Behaviour

Listening to a story

Listening to a story means following someone else's words all the way to the end, and holding the people and places in mind while it unfolds. For young children this is real work: they are learning that events connect, that a beginning leads somewhere, and that language alone can carry a whole world. A calm, well-made story on screen gives them time to do that work, and it builds the attention and language they will lean on later when they read for themselves.

For 2-year-olds

At two, a story is mostly sound, rhythm and pictures rather than plot. Your child listens for a familiar voice, a repeated phrase, a song that comes back, and follows what she can see more than what she is told. Look for very short stories with one clear thing happening, long enough shots to take in, and plenty of repetition. Pauses matter here: silence gives a two year old room to notice and to join in with a word of her own.

S01 E06

Moon and Me

Humpty Onion

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

Pepi Nana, a doll who lives in the Little Toy House, writes a letter to the Moon, and Moon Baby flies down to visit and wakes the sleeping toys with a magical kalimba. The friends discover a nursery rhyme book about Old King Cole, which inspires Mr Onion to become 'Old King Onion.' In a make-believe Storyland the friends act out his story and fold and tear paper into a decoration for his crown to make him merry. They return to the toy house for tea, and the episode ends with each toy being wished good night.

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For 3-year-olds

Three year olds start to hold a thread. They can follow a beginning, a middle and an ending, notice that one thing caused another, and remember a character from earlier in the story. Everyday situations work best, because your child understands the story through what he already knows: a lost toy, a visit, a small disappointment. Look for a steady storyteller, dialogue that is easy to follow, and problems that are named out loud rather than left to be guessed.

S01 E02

Caillou

Caillou's Not Afraid Anymore

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

Grandma reads the children a story about a time when 3-year-old Caillou was afraid of his neighbor Mr. Hinkle, who looked spooky from a distance. After running away from him outside, Caillou hides at home when Mr. Hinkle comes over to apologise. Mr. Hinkle turns the moment into a game of hide and seek, and by the time he finds Caillou, the two are laughing together and become friends.

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For 4-year-olds

By four, children listen for what is not shown. They track why a character does something, sense where a story is going, and enjoy being surprised when it turns another way. Humour and small side plots become part of the pleasure, and they will retell favourite bits in their own words. Look for stories that hold a thread over several minutes, characters with reasons behind their behaviour, and language that stretches a little beyond what your child already uses.

S01 E06

Bluey

The Weekend

Calming

recommended age co-watching from 2

A weekend morning at the Heeler house unfolds, with Bingo drawing at the breakfast table while Bluey and Bandit launch into a cardboard-armour knight game across the kitchen and stairs. The family moves through several quiet domestic beats, including a longer stretch outdoors where Mum Chilli is shown on her own, looking thoughtful. The episode closes with Chilli on the bed beside Bluey and Bingo at bedtime, with a small doll in view. Closing credits roll over the final shot.

S01 E03

Simon

Tomatoes

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 3

Simon and his little brother Gaspard are playing in their grandparents' garden when their grandfather explains that a tiny elf comes out at night to paint the green tomatoes red. Convinced the elf might be real, the brothers sneak outside with a blanket and hide under a table to keep watch. They get spooked by an owl, fall asleep, and miss the elf entirely. In the morning the tomatoes are red, the grandparents are revealed to have slept nearby the whole time, and the boys find a small pot in the garden that convinces them the elf exists.

See all Listening to a story shows for 4-year-olds

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Listening to a story

For 2-year-olds

Moon and Me

For 3-year-olds

Caillou

For 4-year-olds

Bluey

Simon

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