Just launched: free lifetime premium for the first 1,000 members to activate their account.

Log in Start free

Makka Pakka's Trumpet

Good

Recommended age Unlock

Co-watching from age 2

Balanced

Exact score locked

Watch on

BBC

Tubi TV

Save

Makka Pakka's Trumpet

See the exact scores

The review is yours to read. Create a free account to reveal the exact SlowScreen score and every pillar score.

Create free account

This program is well-balanced. It remains mostly easy to follow and process. It is a good fit for the recommended age. The pacing is moderate. The story remains easy for a child to follow. The sound is intense and continuously present. The visuals are calm and well-organized.

The storyline is easy to follow for a toddler: Makka Pakka's trumpet makes a funny noise, the friends notice, a stone is found inside, and the trumpet sounds right again. Information arrives one small unit at a time, with each idea given room to land before the next. Cause and effect are made explicit, and the closing 'once upon a time in the night garden' recap restates the whole sequence. A small caveat: the show weaves in side visits to the Pontipines, Tombliboos, and Pinky Ponk that aren't tied to the main thread, which can feel like detours.

Emotional safety is a defining strength here. Voices stay soft, expressions stay friendly, and the warm narrator gently reassures ('don't worry Iggle Piggle, it's only a funny noise'). The small worry about the trumpet is resolved within the same scene with Upsy Daisy's comforting dance and the discovery of the stone. Transitions are gradual, and characters consistently treat each other with kindness, including the gift exchange between Makka Pakka and Upsy Daisy.

This pillar lands in the middle because the problem and its resolution are simple but not really worked through on screen. The friends notice the funny noise and Upsy Daisy responds with a comforting dance, but the actual removal of the stone happens off-screen and the discovery is delivered by the narrator rather than shown as a step-by-step investigation. Initiative is mostly emotional (Upsy Daisy cheering Makka Pakka up) rather than analytic, so the visible thinking process for a toddler is thin. Cause and effect (stone in, funny noise; stone out, normal noise) is stated clearly, which keeps the score from dropping further.

Language is well matched to a two-year-old: short sentences, concrete words, and the narrator repeats key lines twice ('what a funny noise', 'thank you Makka Pakka') so meaning has time to settle. Sentences are mostly informative or descriptive rather than expressive filler. The caveat is that much of the dialogue from the characters themselves is nonsense babble or name-calls ('Igglepiggle', 'Makka Pakka', 'Upsy Daisy do'), which limits the meaningful word use across the full runtime even though the narrator's English is clear and stable.

This pillar scores low because the world and activities are almost entirely fantasy and not transferable to a toddler's daily life. The setting is a magical garden, the characters are soft puppet-creatures, and the central object is a fantasy trumpet that holds a stone. Activities like Makka Pakka washing with sponge and soap or the friends exchanging a small gift do connect to recognisable social moments, but most of the running, dancing, and trumpet-playing has no clear real-world counterpart. For the 2-year recommended age, the rubric still expects 'mostly realistic with light imagination', and this episode sits well on the fantasy side of that line.

More information

In the Night Garden takes place in a self-contained imaginary world populated entirely by stylized puppet creatures, so parents will not see human ethnic, cultural or socioeconomic diversity reflected on screen. Within that fantasy frame there is some variety: Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka have different shapes, sizes and looks, and the Pontipines appear as a family unit of ten small figures. Roles stay gentle and cooperative, with characters helping one another solve the puzzle of the funny trumpet noise, though Upsy Daisy carries a soft feminine coding through her dance and affectionate kiss while the narrator voice remains male throughout.

This is a fully imagined dream-garden world populated by invented creatures like Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka and the Pontipines, with a soft-spoken narrator framing every scene. The fantasy stays remarkably consistent and there is no villain anywhere in the story; the only 'problem' is a small stone stuck in a trumpet. For a 2-year-old guided toward 'mostly realistic with light imagination', the realism/fantasy mix tips noticeably toward fantasy, even though the tone itself is calm and gentle.

This program is pitched squarely at very young children at bedtime, and offers little to engage an adult co-viewer. The plot is a single repeated event followed by a recap of that same event, and the writing contains no humor or references aimed above the target age. The saving grace is craft: the production is unusually polished for preschool television, with a real garden setting, original orchestral score, and Derek Jacobi's calm narration. Adults will likely tune out, but they are unlikely to be irritated.

Themes

Music

Makka Pakka plays a small trumpet that is central to the story, and each character has their own musical refrain.

Problem solving

The friends notice that the trumpet sounds wrong and discover a stone is stuck inside it.

Friendship

Iggle Piggle, Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka spend the episode together and help each other when the trumpet sounds wrong.

Nature

The whole show is set in a live-action garden of grass, trees and flowers shot in soft daylight.

Bedtime

The episode closes with the narrator's 'once upon a time in the night garden' lullaby recap as characters settle down.

Kindness

Upsy Daisy does a dance to make Makka Pakka feel better about his funny-sounding trumpet, and Makka Pakka gives the recovered stone to her as a present.

Gift giving

Incidental

Makka Pakka hands the stone from his trumpet to Upsy Daisy as a present and she thanks him.

Activities

Music

Makka Pakka plays his small trumpet, which is the central object of the story.

Dancing

Upsy Daisy dances in the garden to her own song to comfort Makka Pakka.

Walking

Iggle Piggle walks through the garden visiting different friends and houses.

Bathing

Makka Pakka uses sponge and soap to wash in his short cleaning routine.

Counting

The narrator counts the ten Pontipines one by one as they appear from their house.

Emotions

Calm

Characters move and react slowly throughout, with soft music and quiet ambient sounds.

Anxiety

Iggle Piggle and friends react to the unusual trumpet noise with puzzled looks.

