Behaviour
Playing
Play is how young children practise the world. Pretending, building, taking turns and inventing rules are the ways they test out ideas, feelings and friendships before they can put them into words. A calm, well-made series about playing can hand your child language for what they are already doing, and often sends them off the couch to try it themselves.
For 2-year-olds
At two, playing is mostly hands and repetition: filling a cup, stacking blocks, carrying a favourite toy from room to room. Play alongside another child is more common than play with them, and sharing is still hard. Look for a series that stays with one simple activity long enough for your toddler to follow it, with plenty of naming out loud and space to repeat. Familiar objects from your own home work better here than elaborate adventures.
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.
Donkey Hodie
Acornball
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Donkey Hodie and Purple Panda are eager to play Game Show Gator's new game, but the Penguin Referee keeps telling them it is not ready yet. To make the wait fun, Donkey Hodie invents a game called Acorn Ball, tossing acorns into a bucket, and the friends keep adding new rules like an excited dance, a Stinky Cheese Rock sniff, and a yodel. By the time the new game is finally ready, everyone is enjoying Acorn Ball so much that Game Show Gator joins in too.
Guess How Much I Love You
Rainy Days
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
On a spring day in the meadow, Little Nutbrown Hare and his friends are enjoying the colours and sunshine when rain arrives and interrupts their play. With help from his father, the group searches for fun and ends up digging holes that fill into ponds, adding ducks and trees, and holding a duck race with lily-petal boats. The rain stops and they return to their colour-naming game. The episode ends at home, where father and son go to bed and share how much they love each other.
Ready Eddie GO!
Picnic
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
A narrator guides a boy named Eddie through what to expect on a family picnic, moving from packing the cool box to finding a grassy spot, playing, eating and packing up. Along the way Eddie meets his friend Akeel and Akeel's granny, learns how bees carry pollen, and practices politely saying 'no thank you' to food. When a bee visits and rain arrives, the group stays calm and turns the shower into a pretend desert-island game. The episode closes by recapping the picnic steps and the cheerful 'Ready, Eddie, go!' refrain.
Bing
Musical Statues
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
At an indoor play group it is Bing's turn to choose, and he picks musical statues. With Flop working the music, Bing, Sula, Pando, Coco and baby Charlie dance and then freeze each time the music stops, dropping out one by one when they wobble. Pando is the last statue standing, and Bing is disappointed that he did not win the game he chose, so he stops playing. He soon decides to rejoin because it is more fun with everyone, and the group settles in to play again.
Miffy and Friends
Miffy Meets Snuffy
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Miffy hears a strange scratching at her front door and finds a friendly brown dog waiting outside. She names him Snuffy, gives him cold water in the kitchen and takes him out into the garden, where he shows that he can sit, beg and roll over. Snuffy then runs to the kitchen window and barks until Miffy realises she has forgotten to turn off the tap and quickly closes it. The episode ends with Miffy thanking Snuffy with a biscuit and inviting him to come back any time, followed by an end card with subscribe and next-video prompts.
Donkey Hodie
Cousin Hodie's Rainy Day
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Donkey Hodie and her visiting cousin plan a day of outdoor games, but rain cancels everything and the cousin feels let down. Donkey Hodie introduces a 'rainstorm brainstorm' and together they find rainy-day fun: splashing in puddles, smelling flowers, sharing a snack with Purple Panda, and reading a story with Grampy about a magical rainbow tree. When the rain keeps them from seeing the real rainbow, the friends make their own friend rainbow out of friends in every color. The rain finally stops, the rainbow tree bursts into color, and the cousins celebrate their day together.
Ready Eddie GO!
Breaktime
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Eddie, a young boy in a red school uniform, is guided by a friendly narrator through everything that can happen at break time. He tries building blocks, joins in hopscotch and tag, gets confused when the game turns into animal tag, and learns he can ask friends or a teacher for help. When it all feels like too much, Miss Mac invites him to rest on the friendship bench. The bell rings, break time ends, and Eddie heads back to class feeling ready.
Bea's Block
Sam's Campout
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Friends gather for an overnight campout in Sam's backyard, complete with a tent, sleeping bags and a pretend campfire. When it gets dark and unfamiliar animal sounds start, Sam feels too nervous to sleep outside. His friends form a plan to bring comforting items from his room, play shadow puppets, and his grandpa shares that he was once nervous too, before returning Sam's stuffed bear. Sam ends the night feeling brave and ready to sleep under the stars.
Duck & Goose
Purple Plums
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Duck and Goose are invited to Bluebird's 'treats and tweets' party at the pond. They set off to a plum tree to pick purple plums, and on the way they nearly lose them again and again because Duck hurries and Goose moves carefully. When the plums end up squashed, the friends turn them into plum pudding and plum juice, which the party guests happily share. The episode closes with a song about flying over the meadow.
