I have been giving this some thought. I don't have children, but I have a young niece, and one of my best friends has a young daughter. They are too young now to get much out of it, but in a few years, they will be ready. Dubs are best for younger children, but children who read well might be willing to cope with subtitles, and a subtitled show would provide some reading practice.
Most of what I watch isn't really suitable for anyone younger than teenagers, but I have seen a few that might be good possibilities.
Princess Tutu has the look and feel of a fairy tale, and its visuals and style of storytelling should appeal to young children. Children probably will experience it as a straightforward story, while adults can also enjoy its deeper layers. It is quite girly, so it might be hard to talk a boy into watching it. The English dub is unusually successful, so it would work for younger children who aren't fast enough to read the subtitles.
Sailor Moon is an obvious choice; it is fun and energetic. If it had been around when I was ten years old, I would have been hooked immediately. A new English dub has been made, but I haven't seen that version. I've only seen the original Japanese version. I hear that the original English version is somewhat bowdlerized.
Non Non Biyori seems like the sort of thing a child would like, although it might be too low energy for the most hyperactive children. It looks like there aren't any dubs, so it would only work for children who are fast readers and can cope with the subtitles.
Aria: The Animation and its sequels would be high on my list. It seems like many children would enjoy the vivid visuals and the imaginative fantasy world. Had it been around when I was a child, I would have immediately fallen for it. There is no English dub, unfortunately.
Tokyo Mew Mew is a very girly magical girl show that might appeal to some children. It is energetic, and it features a lot of fun monsters. It is rather violent, particularly at the end, so it might not be the best choice for sensitive children. Unfortunately, the complete series wasn't dubbed into English, and the 4kids English version, which covers about half of the series, is a notorious bowdlerization. |