Activity
Chasing
Chasing is one of the first games children invent for themselves. Running after someone, being run after, and the burst of laughter when someone is caught teaches a child about turn-taking, safe excitement and the pleasure of a body that can move fast. A calm, well-made series about chasing lets a child feel that thrill and then come back down, so the excitement stays play rather than fear.
For 2-year-olds
At two, chasing is mostly about movement and reunion. A toddler runs a few steps, looks back, and wants the grown-up to still be there. On screen this works best when the chase is short and slow, with plenty of pause between the running and the catching, and with the moment of being caught turning into a cuddle or a laugh. Look for clear, unhurried pictures where a child can see exactly who is following whom, and where nobody seems truly frightened.
Bing
Shadow
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Bing, a young rabbit, discovers his shadow while playing in the garden and plays a game of shadow tag with his carer Flop, taking turns as the 'shadow monster'. When a big rain cloud covers the sun, the shadows vanish and the two head indoors, but Bing is upset that his shadow is left out in the wet. Flop explains that a shadow stays close to you and only appears when light reaches you, then uses a torch to bring Bing's shadow back inside. The episode closes with Bing recapping the game and the idea that shadows need light.
Abadas
Piano
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Three animal friends, Ela the fox, Hari the hippo, and Seren the bat, play in a pop-up-book world while a narrator runs a word game. The day's word is 'piano,' and Ela is chosen to find it. She works out that a piano must stay dry and so should be indoors, then searches a house, mistaking a spoon and some saucepan lids for the answer before discovering the real piano. She returns to tell her friends what she found, and the group says goodbye.
Duck & Goose
Fly a Kite
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Duck and Goose, two friends in a grassy meadow, decide to build and fly a kite after the wind carries off a hat. They gather paper, vines, sticks, a rubber ball, tree sap and the hat, build the kite, and take turns trying to launch it. Setbacks pile up, including a loose knot and the wind dying down, but they keep trying. The kite finally flies when they combine Goose running into the wind with Duck's bouncing ball, and they end up flying it happily together.
Barney's World
Practice Makes Purple
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
In a bright city park, the purple dinosaur Barney and his friends Mel, David and Vivi spend the day playing soccer. Vivi decides she wants to quit because she thinks she is not good at it, so Barney invents a string of games, chasing pretend sharks, passing a bursting potato and aiming at a dragon, that are really soccer practice in disguise. When he reveals the trick, Vivi realizes she has been improving all along and happily gives soccer another try. Her grandmother Nona arrives, praises her skills, and the episode closes with a group dance and song.
Barney's World
Save the Garden
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
In a sunny town park, Vivi and her friends discover that Nona's garden has become tired and overgrown and decide to bring it back to life. When the job feels too big, the purple dinosaur Barney leads them through an imaginative adventure as butterflies and ladybugs, where they learn to move acorns one at a time to guide some squirrels away. They carry that lesson back to the garden, getting others to help with small steps until the whole space is restored. Nona returns to find it transformed and gathers the children into a grateful hug.
For 3-year-olds
Three-year-olds start to understand chasing as a game with rules. Someone is the chaser, someone runs, then the roles swap. That is a real social skill, and stories help by showing the swap out loud so the fun stays mutual. At this age a bit of suspense is welcome, as long as the series signals plainly that this is play, with smiling faces, silly stumbles and a quick, friendly ending. Chases that stop before the tension builds keep the excitement manageable.
Pocoyo
Double Bubble
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
In this episode Pocoyo, the pink elephant Elly and the orange dog Loula play with soap bubbles on a plain cream background. When the bubbles run out, Pocoyo is left holding the juice and Elly the wand, so neither can make more on their own. A narrator asks the watching child what they should do, and the answer is to share. Pocoyo and Elly combine their items, make bubbles together for Loula, and the episode ends with the three celebrating.
Curious George
Hoop Dupe
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 3
George wants to join the big hoop-a-thon at Luke and Ada's, but he cannot get the hang of hooping and his hoop rolls away across the countryside. He chases it past a pond and a farm, meeting a squirrel, a duck, Leslie the cow and Bo the sheepdog along the way. Each stop leads George to a new way to use the hoop, from reaching with a broom to riding waves to making music. He finally reaches the hoop-a-thon and shows that there is more than one way to hoop.
Curious George
Curious George and the Trash
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 3
The Man with the Yellow Hat sends his hat to be cleaned so he can look his best for a driver's license photo, then leaves George to throw out the trash. George mistakes the freshly cleaned hat for garbage and sends it down the chute, then chases the garbage truck across the city to get it back. Along the way he learns how trash, recycling and landfills work, and finally finds the hat at the landfill where a chef has claimed it. The hat is returned in time, and the Man takes his photo with George's help.
Pretzel and the Puppies
Cone-Do
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Delilah, a young dachshund, arrives wearing a cone after hurting her paw and keeps bumping into things during tag and fetch. With Pretzel and her friends she rides a train to the park to find a game that works for her. There she discovers the cone helps her hear faraway sounds, which lets her find a lost pup and reunite it with its mother. The friends turn the discovery into a new game called Hear and Seek, and Paxton makes his own cone so he can play too.
