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Count Their Blessings

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Co-watching from age 2

Balanced

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Count Their Blessings

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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 soft and supportive. The visuals are calm and well-organized.

One clear idea carries the whole episode: the cubs keep wishing for what their friends own until the family learns to be thankful for what they have. Two small threads, Sister with her dolls and Brother with his video games, run side by side but fold neatly into the same lesson, so a child is never pulled in different directions. Events build in a logical order, the gathering storm leads to a power cut, which leads to the family counting blessings together, and Papa's explanation of counting the seconds between lightning and thunder gives a tidy cause-and-effect anchor. New information arrives gently, one idea at a time.

The family tone is warm and supportive, with parents who reassure the cubs during the storm, dry them off and offer cocoa by the fire. Mama does correct the children's constant wanting, saying "Listen to yourselves. All you can do is complain about what you don't have," but she redirects them kindly rather than shaming them. Emotional highs stay low, the loudest moment is the thunder, and every worry is followed by comfort, with Papa explaining the storm is more than a mile away and the cubs safe and cosy indoors. Feelings shift gradually rather than lurching from calm to alarm.

The cubs do very little independent problem-solving here; the shift from wanting to gratitude is largely guided by Mama and Papa, who name each blessing for the children one by one. Sister shows a spark of her own at bedtime when she quietly counts her blessings instead of the thunder, reaching "eight already, and I'm not finished yet," which is a small self-driven moment. There is some real reasoning in Papa's lightning-and-thunder counting, a step a child could copy, but the episode does not show characters trying, failing and adjusting through a problem. The learning is delivered more than discovered.

The dialogue is clear, natural and well matched to a preschooler, built from complete sentences and everyday words. Meaningful new ideas are introduced through context, such as the word "blessings" being unpacked into concrete examples like a warm house, food and family, and the idea that thunder travels slower than lightning. Speech is easy to follow and used to inform and describe far more than to just exclaim, with only a few playful bursts like Brother's "Zip, zap, kapowie!" A child hears purposeful, connected talk throughout.

Almost everything here maps directly onto a child's own life: chores, playing with dolls and games, a family riding out a storm, and a bedtime routine. The activities are concrete and imitable, from making cocoa and lighting a fire to counting the seconds between lightning and thunder, and the gratitude practice is something a child can genuinely try. The world is ordinary home-and-family life with recognisable social patterns, sibling comparison, friendship and parents guiding their children. It offers plenty a young viewer can carry off the screen.

More information

Everyone on screen is a bear, and the story stays inside one traditional two-parent household with Sister, Brother, Mama and Papa. Friends like Lizzie and Cousin Freddy are the same, so there is no variation in cultural background, family form, or ways of living. The tasks also fall along familiar lines: Mama cleans and makes cocoa while Papa builds the fire and explains the thunder, and Sister plays dolls while Brother plays video games and sport. It is a warm but narrow picture, with little breadth in who is shown or how they behave.

This episode stays close to the world a young child already knows: playing with dolls, video games at a cousin's house, a rainy afternoon and a cozy family evening. There is no villain, and the tension comes only from wanting what friends have and learning to feel grateful, not from any character being bad. The bears live and act like an ordinary family, and the little bursts of pretend play stay clearly imaginary. For a four year old, the realistic, gentle mix fits well.

This episode gives a watching adult more than the usual preschool fare, mostly through the parents' dry, knowing exchanges and an ending that turns the lesson back on the grown-ups. The gratitude story is light but complete, with a clear setup, a storm that reframes everything, and a payoff. The presentation stays calm and easy on adult ears and eyes, with soft colours and gentle voices. The animation is clean and competent standard television craft.

Themes

Gratitude

Central

Mama teaches the cubs to count their blessings, and Sister lists a safe house, food, friends and a loving family at bedtime.

Family

The whole family weathers the storm together by the fire with cocoa.

Siblings

Sister and Brother Bear both compare themselves to friends and learn the same lesson.

Jealousy

Sister envies Lizzie's many Bearby dolls and Brother envies Cousin Fred's video games.

Weather

Recurring

A thunderstorm rolls in, cutting the power and driving the family together indoors.

Play

Recurring

Sister runs a doll fashion show at Lizzie's and Brother plays Dino Battle at Freddy's.

Consequences

Incidental

At the end the parents catch themselves wishing for a new sofa and recliner and decide to count their own blessings too.

