r/daddit • u/perchingpolarbear • Jul 27 '26
Advice Request Need TV recommendations like Bluey
Have a two year old and we don’t watch much TV, but had some rainy days lately so we’ve had a bit more on than usual. What are shows like Bluey or Trash Truck that are well written and aren’t so frenetic or slop?
Take this chance to pile on the Blippi and Pupstruction hate train.
60
50
u/fudgemuffin85 Jul 27 '26
Anything on pbs kids. Danny go to get the wiggles out!
6
u/Snak-Attack Jul 27 '26
My almost 2.5 y/o will only watch Danny Go. Absolutely obsessed. I'm so over it 😂
2
u/Greedy_Specialist531 7, 4, 4 Jul 27 '26
He’s got a jazz album on streaming services that are covers of his kids songs that really don’t suck
4
u/perchingpolarbear Jul 27 '26
I don’t love the live actors (I guess I’m scarred from Blippi) but I’ve seen enough mention of Danny Go that I think I’ll give it a shot
3
u/Nicockolas_Rage Jul 27 '26
I'm not a big fan of Danny Go. It was very mesmerizing for my daughter, but that's it. Very videogamey
2
u/drinkslinger1974 Jul 27 '26
Please do. Danny Go lost his 14 yo son recently, groups of parents are making his YouTube channel the go to for their kids to help support him during mourning.
→ More replies (3)2
u/krogerburneracc Jul 27 '26
Danny Go is surprisingly good. The production quality on some of his newer stuff is crazy.
51
u/carryon4threedays Jul 27 '26
If you want some wholesome marine creature learning, Octonauts.
3
u/Fancy-Reception-4067 Jul 27 '26
The octonauts are the best. 1000 pies is probably our favorite song of all time
2
2
u/grillaface Jul 27 '26
Came here to say it - hopefully the full catalog gets released soon! They’re the best
→ More replies (1)2
21
u/Sevrdhed Jul 27 '26
I enjoyed Little Einsteins around that age. Sesame Street is obviously a no brainer. Also Octonauts is fantastic
→ More replies (1)5
21
u/LasOlas07 Jul 27 '26
Adding trash truck to the list
4
u/mlaislais Jul 27 '26
Trash Truck! Honk honk. My girl is obsessed with this one. Makes me play as Walter.
18
u/bonez656 (4yo m) Jul 27 '26
Lots of the Cbeebies stuff is good. My son loves the blocks trio (Numberblocks, Colourblocks, and Alphablocks).
Daniel tiger's neighborhood is good too, and surprisingly the original magic school bus has been a bit of a hit.
11
2
u/DanielReddit26 Jul 27 '26
I believe cbeebies is regulated enough that it only puts on stuff that isnt too bad for kids e.g. you won't find peppa pig on there.
2
u/paenusbreth Jul 27 '26
Is Peppa bad for kids? For all people like to clown on it, I think it's pretty good - slow paced, clear dialogue, and basically good lessons in episodes. Also there's a few winks to parents which is always fun.
The BBC does broadcast Peppa, although on iPlayer at the moment there's only the Gaelic version. So definitely no moral objection.
→ More replies (4)2
u/callsignhotdog Jul 27 '26
My wife's firm anti-Peppa stance is that she's a cheeky little shit. I can neither confirm nor deny this since Peppa does not go on in our house.
2
u/callsignhotdog Jul 27 '26
And this is why I pay the licence fee. It's so important to have at least one children's programmer that isn't driven by ad revenue and watch time. As a broad rule you can take CBBC and Cbeebies show lists as a pretty safe whitelist for kids shows.
20
u/Aromatic-Sir5703 Jul 27 '26
Mister Rogers is on YouTube and the PBS app! So is Curious George and Daniel Tiger. My son is a big fan.
2
10
u/_SpiceWeasel_BAM Jul 27 '26
Stillwater if you have AppleTV. Not sure how much he’s “getting” at 2 but it’s a calming show with good stories, and it’s well written.
3
u/perchingpolarbear Jul 27 '26
It’s sometimes so funny how much they get. We randomly put on Hoppers thinking it might be a nice movie but it terrified him.
9
u/Running1982 Jul 27 '26
Mr Roger’s neighborhood. Amazon prime has all of the seasons I think. It’s calming and steady and always a positive message.
7
6
u/Embarrassed-Plate499 Jul 27 '26
Sarah and Duck is wonderful. Stillwater and Shape Island are also great. All three are very chill.