Kiri & Lou
Imaginary Friend
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Kiri, a small dinosaur, learns that her friend Lou has an imaginary friend named Dalvanius and begins to feel left out. Alone in the forest, she sings a 'Lonely Song' about having no one to play with, and her forest friends gather to comfort her and remind her she is not alone. After asking for some space, Kiri tries imagining her own friend and is delighted when the pretend play feels real. The episode ends as Lou invites her to come and play, and she rushes off to join in.
Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom
Fun and Games
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Ben the elf helps his mum bake cupcakes in the family kitchen, and his friend Holly the fairy princess joins in with the stirring. While the cakes bake, the two go outside and play tag and hide-and-seek, and Holly keeps slipping into flying and magic despite promising to play fair. When the cupcakes come out of the oven, everyone agrees the time flew by because they were having fun. The episode ends with the friends sharing cakes and Ben showing a trick.
Sago Mini Friends
Fintastic Adventure
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Harvey the dog joins his friend Fins on a long walk to a waterfall, where Fins plans his biggest ever dive. Along the way Harvey keeps stopping to notice nature, and after some exploring they miss the only cable car to the falls. They decide to return an acorn dropped by Nutmeg the squirrel, and in thanks she flies them to the waterfall in her plane. Fins finally makes his big dive, and the friends sing about being thankful.
For 4-year-olds
Around four, a chase becomes a story engine rather than just a game. Someone is running after something for a reason: to return a lost item, to reach a friend first, to solve a problem. Children this age can hold that goal in mind, and they begin to tell the difference between a playful chase and being chased by someone who means it. Look for stories where the reason is stated clearly and the ending shows both sides talking, not just one winning.
Bluey
Camping
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Bluey meets Jean-Luc, a French-speaking dog, while her family is camping in the Australian bush. Over several days the two invent games together, pretending to live in the forest, planting a seed and chasing a wild pig. One morning Bluey finds Jean-Luc's tent packed away and learns his family has gone home. Her mum comforts her with the idea that special people sometimes come for a while and then leave, and the seed they planted grows into a small tree.
Doug Unplugs
It's the Bot that Counts
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Doug, a robot boy, and his human friend Emma set out to cheer up Doug's grandmother Nana after she has to cancel her visit. Treating it like a secret-agent mission, they make a handmade card in four steps: turning old newspaper into fresh paper, writing a loving message, decorating it with a daisy and a painted starry sky, and travelling to the farm to deliver it. A goat grabs and chews the card along the way, but they bring it anyway. Nana is touched by the effort and tells them she feels loved and cared for.
The Berenstain Bears
The Double Dare
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Brother Bear sets out to win back Sister's jump rope from Too Tall and his gang, and after crossing a log on a dare he is invited to tag along. The gang keeps daring, double-daring and de-double-daring him into riskier stunts, ending with stealing watermelons from Farmer Ben's patch, where Brother is caught. Farmer Ben explains, using chickens and sheep, why following the crowd is a mistake. Brother takes the lesson to heart, refuses the next round of dares, and returns Sister's rope.
Bluey
The Sleepover
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Cousin Muffin arrives for a sleepover overtired after skipping her afternoon nap, just as Bluey and Bingo have been promised they can stay up late. The girls invent a string of pretend games, a restaurant, a chip shop and a police chase, partly to stretch the evening out, while Mum balances her promise against Muffin's need for sleep. Muffin grows sillier and droopier until the girls are finally sent to bed at eight o'clock. The next morning a tired Bluey wakes to find a pretend flamingo tucked into Muffin's sleeping bag.
Bluey
Zoo
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Bluey asks the family to play zoo, casting herself as zookeeper, Bingo as toddler Snowdrop, Mum as visitor Lady Dabba-Dee and Dad as a cheeky blue monkey. The tour of pretend animals keeps derailing as the monkey grabs Snowdrop again and again, and Bluey tries traps and tickling to win her back. It all plays out across the family home and backyard. The game ends at pretend nighttime, with Lady Dabba-Dee deciding she will not visit that zoo again.
T.O.T.S
Cheetah Chase
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
At the T.O.T.S. nursery, delivery pals Pip the penguin and Freddy the flamingo discover that baby cheetah Chase has skipped his nap and wants only to play. They teach him tag and even borrow rocket skates, but the speedy cheetah is impossible to catch. When the koala manager reminds them that all babies tire eventually, they sing him a lullaby over the announcement microphone until he drifts off. Chase is then delivered, well rested, to his cheetah family in the savanna.
Team Umizoomi
Cuckoo Bears
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
Team Umizoomi, made up of Milli, Geo and the robot Bot, goes to a Cuckoo Bears concert inside a giant clock in Umi City. When wind blows the three bears' power gears across the city, the team sets out to find each one, building a subway train from shapes, following a squirrel's pattern and chasing a taxi by counting pigeons. They return all three gears, and the Cuckoo Bears play their show with the team joining in. The episode closes with a celebration song and full credits.