For 3-year-olds
Three is when pretending takes off. A box becomes a boat, a doll gets fed and put to bed, and your child begins to give characters feelings and jobs. Play with others starts to work, though disagreements over who gets what are frequent and loud. A good series at this age shows make-believe unfolding step by step, and shows children negotiating a game rather than an adult handing them the answer.
Little Bear
Hide and Seek
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
In a woodland home, Little Bear and his friends Duck, Hen, Cat, and Owl decide to play hide-and-seek, and Duck finally gets his wish to be the seeker. He closes his eyes and counts to ten while the others hide, then searches the forest, finding each friend by spotting footprints and following sounds. Once everyone is found, Little Bear heads home. There he surprises Mother Bear with a playful 'Boo!' at the washing line.
Little Bear
What Will Little Bear Wear?
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Little Bear wants to play in the falling snow, but keeps coming back inside to tell Mother Bear he is cold. One by one she closes her eyes and makes him a hat, a coat and snow pants, and finally hands back his own fur. Outside he builds a snow bear all by himself, adding buttons, a hat and Father Bear's scarf. In the end he realises that playing has warmed him up and he is not cold at all.
Pocoyo
Swept Away
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Pocoyo builds a block tower and knocks it down, then learns that his friend Ellie is coming over to play. A warm narrator reminds him to clean up, and Pocoyo grabs a broom, which he first turns into a pretend horse, hockey stick and guitar, making even more mess. In the end he uses that same playful energy to sweep the blocks away just in time. Ellie arrives and the two play together.
Peppa Pig
Muddy Puddles
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
On a rainy day, Peppa and her little brother George go outside to jump in muddy puddles, with Mummy reminding them to wear their boots. Peppa leads George from puddle to puddle and checks a big one is safe before he jumps in. They show their muddy selves to Daddy Pig, who helps clean up and then joins the whole family for a splash in the garden. The episode ends with everyone jumping together in the mud.
Do, Re & Mi
Raspberry Cupcakes
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 3
Ray welcomes a group of young chicks to her cooking class in Bebopsburg to make raspberry cupcakes, with Do and Mi helping out. The chicks would rather play than mix, so Ray decides to sing her instructions, but her first version is far too loud and sends them into hiding, the next is too soft to hear, then one is too quick to follow and another so slow that several chicks doze off. Maestro Moon explains what dynamics and tempo mean, and Ray keeps adjusting until she finds a version the chicks can actually follow. The class finishes their cupcakes and the episode ends with a taste test.
Peppa Pig
Mr. Dinosaur Is Lost
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
George loses Mr Dinosaur, his favourite toy, and the pig family sets out to find it. Peppa takes on the role of detective and checks the bath, the bed and the garden while Daddy Pig helps with questions. The toy is finally spotted high up in a tree, where George had thrown it too far. George gets Mr Dinosaur back and the family notes it may be best not to play with dinosaurs near trees.
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.
Peppa Pig
New Shoes
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Peppa loses her shoes in the garden, and after the family searches everywhere without luck, Mummy takes her to Miss Rabbit's shoe shop for a new red pair. Peppa loves them so much she keeps them on for her bath and for bed. The next morning the garden is wet and everyone jumps in muddy puddles, but Peppa does not want to spoil her new shoes. She fetches her boots and joins the fun, learning that jumping in puddles means wearing boots.
Peppa Pig
Hide and Seek
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Peppa and her little brother George play a game of hide and seek at home while Daddy Pig reads his newspaper. They take turns counting to ten and searching under the table, upstairs and behind the curtain. When it is Daddy's turn, George gets another go and hides so well that Peppa cannot find him. The episode ends when Peppa discovers George has been hiding behind Daddy Pig's newspaper the whole time.
Pocoyo
What's in the Box?
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Pocoyo finds a plain cardboard box and imagines it as a car, while his friends Elly and Pato picture it as a table and a step to reach an apple. The box keeps mysteriously running away, and the narrator invites the viewer to guess why. It turns out the puppy Lula has been hiding inside the whole time. The friends cheer, and the narrator suggests making the box a cosy spot so Lula can enjoy it.
For 4-year-olds
Four-year-olds build stories together. Roles get assigned before the game starts, rules are invented and argued over, and the play can run for a long stretch with its own logic. Frustration when a game collapses is normal and worth seeing on screen. Look for a series where children make up their own game, hit a snag, and sort it out between them, with humour and enough plot to hold attention beyond a single activity.