Activities

Pretend play

Sister hosts a Bearby doll fashion show with narration.

Playing games

Brother and Cousin Fred play the Dino Battle video game.

Bedtime

The episode closes with the cubs tucked into bed and hugged goodnight.

Science

Papa demonstrates counting five seconds per mile between lightning and thunder.

Cleaning

Papa mops the kitchen floor during his chat with Mama.

Cooking

Mama prepares cups of cocoa for the family.

Emotions

Gratitude

Sister happily lists everything she is thankful for at bedtime.

Jealousy

Sister sighs that Lizzie is lucky and gets whatever she wants.

Love

Sister names "a family who loves me" among her blessings and asks for a goodnight hug.

Calm

The family settles quietly by the firelight with cocoa as the storm passes.

Joy

Sister jokes about "bow-legged Bearby" during the doll show.

Fear

The cubs flinch at a close thunderclap before Papa reassures them.

Behaviour

Gratitude

Sister counts eight blessings at bedtime instead of counting thunder.

Expressing feelings

Sister and Brother openly voice what they wish they had that friends own.

Caregiving

Papa lights a fire and Mama makes cocoa to comfort the cubs during the storm.

Pretend play

Sister narrates a doll fashion show introducing cruise ship and medical Bearby.

Comforting

Papa explains the thunder is over a mile away so the cubs need not worry.

Tidying up

Papa mops the kitchen floor while talking with Mama.

Boasting

Brother brags about his "lightning-fast reflexes" with "Zip, zap, kapowie!"

Social lessons

Family

The bears ride out the storm together as a close family unit.

Gratitude

The episode's lesson is being thankful for what you have.

Parental supervision

Mama and Papa gently steer the cubs from complaining toward appreciation.

Sibling relationship

Sister and Brother share the same habit of comparing themselves to friends.

Emotional support

The parents comfort and reassure the cubs when the thunder scares them.

Light flashes

Contains rapid flashing that may affect photosensitive viewers.

Flashing lights

The thunderstorm sequence produces repeated bright lightning flashes over several seconds.

Loud sounds

Sudden thunderclaps punctuate the storm, one described as sounding "really close."

Stereotypes

Traditional gender roles

Sister covets dolls and clothes while Brother covets video games and action figures, split along traditional gender lines.

Sister and Brother Bear come home from friends' houses wishing they had as many dolls and video games as Lizzie and Cousin Fred. When a thunderstorm knocks out the power, the family gathers by the fire with cocoa while Mama and Papa help the cubs name the things they are thankful for, from a safe house to a loving family. Papa also shows them how to tell how far away the storm is by counting between lightning and thunder. At bedtime Sister happily counts her blessings, and the parents catch themselves wishing for new furniture before deciding to do the same.

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears

The Birthday Boy

recommended age co-watching from 2

Sister Bear is given a weekend school project to tell the class about a special family member. After ruling out the pets and finding her parents too busy, she reluctantly chooses her brother, whose tenth birthday is the next day, and films him with Papa's camera. While recording, she discovers his skill at sports, his patience, and the moment he stands up to a bully called Too Tall to recover her ribbon. At the birthday party she gives him the finished movie titled 'My Hero', and the family agrees that showing how you feel can be the greatest gift of all.

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears

Too Much Junk Food

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.

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears

Mama's New Job

recommended age co-watching from 2

In the Bear family's treehouse home, Mama decides to turn her quilt-making talent into a real business and open the Bear Country Quilt Shop. At first Brother and Sister worry that things will change and that Mama will not be there to help them, but Papa reassures them and the cubs choose to take over Mama's household tasks instead. The family divides the chores, the cubs keep practising their own skills, and everyone pulls together. The episode ends at the shop's grand opening, with the family celebrating over supper at Bear Town Burger.

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears

Too Much TV

recommended age co-watching from 2

In their woodland home, Mama Bear decides Brother and Sister are watching too much television and bans it for a week, and Papa has to give up his hockey too. Bored at first, the cubs invent a pretend cardboard TV, then start identifying birds and keeping a checklist, and the family spends a night naming stars and watching a meteor. When Saturday returns and the TV comes back on, the cubs stay just as keen on spotting birds outside. The episode ends with Brother rushing to show Sister a scarlet tanager through the binoculars.

