Theme

Monsters

Monsters are one of the first ways children meet the idea of something big, strange and a little bit scary, safely, from the couch. In stories they can be silly, furry, misunderstood or friendly, and that gives a child room to look at fear instead of being caught by it. A calm, well made monster story lets a child practise being brave while the ending stays kind.

For 3-year-olds

Around three, imagination grows faster than the ability to tell real from pretend, and that is when shadows in the bedroom start to look like something. A monster story at this stage works best when the scary thing turns out to be harmless, misheard or imagined, and when an adult or older friend stays nearby. Watch for tension that is short and gets solved in the same episode, so your child goes to bed with the resolution, not the worry.

S01 E02

Dragon Tales

The Forest of Darkness

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

Ord insists 'Monsters live in the dark' and the group briefly panics over a supposed monster.

S01 E11

Little Bear

Exploring

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

The cubs convince themselves a monster with claws and teeth lives in the cave.

S01 E23

Pajanimals

The Monster Under the Bed Mystery

Stimulating

recommended age co-watching from 2

Squeaky is convinced a monster under his bed grabbed his ball.

See all Monsters shows for 3-year-olds

For 4-year-olds

Four year olds start playing with fear on purpose. They roar, hide, jump out and love the moment just before the scare. Stories can now hold a little more suspense, as long as the monster has a face your child can read and a reason for behaving the way it does. Good ones give the child character something to do, asking a question or opening the closet door, so the lesson is that looking usually makes things smaller.

S02 E07

The Berenstain Bears

Trick or Treat

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

The cubs fear a witch, and vampire bats and ghosts appear during the night.

S01 E27

Carl the Collector

Show And Smell/The Campfire Conundrum

Stimulating

recommended age co-watching from 4

The stories are about Bigfoot, a tall hairy creature said to lurk in the woods.

S01 E15

Pete the Cat

Trick or Treating Ghost

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

They expect 'monsters with huge teeth' before entering the Backyard of Terror.

See all Monsters shows for 4-year-olds

For 5-year-olds

By five, a child understands that a monster is made up, and can enjoy the thrill precisely because of that. This is the age for slightly bigger stories, where a creature guards something, blocks the way or has to be understood before it can be helped. Look for plots where the solution is talking, thinking or teamwork rather than defeating anyone, and where the monster keeps some dignity once the misunderstanding clears.

S04 E02

Molly of Denali

In the Dark of Day

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

Oscar is convinced a monster is hiding in the dark on his way home.

S01 E08

The Magic School Bus

In the Haunted House

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 2

The children believe a ghost is haunting the museum until it proves to be a person.

S01 E05

Dot

Epic Halloween Prank Battle!

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 3

Costumes and decorations include monsters and a zombie that groans 'I want my brains'.

S01 E04

Dino Ranch

The Spookasaurus

Balanced

recommended age co-watching from 3

The children fear the legendary Spookasaurus throughout the night.

See all Monsters shows for 5-year-olds

For 6-year-olds

At six, monsters become useful for thinking about people. The one everybody avoids often turns out to be lonely, clumsy or judged too quickly, and children this age can follow that turn and enjoy the humour in it. Stories can carry longer arcs, a real moment of doubt and characters who are frightened and act anyway. Look for tension that stays in service of the story, with feelings named out loud somewhere along the way.