Joy

Characters smile and clap when Upsy Daisy dances and when the trumpet sounds right again.

Curiosity

The narrator asks 'whose house is this and are they in or are they out?' as Iggle Piggle approaches a door.

Gratitude

Upsy Daisy accepts the stone with a happy 'thank you' to Makka Pakka.

Behaviour

Helping

Upsy Daisy dances to cheer up Makka Pakka when his trumpet makes a funny noise.

Dancing

Upsy Daisy performs her signature dance routine in the garden.

Exploring

Iggle Piggle wanders through the garden looking up, looking down and finding houses.

Sharing

Makka Pakka offers the small stone from his trumpet to Upsy Daisy as a gift.

Washing

Makka Pakka cleans himself with a sponge and soap in his little washing scene.

Gratitude

Characters say 'thank you Makka Pakka' after receiving the stone.

Social lessons

Friendship

The narrator describes 'the Pontipines are friends of mine' and the main characters spend the episode together.

Kindness

Upsy Daisy dances specifically to make Makka Pakka feel better when his trumpet sounds wrong.

Community

Different characters and families (Pontipines, Tombliboos) live near each other in the same garden and visit one another.

Sharing

Makka Pakka gives away the stone from his trumpet so Upsy Daisy can have it as a present.

In a softly lit live-action garden, Iggle Piggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka and the smaller families (Pontipines, Tombliboos) move through their evening together. Makka Pakka's small trumpet starts to make a funny noise; Upsy Daisy dances to comfort him, and the friends discover that a stone has lodged inside it. Once the stone is removed the trumpet sounds right again, and Makka Pakka offers the stone to Upsy Daisy as a present. The narrator closes the episode with a 'once upon a time in the night garden' recap that retells the small story before bedtime.

Season 1

5 episodes

In the Night Garden

In the Night Garden

Makka Pakka Washes Faces

recommended age co-watching from 2

A long bedtime story set in the Night Garden, a dreamlike outdoor world of puppet creatures. Makka Pakka travels from friend to friend (Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, the Tombliboos and the ten tiny Pontipines), washing each one's face with his sponge, soap and water. Between visits, the camera follows characters strolling slowly through grass and flowers while a soft narrator describes what is happening. The episode ends with everyone, including a briefly forgotten Igglepiggle, being tucked into bed as the narrator wishes them all goodnight.

In the Night Garden

In the Night Garden

Tombliboos' Waving Game

recommended age co-watching from 2

In a magical garden between waking and sleeping, the three Tombliboos invent a waving game and travel through the trees to share it with their friends. They wave to Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka, the Pontipines and even the large Haahoos, riding along on the Pinky Ponk and Ninky Nonk. The narrator describes each meeting in a soft voice while music and gentle laughter carry the action. The episode closes with the narrator tucking every character into bed, ending as Igglepiggle drifts away in his little boat.

In the Night Garden

In the Night Garden

Everybody All Aboard the Ninky Nonk

recommended age co-watching from 2

A live-action puppet show set in a magical 'night garden' that the narrator describes as the place between waking and sleeping. The Ninky Nonk train arrives, and Iggle Piggle, Upsy Daisy, the Tombliboos and others take turns climbing aboard for a bouncy ride. Makka Pakka turns up to wash the Ninky Nonk rather than ride it, and the titifers sing their song. At the close, the narrator wishes every character goodnight one by one until only sleeping figures remain.

In the Night Garden

In the Night Garden

The Prettiest Flower

recommended age co-watching from 2

In a magical garden, Upsy Daisy decides to wander off and look at the flowers while Iggle Piggle wants to ride the Ninky Nonk train. They each follow their own wish around the garden, and when Iggle Piggle finds an especially pretty flower he uses the Ninky Nonk to fetch Upsy Daisy so they can share it. The episode ends with the narrator gently saying goodnight to every character one by one as they settle down to sleep.

In the Night Garden

In the Night Garden

Makka Pakka's Trumpet

recommended age co-watching from 2

In a softly lit live-action garden, Iggle Piggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka and the smaller families (Pontipines, Tombliboos) move through their evening together. Makka Pakka's small trumpet starts to make a funny noise; Upsy Daisy dances to comfort him, and the friends discover that a stone has lodged inside it. Once the stone is removed the trumpet sounds right again, and Makka Pakka offers the stone to Upsy Daisy as a present. The narrator closes the episode with a 'once upon a time in the night garden' recap that retells the small story before bedtime.

Related media

Other series that fit this age group

Bing

Bing

recommended age co-watching from 2

Bing is a young rabbit exploring everyday moments with his caregiver Flop, at home, the park and outdoors. The tone is calm and reassuring, aimed at toddlers, with gentle emotional and social lessons.

Guess How Much I Love You

Guess How Much I Love You

recommended age co-watching from 2

Guess How Much I Love You follows a young hare and his father exploring a spring meadow with animal friends. The tone is calm and tender, made for toddlers, offering gentle lessons about nature and love.

Ready Eddie GO!

Ready Eddie GO!

recommended age co-watching from 2

Ready Eddie GO! follows a young boy guided step by step through new everyday experiences like swimming, camping and starting school. The tone is calm and reassuring for preschoolers learning to handle new situations and feelings.

Donkey Hodie

Donkey Hodie

recommended age co-watching from 2

Donkey Hodie and her friends solve small everyday problems together in the colorful puppet town of Someplace Else. The tone is warm and playful, aimed at toddlers, with gentle lessons in friendship and perseverance.

Explore more

From this series In the Night Garden

By age 2 years

By platform Tubi TV

Just launched: free lifetime premium for the first 1,000 members to activate their account.

Create your account

We use functional cookies and Google Analytics to improve our site. Learn more