For 5-year-olds
Five-year-olds can handle a longer build-up. They enjoy a chase that lasts, with a near miss, a clever escape and a plan that works. This is where they practise sitting with tension and trusting that it will resolve, which is useful far beyond the screen. Series at this age can include a real pursuer with real stakes, as long as the danger stays understandable and the relief comes reliably. Watch how the tension is released, since that matters more than how high it climbs.
Gigantosaurus
Think Quick
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
Mazu, a young dinosaur who feels too slow to keep up with her friends, is desperate to grab one of the giant walnuts that the big winds will knock from the trees. She tries invented springy legs, tall stilts and various running tricks, and each one fails. When the winds come and the towering Gigantosaurus gives chase, Mazu realises the huge walnut leaves can be used to glide to safety. The friends escape, share their walnuts with another creature, and Mazu learns that she thinks quick even if she cannot run quick.
Dora and Friends: Into the City!
The Magic Ring
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
At school, Dora, Naya and Pablo are reading stories about ancient treasure to younger children when Pablo finds an old ring in the garden and shrinks to thumb size after putting it on. They match the glyphs on the ring against library books and learn that only placing it on Princess Xochitl's finger will break the spell, so all three shrink and travel through a tiny door into an ancient kingdom. With help from a mouse they dodge a greedy wizard and his cat, cross a puddle on a giant duck and climb up to the sleeping princess. The wizard's theft is exposed at his hut, the ring goes back on the princess's finger, and Pablo returns to school full-size with a medal and a story to tell.
Dino Ranch
The Long Way Home
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 3
Jon and his fellow Dino Ranchers gather bubble plums in the forest to cheer up Biscuit, an old ranch dinosaur who is feeling unwell. On the way home, Jon insists on a shortcut that leaves the group lost and chased by a hungry Spinosaurus named Thunderfoot. They realise a hole in Min's bag has been dropping plums along the path, and they let their dinosaurs follow the scent trail back out. The ranchers reach home safely, deliver the plums to Biscuit, and Jon decides to stick to trails he knows.
Dora and Friends: Into the City!
Mystery of the Magic Horses
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
Dora and her friends volunteer at Rancho Urbano, a city farm where children come to meet animals, and meet Dulce, the only horse on the farm. When Dulce's charm necklace starts glowing, Dora follows her onto a raft that drifts through an enchanted mist to an island where six horses have been hidden since horse bandits tried to steal them. Dora, Naya and Marco outrun the bandits, navigate a cave, free Dulce from seaweed and get every horse onto the raft. The horses are returned to Farmer Ana Maria, and now there are enough for all the children waiting to ride.
Dino Ranch
Jane's Perfect Present
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 3
On a prehistoric western ranch, the Cassidy children build a shiny gemstone mobile as a surprise birthday gift for their mother, Ma. They hunt for the perfect gemstone with help from Teddy the pterodactyl, but a wild pterodactyl snatches the finished gift and flies off, and their rescue attempts fail. At the party the kids admit they lost the present and apologize, and Ma hugs them and explains that spending time together was all she ever wanted. The episode ends with the family singing and dancing at her birthday celebration.
Dora and Friends: Into the City!
Doggie Day!
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
For 6-year-olds
By six, children negotiate their own chase games with friends: who counts, what counts as a tag, what happens when someone cheats. Stories are useful here when they show that negotiation, including the arguments and the repair afterwards. A six-year-old can also follow a chase that carries genuine consequence and a character who is not simply bad, which invites questions about why someone was running in the first place. Look for stories that leave room for that conversation instead of settling everything with speed.
Craig of the Creek
The Final Book
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
Kelsey, Craig, and JP set out to find the missing final book of the Dragonmancer series after it goes overdue at the library. Framed as a detective case from the 'Smarty Boys' mystery books, they interview kids who are role-playing as horses and ninjas, chase down a red turtle shell backpack, and hit several dead ends. Craig eventually deduces that Stacks, who writes book reports for other kids, hid the book. Stacks admits she was afraid of losing the only friend who talks with her about stories, and Kelsey forgives her and suggests they read a new series together.
Oh Noah!
Hop, Look, and Listen
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
Noah puts on a magic show and wants to pull a rabbit from his top hat, so he asks his friend Coco how to say rabbit in Spanish. Coco offers several wrong words, and a grasshopper, a frog and then a kangaroo appear instead. Noah chases the bouncing kangaroo through the neighborhood and, with a pogo stick from Senora Martinez, finally catches it. Coco then gives him the right word, 'conejo', and Noah thanks her.
Craig of the Creek
Under the Overpass
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
Craig, Kelsey and JP take a map and float up the creek to gather honeysuckle they can trade for toys. Beyond the overpass they find eerie painted symbols and a silent hooded archer who chases them through the rain. They escape by ditching their loot and pulling JP from the sinking water, then learn the archer is a child protecting their plants who asks them never to return. Craig decides some places are better left undiscovered.