Tumble Leaf
Popcorn Picture Show
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Fig, a young fox, finds a long loopy tube and joins his friend Maple and his companion Stick to gather popcorn for the evening picture show. At Popcorn Canyon the sun pops the kernels, but the light popcorn floats away whenever Fig tries to toss it down to the bowls below. After watching a mother cuckoo carry popcorn through the tree to feed her chicks, Fig realises he can use his tube to send the popcorn straight into the bowls. With the bowls full, everyone heads home for the firefly-lit picture show.
Tumble Leaf
Beat Of The Drumsticks
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Fig, a small blue fox, discovers a pair of drumsticks at his home on a beached ship and sets out to find things to drum on. He travels through the garden and into the woods, tapping rocks, logs, pots and other objects to hear the different sounds they make. Friends join him along the way and add their own sounds to the mix. The episode ends with the group drumming out a beat together.
Puffin Rock
The Salmon Leap
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
On the island of Puffin Rock, young puffin Oona and her friend Adam invite the owl Otto to the waterfall to watch salmon leap upstream at sunrise. First the little owlets Pip and Pop, and Oona's baby brother Baba, must be settled to sleep, so the friends try soft bedding, a game and counting sheep without success. They finally realise the owlets stayed awake because no one said goodnight, and once tucked in the babies drift off. The friends rush to the waterfall and just catch the salmon leaping before the sun climbs too high.
The Berenstain Bears
Go to Camp
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
At Grizzly Ted's summer day camp, Sister Bear and her friend Lizzy spend their days swimming, hiking, and doing crafts, until the counselor announces an overnight sleep-out on Skull Rock. Sister secretly dreads sleeping so far from home and hides her worry until Lizzy gently draws it out of her. Together they decide to practice with a night in the backyard, and Sister succeeds. She heads to the real sleep-out feeling ready, sharing a campfire story and searching for shooting stars.
Bluey
The Creek
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Bored with the playground, Bluey, Bingo and their friend Mackenzie ask Dad to play, and he walks them into the bush to a creek. Along the way they navigate bugs, a leech, uneven ground and wobbly stepping stones, with Dad coaxing a nervous Bluey to jump a wide gap. At the creek they watch tadpoles, splash about and set up a pretend mud day spa. They head home tired and happy, with Dad reminding them to check for ticks.
Puffin Rock
The First Snow
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
On a snowy morning on Puffin Rock, young puffin Una and her baby brother Baba see snow for the first time and play with their animal friends. When a snowstorm blows in, Baba grows cold and is briefly lost, so the animals band together and follow Mossy to shelter. They all make it back to the warm burrow, where Baba finally gets his breakfast. A narrator guides the story from the family waking to the cozy reunion at home.
Puffin Rock
Lamb Chase
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
On a calm Irish coastal island, the puffling Oona and her baby brother Baba meet a lamb that seems to have wandered away from its mother. Guided by a warm narrator, Oona decides to walk the lamb back to the meadow, but the lamb keeps leading Baba on playful detours around the island. In the end they discover the mother sheep was hidden in the tall grass the whole time, so the lamb was never truly lost. The lamb reunites with its mum while Oona and Baba look on.
Puffin Rock
The Puffin Way
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
On a sunny morning at Puffin Rock, young puffin Una and her family enjoy the outdoors while baby Baba treasures a buttercup flower that keeps getting lost. Guided by her parents, Una learns 'the puffin way' of moving slowly and carefully to fetch the flower back without waking a sleeping hedgehog, dodging seagulls, or disturbing a napping fox. Her fast rabbit friend May offers a lively contrast along the way. The day ends with the family reunited at their burrow, sharing the buttercup together.
Puffin Rock
A Day Out
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
After a storm leaves their burrow waterlogged, a puffin family spends the day out on their Irish coastal island while it dries. Guided by a warm narrator, they play hide-and-seek, cross stepping stones by the pond, visit their sheep friend Mossy, and accidentally hide in a fox's den. Each small adventure passes calmly with the parents and children together. At the end they fly home to their now dry burrow.
Pocoyo
Drum Roll Please
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
In an open, plain-colored world, Pocoyo and his friends Pato, Elly and Loula enjoy the ball orchestra's music until the musicians pack up and leave. Wanting more, Pocoyo fetches his own cymbals, drum and trumpet, but the racket only wakes Sleepy Bird. Guided by the narrator, the friends discover that music is all around them and make their own from everyday sounds. The ball orchestra returns to play along, and everyone makes music together.
For 5-year-olds
By five, play carries real social weight. Who is included, whether a rule is fair, how to lose without the whole game ending: these matter as much as the game itself. Children also start to plan ahead, gathering what they need before they begin. A series that suits this age gives play a bit of structure, a project, a competition, a shared invention, and lets characters handle fairness and disappointment without an adult smoothing it over.
