Family BrainSurge (Nickelodeon)

In the game show BRAINSURGE, kids compete in a series of brain-teasing challenges that test their ability to recall visual and auditory information. Each game starts with six contestants (dubbed the “Brainiacs”) who answer a series of questions from host Jeff Sutphen about pictures they’re shown. At the end of the round, the two lowest-scoring players are eliminated and sent home via the "Brain Drain," an oversized slide in the shape of an ear canal that's greased up with a gooey ear wax substitute. Play continues through two more elimination rounds, after which the game’s winner faces one more memory challenge to win a series of prizes -- and a dousing of green slime. 

BrainSurge sticks to tradition when it comes to content -- its oversized set and use of slippery substances bring to mind the station’s slime-covered classic Double Dare. Kids are sure to appreciate the messy nature of the entertainment, but parents will be most excited about the fact that the show’s challenges actually do put kids’ brain power to the test, and that it’s easy for viewers at home to match wits with the contestants.

Despite some mild but recurring potty humor (in one level eliminated contestants are escorted away on a chair that makes farting noises), this fast-paced show is a fun, safe choice for grade-schoolers.