Kipper tapes are the best! The stories are sweet, contain some subtle lessons, the characters are well-constructed, and (best of all) the pace is always calm, unlike the frenetic stuff they get on TV.

A train tape without obnoxious dialogue! Great train footage (lots of steam engines), beautiful to watch.

George and Martha are phenomenal! It takes a while to get used to the loudish soundtrack, but these stories of two friends maturely making up after disagreements are wonderful.

Another Miyazaki film (did "My Neighbor Totoro," above) - the boys love this tape - though the story and visuals are not as good as "Totoro," and there is a favorable depiction of smoking.