When my now-adult daughter was five years old, she caught an episode of the 1950s sitcom I Love Lucy on TV and wondered what happened to the color. She was fascinated when I explained how shows were once made in black and white. She sat and laughed at Lucy’s antics with me. I wondered why I wasn’t already showing my kids more of the old movies and TV shows I enjoyed instead of being subjected to all of their Spongebob, Barney, and Nick Jr. shows. So I did.

I introduced all three of my children to more family-friendly old shows and movies, and we discussed who the Hollywood legends were and why. At the time, their teachers were impressed that they were the only ones in their classes who knew who Abbott and Costello were and who could recite parts of their famous Who’s on First? comedy routine. We watched Danny Kaye in Hans Christian Andersen and Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain.

My mom got in on the action with her music, and instead of always playing boppy kids' tunes in the car, she put on Frank Sinatra. Another friend, after learning what I was doing, hosted weekly classic movie nights so her kids could learn about what she enjoyed.

Interestingly, even though today’s generation has access to more streaming services and YouTube videos than we ever had, many kids are still not familiar with the history of Hollywood film and TV, and it’s up to us to change that.

A few weeks ago, I attended an event where actor Harvey Fierstein (Mrs. Doubtfire) interviewed Broadway legend Chita Rivera. In the lobby, an elderly gentleman claimed today’s generation wasn’t familiar with Rivera. While there were some teenage dance students in the audience who had learned about her, most of the audience was over 50.

Instead of complaining, why isn’t he teaching his grandchildren about these legends? Once or twice a week, have them turn off Paw Patrol and Playstation and bring them into your world and expand their entertainment experiences. Once I put on an Abbott & Costello recording, it only took a few minutes to hear some giggling, and I knew I had done something right.

Choose what you want to show them (judge this list by your own children’s ages, etc.), but if you need suggestions, here are a few you can start with.

Lucille Ball

My idol, this legendary redheaded comedienne is mostly known for her role as Lucy Ricardo in I Love Lucy, which ran on CBS from 1951 to 1957, and you can still find the reruns on TV today. There are some questionable, inappropriate scenes (Ricky ‘spanks’ Lucy in one scene) that might need some conversation, but for the most part, the show’s humor and Lucy’s slapstick antics still succeed today. Your kids might also find it interesting that Ball was the first woman to run a major television studio, Desilu Productions, which produced Mission: Impossible and Star Trek.

Abbott & Costello

Hollywood was once home to some of the funniest comedic duos your children should know, including Abbott & Costello, the Marx Brothers, Laurel & Hardy, Martin & Lewis, and Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. These genius acts paved the way for more pairs, such as Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder and today’s Keenan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. Each comedy duo has its own schtick, but if you start with one of my favorites, Abbott & Costello’s Who’s on First routine, be prepared for the kids to want to watch more. If they do, the skit from their weekly show where Lou Costello proves that 13×7=28 is truly iconic.

Jimmy Stewart

If you are a fan of watching It’s a Wonderful Life during the holidays, your children might already be familiar with Jimmy Stewart, but there’s more to his reel of work. If your children are old enough to enjoy director Alfred Hitchcock’s suspenseful movies, such as Vertigo and Rear Window, you can see more of Stewart, who was named the third-greatest screen legend by the American Film Institute.

Charlie Chaplin

Go back even further to the days of silent movies, because we have so many great actors to thank for starting movies off before they became talkies. Silent films are where the actors' mouths move, but no words are heard. Title cards tell their stories as music threads through their antics, building to dramatic or comedic climaxes. Your kids might really enjoy this version of cinema. My favorite silent film actor is Charlie Chaplin, who made 81 films from 1914 to 1967, and my fave is The Kid. If the kids enjoy silent movies, try the talented Buster Keaton’s movies too.

Gene Kelly/Fred Astaire

Don’t ask whether Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire is the better dancer, because they were both extraordinary and brilliant and it’s worth watching the movies they were both in. Kelly’s Singin’ in the Rain is a great place to start (and will also introduce your kids to the amazing rubber-faced Donald O’Connor in the Make ‘Em Laugh routine). Your children might know Fred Astaire’s voice as the mailman in Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, but you can watch his dancing in the 1935 movie Top Hat. Oh, and if you really want to show the 1955 movie It’s Always Fair Weather to watch Kelly dance on roller skates.

Hattie McDaniel and Butterfly McQueen

Best known for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind, Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Academy Award (for Best Supporting Actress). She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and became the first Black Oscar winner honored with a U.S. postage stamp.

Butterfly McQueen portrayed Prissy in Gone with the Wind and also went on to work on such films as Mildred Pierce, acting until her death in 1995.

Danny Kaye

When I was a kid, I fell in love with the 1952 movie musical Hans Christian Andersen, starring Danny Kaye. You should know it’s not a bio on the author’s life but is described as “a fairy tale about this great spinner of fairy tales.” It does, however, include references to some of the great stories that Andersen wrote, including The Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina, The Emperor's New Clothes, and The Little Mermaid. Kaye’s comedic timing, warmth and singing pulled me in, and I’ve enjoyed him ever since, especially in The Court Jester, a 1955 musical comedy.

If this introduction to some of Hollywood’s greats goes over well with the kids – I think it will – and you’re looking for more, try Marilyn Monroe, Dick Van Dyke, Mae West, Marlon Brando, Shirley Temple, and Jimmy Cagney, just to name a few. Speaking of the AFI, you can also download their 100 greatest film legends list and use it to choose more great performances to watch, such as Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca or Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.