20 animated theme songs that instantly remind us of childhood

This Nickelodeon classic starts with the words, "Are you ready, kids?" If that doesn't remind you of your childhood watching Spongebob, Patrick, and Squidward get in and out of sticky situations, I don't know what else would.

This show's theme song is so iconic that you can probably hear that perfect harmony in your head by just looking at this picture.

Phineas and Ferb's entire premise was about these two kids building a grand project during their summer vacation. The theme song begins with the lyrics, "There's 104 days of summer vacation, and school comes along just to end it." So, to make the most of it, they built rockets, fought mummies, climbed the Eiffel Tower, and much more. Why couldn't we have had that sort of summer?

Kim Possible had a life that most of my childhood friends and I were jealous of. So, hearing this track today takes us back to some of the best years. It's just under a minute, upbeat, and features some of the most iconic lyrics and sounds. "So, what's the sitch?"

The Proud Family was a staple for Black families, and the theme song (performed by Destiny's Child) is so iconic that it reminds us of those early mornings before school that we spent watching this hilarious series.

The theme song was the best part of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Nobody can tell us that the lyrics ("It's the lean, green, ninja team / On the scene, cool teens doin' ninja things") aren't straight fire.

Although being an emperor was never in the cards for us, watching Kuzco from Disney's The Emporer's New School talk about balancing his duties with being a student in the show's theme song made us think there was hope for us to have a royal life. 

Please, that stacked "Dora, Dora, Dora, the Explorer" harmony is cemented into our brains from childhood.

Bob The Builder definitely instilled some false hope in us as children. Regardless, it was fun knowing he could fix anything he set his mind (and toolbox) to.

Unlike some other shows on this list, we knew this show was purely for entertainment because there was no way a dog could grow to be so big. Nonetheless, Clifford the Big Red Dog still unlocks core memories from our childhood.

It's probably safe to say that most groups of teenage friends would take their talking dog with them on an adventure to solve strange mysteries if they could. We know ours would.

There are no words in the Rugrats theme song, but the simple tune of whatever instrument that is is so recognizable it takes us way back.

When we think about this show, all we can see is Helga telling the protagonist to "move it football head" in the opening credits.

Even though I knew I'd never be on a magic school bus taking me on trips worldwide, it was always fun to watch during those free days back in middle school. Plus, Miss Frizzle was a trip, which always made for an entertaining episode. 

Family Guy isn't the most appropriate show for younger children, but hey, that didn't stop us (and most of our friends) from watching it. It's still airing today, and although it's not appointment television for us, seeing it on the air takes us back to laughing at those wildly corny jokes only a 10-year-old would think are funny.

Every time we hear the Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius theme song, we immediately think of the popular candy he created (Krunch Time), and it makes us sad we weren't ever able to taste it.

The theme song to Nickelodeon's Danny Phantom is absolutely perfect. It sums up the show's premise with a funky beat full of matching rhymes. However, the song's best part must be that one lyric that's whispered: "He's a phantom."

Arthur was dedicated to teaching us a lot as children, and we vividly remember some of the themes. The theme song is packed full of meaningful lyrics, which encourage watchers to listen to their hearts, get along with each other, and believe in themselves.

Most children dream about growing up and being adults, and Tommy Pickles from All Grown Up knew that extremely well. As watchers, we connected with them, especially as they made their way through middle school with their friends. But if we're being real... adulthood in 2024 isn't all that we thought it'd be. Somebody can take us back to the early 2000s any day now.

This show's intro didn't have words, but we're sure most readers know what it was like looking forward to recess every day after lunch.