PRIVATE LIVES : VIDEO: Kids’ titles go the reality route this season, offering traditional fare, cartoon favorites and, yes, even an enticing look at garbage.

Since reality programming is popular with adults, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the latest trend in children’s video seems to be “factual and fun.”

That’s what Diana Huss-Green says, and she should know. As editor of Parents’ Choice magazine, she watches a lot of children’s video; each year the magazine selects the best.

Fantasy, on the other hand, is on the “out” list. “The trend is also nonviolent,” Huss-Green says from her Boston office. “Pre-school and school-age youngsters are interested in factual shows that go beyond their homes, incorporate nature, and family films that don’t drip sugar.”

With Parents’ Choice highlighting documentaries about garbage collecting and puppies, it’s clear that what intrigues children are things adults take for granted. As Huss-Green puts it: “Everything with wheels, wings or paws is in .”

Videos can make good gifts. And while the obvious choices may be such popular fare as “Snow White” (Walt Disney Home Video, $22) and “The Flintstones” (MCA Universal Home Video, $20), there are plenty of other new releases. Here are some suggestions, with help from Parents’ Choice. For smaller labels, mail-order phone numbers are included.

Ages 2 and Up

Disney Sing Along Songs: The Twelve Days of Christmas; Disney Sing Along Songs: The Lion King Circle of Life (Buena Vista Home Video, $13 each): “Twelve Days” offers Mickey, Minnie, Donald and friends in a live-action holiday songfest. “Circle” features songs from the hit feature.

Muppet Classic Theater (Jim Henson Video, $20): The Muppets’ first direct-to-video offering has six versions of classic fairy tales, including “Rumpelstiltskin,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and “Three Little Pigs.”

Puppy Love (ABC Video, $10): This video of purebred puppies at play can teach children the different breeds since each puppy is given such easily identifiable names as Dotty the Dalmatian, Benny the Beagle and Gerry the German Shepherd.

Snow White (Sony Wonder, $15): Not the Disney version, but it is the classic fairy tale. It’s part of the “Enchanted Tales” series, which happens to include a “Lion King”-ish The Jungle King.

Ages 3-8

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp (Rabbit Ears, (800) 800-EARS, $10): Huss-Green--who’ll tout the movie on next Sunday’s “Today” show--dubs this “like no other ‘Aladdin’ you’ve ever seen. It’s much closer to the original story of ‘A Thousand and One Nights.’ He’s a real rogue to whom things happen exclusively by chance. He’s not a nice boy and doesn’t become one until he loses the lamp, and then it becomes spiritual.”

The Big City Construction Video for Kids! (Pelzer Productions, (800) 836-8742, $16): Powerful machines build skyscrapers, workers hoist a million-pound foundation over a highway, and kids are fascinated. A Parents’ Choice recommendation.

The Brave Frog (Hemdale, $15): In this animated tale, an ambitious tree frog struggles for acceptance in Rainbow Pond.

Garbage Day! (ChildVision Films, (800) 488-1913, $15): Who thought that refuse could be so interesting? The small video company that put out this movie did, and found that children are fascinated not only by the big trucks but by disposing and recycling. A Parents’ Choice recommendation.

Linnea in Monet’s Garden (First Run Features, $20): “The best fantasy,” says Huss-Green, who adds that parents shouldn’t consider this video gender-specific, even though it’s about a girl’s visit to Claude Monet. She also cites a dearth of good fantasies, with the exception of this title and “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp.”

The Secret Garden (ABC Video, $17): This animated video version of the much-told tale, which aired on ABC last month, offers added footage. Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore in “Goldfinger”) and Derek Jacobi lends their voices.

Ages 8 and Up

Black Beauty (Warner, $25): Anna Sewell’s much-loved tale is told from the horse’s perspective in this Parents’ Choice recommendation. Milton Chen, author of “The Smart Parent’s Guide to KIDS’ TV,” suggests that parents consider videos, like this one, that come with companion books. Another among this season’s offerings is “Little Women” (see below).

Heavy Hitter and the Hawaiian Slammers (DIC/Toon-Time, $13): This action tale, based on the ancient Hawaiian legend of round tablets, comes just in time to cash in on the pog craze and doles out a little history of the game in the process.

Into the West (Buena Vista Home Video, $20): This tale, set in Ireland, tells of a magical horse and the two abandoned boys it helps. Gabriel Byrne and Ellen Barkin star in this Parents’ Choice recommendation.

Little Women (CBS Fox Video, $20): Can’t wait until Christmas Day for the upcoming feature version with Winona Ryder and Susan Sarandon? Check out this 1970 BBC adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s 1867 novel of family love, recently re-released by CBS Fox Video and the BBC.

The Littlest Viking (Hemdale, $20): Life’s not easy for a 12-year-old Viking prince. This live-action movie is set against the scenic fiords of Scandinavia.

Shirley Temple Movies (Fox-Video, $15): The mop-top’s latest colorized releases--”The Littlest Rebel,” “Wee Willie Winkle” and “Susannah of the Mounties”--offer pluckiness personified.

Ren & Stimpy: Classics II (Sony Wonder/Nickelodeon, $15): The further adventures of the asthmatic hound and his happy-go-lucky kitty sidekick also come in gift packages featuring a squishy Ren toy and a “we-dare-you-to-hug-it” holiday-bedecked Stimpy (both $20).

X-Men ‘Till Death Do Us Part: Parts 1 and 2 (PolyGram Video, $10 each): America’s favorite mutants, right from the pages of Marvel cartoons, battle evil.*