of Gumball

Created in 2011, The Amazing World of Gumball showcases different episodes that can all stand alone as their own story. The situation that the Watterson family is quite relatable, despite the characters being animals. There’s Gumball, who is very close to his former pet turned adopted brother, Darwin. They also have a sister, Anais, who seems to be the most sensible one in the family. Then, there’s the hyper-achieving, loving, and constantly stressed-out mom, Nicole (something that many moms can relate to!), and the very chill dad, Richard.

Episodes of The Amazing World of Gumball are also available on YouTube.

As Told By Ginger

Considering how our kids face peer pressure everyday in school, the classic kids cartoon As Told By Ginger focuses exactly on that. Ginger, currently in middle school, is always trying to fit in and takes note of these learnings in her diary. It’s a very slice-of-life cartoon that teaches kids how to navigate the complex social environment that is school. The best part is, the lessons are not just applied in middle school. They eventually apply to real-life situations as well!

Some of the episodes can be watched on the Nicktoons’ YouTube Channel.

Fairly OddParents

Funny and whimsical, this is the classic kids cartoon that teaches kids the old saying, “Be careful for what you wish for.” Timmy Turner is a miserable ten-year-old boy who is neglected by his parents and left in the hands of his sadistic babysitter, Vicky. He’s then granted fairy godparents to help him cope. But as he makes wishes in different episodes, he also learns that even wishes have consequences.

Fairly OddParents can also be streamed on YouTube.

Teen Titans

We’re not talking about the very meme-y and crazy Teen Titans Go! We’re talking about the original Teen Titans — it tackles the origin of how Robin started out and how the team came together. Until today, it’s hailed as a classic because of the plot and writing. Robin faces challenges of being a leader of the Teen Titans, Starfire learns how to adjust to her life on earth, Cyborg defines what makes him a man (as he is half machine), Beast Boy struggles separating his bestial instincts from his human ones, and Raven learns how her past doesn’t define who she is. The pacing of the series is absolutely golden; kids of today will learn that even superheroes cannot deal with everything alone.

Bringing back the classics

The biggest problem of modern parents today is finding the sites that still stream these classics in 2025. While most of these classic kids cartoons are on YouTube, they’re usually in pieces to avoid being struck by the copyright algorithm. It may be a pain to gather them all, but the lessons in them are a good exchange for the struggle. What some parents do is they look up the episode list on Wikipedia and then use YouTube as the search engine. That way, we’re not searching blind!

Don’t worry, if we find any, we’ll also be looking for credible channels that stream these classic kids cartoons. Until then, happy watching!