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears

A Week at Grandma's

recommended age co-watching from 2

When Mama and Papa Bear leave for a week-long second honeymoon at Grizzly Mountain Lodge, Brother and Sister Bear stay with Gran and Gramps, sure the week will be dull. Instead the grandparents fill the days with harmonica and yo-yo lessons, building ships in bottles, harvesting honey, fishing, a barbecue, and dancing. The story cuts between the cubs' happy week and the parents' trip, where Papa keeps meeting small mishaps. The family reunites at the end, with the cubs asking to visit Gran and Gramps again and everyone planning a family vacation.

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears

The Double Dare

recommended age 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.

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears

Go to School

recommended age co-watching from 2

Sister Bear is nervous about starting third grade after Too Tall's gang teases her that it is impossibly hard. At home, Brother, Mama and Papa reassure her, and Mama uses a photo album to recall how Sister once dreaded kindergarten yet quickly came to love it. Encouraged, Sister tries third grade and comes home pleased, while Papa faces his own fear and bakes his first apple pie. The episode ends with the family together and the lesson that new things are worth trying.

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears

The Talent Show

recommended age co-watching from 2

After Teacher Bob announces a school talent show and no one volunteers, Brother Bear agrees to become the talent scout and help classmates find what they are good at. He signs up cubs one by one, from Lizzie balancing on one foot to Bertha telling stories and Fred doing a balancing act, while chasing a mysterious singing voice he keeps hearing in the halls. The voice turns out to belong to Too Tall, who is stunned to learn he can sing. The show comes together and Too Tall's song closes it out, with Teacher Bob thanking Brother for helping everyone find their talent.

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears

Trick or Treat

recommended age co-watching from 2

On Halloween night, the bear cubs Brother and Sister plan their trick-or-treat route but decide to skip Witter Jones' house because they believe she is a witch who turns cubs into statues. Mama insists she is a kind neighbor from her quilting class, so the cubs eventually knock, cross paths with the Too-Tall gang who came to cause trouble, and briefly think their friends have been enchanted. They discover Witter Jones is warm and playful, hands out candy apples, and turns her spooky tricks on the bullies. The family ends the night at home, with Papa heading back out for a candy apple of his own.

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears

Go to Camp

recommended age 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.

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears

Out for the Team

recommended age co-watching from 2

Brother Bear is hitting well in a sandlot game when Papa suggests he try out for the Bear Country Cardinals, and Sister Bear decides to try out too. Brother grows jealous and afraid of losing his spot to his sister, so he fakes a sore arm to skip the tryouts. Sister catches the lie and encourages him, and the two practice together before the tryouts. In the end the coach is impressed by both and adds a second spot, so Brother and Sister both make the team.

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears

Trouble with Money

recommended age co-watching from 2

Brother and Sister Bear want expensive Bear Air jackets, so they set up lemonade stands, rake leaves and dream up scheme after scheme to earn the money themselves. As the profits pile up, they grow too busy to play, charging even Papa for help and pushing away friends like Lizzy, Millie and Cousin Fred. Papa points out that the friends now feel like customers, and the cubs realise what they have lost. They open bank accounts, give to the animal shelter, buy cheaper jackets and throw a party for their friends.

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears

Count Their Blessings

recommended age co-watching from 2

Sister and Brother Bear come home from friends' houses wishing they had as many dolls and video games as Lizzie and Cousin Fred. When a thunderstorm knocks out the power, the family gathers by the fire with cocoa while Mama and Papa help the cubs name the things they are thankful for, from a safe house to a loving family. Papa also shows them how to tell how far away the storm is by counting between lightning and thunder. At bedtime Sister happily counts her blessings, and the parents catch themselves wishing for new furniture before deciding to do the same.

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears

Mighty Milton

recommended age co-watching from 2

A new cub named Milton Chubb arrives at school and on Farmer Ben's farm, and Too Tall's gang teases him for being clumsy at every sport. Brother befriends him, realises Milton is strong at wrestling and farm work, and arranges a tryout where Milton pins Too Tall using a move he calls 'the pancake.' Too Tall apologises and the team welcomes Milton. The episode closes on the cubs cheering him as 'Mighty Milton.'

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Explore more

From this series The Berenstain Bears

By age 4 years

By platform PBS Kids

By theme Becoming more capable Bedtime Big feelings Disappointment Family Friendship Helping at home Helping others How things work Mealtimes Overcoming fear Perseverance Pride Problem solving Responsibility Siblings Trying new things

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