Activity

Running

Running is one of the first big things a child's body learns to do on purpose. It shows up in play, in chasing a friend, in hurrying toward something exciting, and sometimes in running away from a feeling that is too big. A calm, well-made episode about running lets a child watch that energy from the safety of the couch, notice how bodies move, and see that stopping, resting and starting again are part of it too.

For 2-year-olds

At two, running is still new legs finding their balance. A toddler runs in bursts, tumbles, gets up, and often cannot stop where they meant to. Watching characters run and fall without drama helps a child see that this is normal. Look for simple, slow-moving stories with clear pictures of a body in motion and a warm adult nearby, so the running reads as play rather than something urgent or frightening.

S01 E06

Bea's Block

Danny Sings

Stimulating

recommended age co-watching from 2

Danny is excited to sing his favorite song, 'I Love Today', for his class, but freezes up with nerves when it is his turn. His friends from the Kindness Club meet at their treehouse and try different ways to help, including running to burn off energy and slow belly breathing. After practicing in front of stuffed animals and a group of goats, Danny asks his friends to play instruments alongside him. With their support he sings the whole song for his class and thanks his mini music band.

See all Running shows for 2-year-olds

For 3-year-olds

Three-year-olds run to be with someone. Chasing, being chased, and racing to the door are how friendships get practised at this age, and the joy is in the shared movement, not in winning. Stories that show running as a game between friends, with a natural pause at the end, match what a child is already doing outside. Watch for gentle handling of the moment someone runs off upset, because that happens often at three.

S01 E14

Peppa Pig

Flying a Kite

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

Peppa, her brother George and their parents go to the park to fly a kite on a sunny day. The children run to launch it but learn it needs wind, and once the wind picks up Daddy Pig flies it, only to get it caught in a tree. He climbs out to retrieve it and everyone ends up covered in mud. The episode closes with the whole family jumping up and down in muddy puddles.

S01 E13

Alma's Way

Alma's New Kicks

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

Alma, a young girl in a city neighborhood, needs new soccer cleats after she outgrows her old ones, and her mother gives her a fresh pair. At the park she becomes so worried about getting them dirty that she first switches back to her painful old shoes and then avoids kicking the ball, which costs her team. Her friend Rafia shows her that scuff marks are 'memories' from playing, and Alma decides to play freely. Her team scores the winning goal, and afterward she happily passes the well-worn cleats on to her little brother.

S01 E02

Jessy & Nessy

How Can I Help You So You're Not Afraid of Thunder and Lightning?

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

A girl named Jessy and her best friend Nessie, a purple sea monster, are getting ready for a town race when Nessie becomes frightened by thunder and lightning and keeps running off to hide. Jessy uses her curiosity to try one idea after another, ducking his head, covering his ears, then facing the noise, until they discover the thunder and lightning is really cloud horses racing in the sky. Once Nessie understands what is happening, his fear fades. He joins the race and crosses the finish line first.

See all Running shows for 3-year-olds

For 4-year-olds

By four, running comes with rules a child is starting to hold in mind. Who goes first, where the finish is, what happens if someone falls behind. Losing a race now stings, and the feeling arrives faster than the words for it. Look for episodes where characters sort out a disagreement about a game themselves, and where the friend who is slower is still part of things. That teaches more than the race itself.

S01 E03

Tumble Leaf

Fig Flies a Kite

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

Fig, a young blue fox, finds a red kite among the curious objects in his boathouse and decides to make it fly. He carries it out to a sandy beach and an open grassy hilltop and tries different ways to get it airborne, gradually learning that he needs wind and movement to lift it. After several patient attempts he succeeds and watches the kite climb into the sky. Along the way he spends time with friends around the island.

S01 E05

Bluey

Shadowlands

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

Bluey and her friends Coco, Snickers and Indy invent a game in the park where the grass is dangerous and only the shadows are safe to walk on. Together they work out how to cross open sunny patches, helping each other along the way as they head towards the ice-cream van. The story stays inside one continuous game with no villain and no real danger. At the end, Bluey's mum arrives to collect them and the game ends with the children safely reaching their goal.

S01 E16

Bluey

Yoga Ball

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

At home in suburban Australia, sisters Bluey and Bingo spend the day coaxing their busy, work-from-home Dad into games with his green yoga ball, from a pretend elevator to a chase called Raiders. When Dad bounces Bingo too hard, she goes off upset, and her Mum helps her find her 'big girl bark' to tell him. Bingo speaks up, Dad apologises, and together they practise exactly how rough is okay. The episode closes with a comic beat as the children burst in on Dad using the toilet.

S01 E02

The Berenstain Bears

Too Much Junk Food

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

Papa Bear decides to enter the Bear Country Run but quickly discovers he is out of shape, so Brother and Sister join him to train as a team. When they keep running out of breath, Dr. Grizzly explains that too much junk food is the wrong fuel for the body and teaches them about the four food groups. The family swaps cola and sweets for healthier meals and keeps practising until they can complete the run together. It ends at home, with the bears choosing to celebrate with carrot sticks, nuts and raisins.

S01 E13

Llama Llama

Spring Fever

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

On the first day of spring, Llama Llama promises to help both Nelly with her play date and Luna with her picnic on the same day. He runs back and forth across the neighbourhood carrying sacks, kickballs, balloons and tablecloths until he is worn out. Mama and his friends point out that he took on too much at once. Llama Llama then has the idea to combine both events into one shared picnic play date, and everyone celebrates spring together.

S01 E15

Bluey

Butterflies

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

Bluey, her little sister Bingo and their friend Judo play a game of butterflies in the backyard while Dad hangs a swing and Mum takes in the washing. Judo is bossy and the two older girls sneak away from Bingo because she is slow, leaving her alone. Bluey feels bad, goes to find Bingo, and apologizes for running off. The three agree on a new rule that no one runs away from anyone and go back to playing together.

See all Running shows for 4-year-olds

For 5-year-olds

Five-year-olds run with a reason: to fetch help, to reach a place, to try something they were not able to do last month. Stamina and effort become visible, and so does the idea that practice changes what your body can do. Stories where a character keeps going through something difficult, or paces themselves instead of sprinting, give a child language for perseverance. Real settings and small, believable goals work better here than spectacle.

S03 E08

Molly of Denali

Puppy Sitting

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

Trini agrees to look after Tooey's puppy Key while Tooey's family travels to Japan for a wedding, working from a training checklist Tooey made. At first she spoils Key with cheese and pizza crust and skips his runs, then realises her mistake and trains him hard for several days to get back on track. When Tooey returns, Key responds to his commands and Trini has even taught her own puppy Four Spots a new trick. The episode ends with a live-action visit to the tundra near Nome, where Molly and local children learn about musk ox and their qiviut fur.

S01 E05

Stillwater

The Race

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

Addy prepares for a cross-country race with help from her panda neighbour Stillwater and her siblings. She runs hard but loses to Asha, the fastest runner, and feels there is nothing to celebrate. Stillwater tells a version of The Tortoise and the Hare in which the tortoise races against himself, and Addy realises she set a personal best time. The siblings celebrate with smoothies and Asha comes over to congratulate her.

S01 E12

Gigantosaurus

Think Quick

Balanced

recommended age 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.

See all Running shows for 5-year-olds

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Running

For 2-year-olds

Bea's Block

For 3-year-olds

Peppa Pig

Alma's Way

Jessy & Nessy

For 4-year-olds

Tumble Leaf

Bluey

Bluey

The Berenstain Bears

Llama Llama

Bluey

For 5-year-olds

Molly of Denali

Stillwater

Gigantosaurus

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