Stillwater
Stuck in the Rain
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Michael is disappointed when rain cancels his baseball game, so his neighbour Stillwater, a wise panda, shows him another way to see the day. Stillwater explains that he treats the rain as a raincoat and tells the story of Odette, a gardener who removes the bees from her garden and then loses all her fruit. Michael takes the lesson to heart, realises rain helps things grow, and starts having fun racing leaf boats and jumping in puddles. The episode closes with the children playing happily in the rain.
Stillwater
Downward Dog
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Michael spends the weekend pet-sitting the neighbour's dog, Yuko, with big plans to become her best friend. When Yuko prefers playing with his younger brother Carl, Michael feels left out, until the panda neighbour Stillwater shares a story about Dario, a mouse who learns the joy of giving. Michael realises that keeping Yuko safe and happy, and sharing the fun with Carl, is what good pet-sitting is about. The episode closes with the whole group heading out for a walk together.
Rosie's Rules
Abuela's Birthday
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Rosie Fuentes learns it is Abuela's birthday but Abuela lives far away in Mexico City. She decides to mail a whole birthday party in a box, and with help from her family she works out that she needs a name, an address, and postage before the mail carrier can send it. She grows impatient waiting, calms herself, and finally hands the box to Miss Maya. The episode ends with the family gathering for a video call to celebrate Abuela's birthday together.
Bluey
Mount Mumandad
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Sisters Bluey and Bingo turn their parents, sprawled on the couch, into 'Mount Mumandad' and race to plant a flag at the top. Bingo falls behind under a heavy backpack, Bluey cheats to get ahead, and their argument sparks a pretend avalanche and storm. The sisters take shelter in a tent, play card games, and Bluey apologises for cheating. When the storm passes they climb the last stretch together, and Dad explains the mountain is conquered by unselfish teamwork.
Pocoyo
Umbrella, Umbrella
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Pocoyo, a small boy in a blue outfit, finds a red umbrella and sets out to discover what it is for, watched over by an off-screen narrator who talks him and the viewer through it. He opens and closes it, hides under it and plays with his friends Loula the dog, Pato the duck and Elly the elephant, trying the umbrella as a boat and a swing. When clouds gather and rain starts to fall, Pocoyo raises the umbrella and keeps everyone dry. The narrator wraps up by thanking the viewer and Pocoyo before saying goodbye.
Llama Llama
Bully Goat
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
A young llama and his classmates spend a school day at the playground where Gilroy Goat keeps pushing, teasing and grabbing a friend's bow. At bedtime Mama Llama coaches Llama on how to stand up to a mean friend and when to tell a teacher. The next day the friends tell Gilroy to stop, Zelda Zebra steps in, and Gilroy apologises. Everyone makes up and plays tag, and the episode ends with show-and-tell and a chat at home.
Pocoyo
Fetch Loula Fetch!
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Pocoyo and his dog Loula set out for a day at the beach, but Pocoyo keeps picking up and losing a round, orange, little ball along the way. With the narrator's help, he and the viewer identify the ball by its shape, colour and size, meeting friends Pato and Elly during the search. After several detours the group finally reaches the beach. The story closes with everyone cheering and waving goodbye.
Max & Ruby
Ruby's Piano Practice
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 2
Ruby settles in to practise her piano piece, reading sheet music and keeping time with a metronome, while her younger brother Max busies himself with his own plans, including making a sandwich in the kitchen and playing with a favourite red toy. The two rabbits move between the living room, the kitchen and the hallway of their home, with a brief moment outdoors. Their small differences play out gently as Ruby keeps returning to her practice. The episode closes with the siblings together.
Puffin Rock
Find the Owls
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 4
On Puffin Rock, the puffling Oona and her playful little brother Baba set out with Mossy the shrew for a food hunt, then meet Otto, a young owl searching for his hidden brother and sister so he can finally sleep. The friends team up, each using a different animal skill, and follow a trail of owl pellets through the meadows and burrows. After several false alarms, mostly caused by Baba stopping to play, they find Pip and Pop fast asleep in the long grass. Otto can rest and Mossy can go and eat, while Baba is ready to keep playing.
Muppet Babies: Play Date
Games with Potato
recommended age
Unlock
co-watching from 3
Baby Gonzo introduces a girl, Reagan, to his best friend Potato, an actual potato, and the three set out to play games together in a sunny backyard. They try tag and then hide and seek, but Potato never chases or hides, so they decide he must be tired. The episode ends with Gonzo and Reagan softly singing 'Twinkle, twinkle, little star' as a lullaby and whispering 'Sleep tight, Potato'.