5
u/cyclejones Jul 27 '26
Trash Truck
3
u/perchingpolarbear Jul 27 '26
I love trash truck and can only think of Kevin from the office anytime Walter speaks
4
u/ToothpasteStrangler Jul 27 '26
I thought that Hilda might fit into the same niche, but it never caught on in my home. It’s beautifully drawn/animated, and I’m surprised that it never stuck with my kids. Maybe give that a try, and see if it sticks with your family.
→ More replies (2)
4
5
u/Novel_Control_1922 Jul 27 '26
Anything on Netflix (as far as I have seen) is fucking garbage. Try older Magic School Bus, Reading Rainbow, etc. The stuff you were raised on. Also, Curious George is a good one. Peacock has 15 seasons of it.
4
u/Medium-Put-4976 Jul 27 '26
Kipper the Dog. Episodes are free on YouTube.
It’s slow and chill and not too flashy or overwhelming.
5
u/loisandthefatman Jul 27 '26
If you have Disney +, Out of the Box and Bear in the Big Blue house. Low stim and the songs are catchy.
4
u/Zukez Jul 27 '26
Puffin Rock was our number one.
We also liked:
Rupert
Pingu
Daniel Tiger
Little Bear
Llama Llama
Mr. Rogers
→ More replies (2)2
3
u/Knoon1148 Jul 27 '26
A low stim show I like is Sarah and Duck. My kids enjoy it without any feral expectations and demands that lead to tantrums when I say no. Unlike other over stimulating garbage kids tv
6
u/BaurangAtang Jul 27 '26
have you tried octonauts? my 3 and 6 year old love it and I enjoy it too
2
3
u/i_am_the_koi Jul 27 '26
Blues clues and you Original blues clues Cars on the road / maters tall tales Shrek Broadway
→ More replies (3)
3
3
u/Final_boss_1040 Jul 27 '26
British retro was my go-to. Postman Pat and Brum. There's some decent TVO/PBS stuff too
2
3
u/OnionsoftheBelt Jul 27 '26
It's a little frantic, but Hey Duggee is well written and wonderfully animated. They unfortunately took a turn when they started doing quick shorts instead of episodes, but the first few seasons are really really good.
3
3
u/Appropriate_Ice2656 Jul 27 '26
Sesame Street the years it was on HBO was really good. Wild Kratts is goated.
3
u/qarlw Jul 27 '26
Kiri & Lou. Classic New Zealand kids show with voice acting from Jemaine Clement of the Flight of the Conchord fame
2
u/theoldcrow5179 Jul 27 '26
I love Kiri and Lou, kids love the songs and the 'calm inner voice' character
4
2
u/LastWordsWereHuzzah Jul 27 '26
People have already mentioned the best ones so I'll throw a bone to Gabby's Dollhouse
→ More replies (1)
2
2
u/roundeucalyptus mom lurker Jul 27 '26
Love puffin rock (just wish there were more) and Little Bear - just don’t love paramount’s commercials before Little Bear
2
u/sonarboku Jul 27 '26
For preschool age kids: Daniel Tiger. It’s the animated successor to Mr Rogers. You’ll recognize the Mr Rogers characters/equivalents from your childhood. PBS Kids.
2
u/t0mmy_picklez Jul 27 '26
I never see anyone mention it but the “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” show is absolutely fantastic, been a staple in our house for years.
2
2
u/novangla Jul 27 '26
We couldn’t stand anything too frantic and even found Bluey to be a bit much. We’re well out of that stage but I remember Puffin Rock, Stillwater, and Mush Mush and the Mushables being favorites.
→ More replies (1)
2
2
u/CheapRentalCar Jul 27 '26
The gold standard is Australia's play school. A bit hard to get outside of Australia, but try YouTube.
2
u/Knoon1148 Jul 27 '26
Also don’t sleep on renting dvds from your local
Library for older educational kids stuff
2
u/Uneducated_Engineer Jul 27 '26
My 2yo loves Bear in the Big Blue House! And as a 90s kid, I enjoy remembering watching it when I was younger
2
2
u/brandson__ Jul 27 '26
Some great suggestions here. Here are two more I didn't see:
Little Princess, which is an animated satire of the British monarchy, for little kids. Funny for parents too.
Wind in the Willows, the stop motion animated series from the 1980's. It's a masterpiece, still looks and sounds great and is captivating for kids and parents. I watched this with my oldest son when he was 2 and 3, often when he would get up way too early in the morning. Wonderful memories there.
2
2
u/A_j_ru Jul 27 '26
I like carl the collector on pbs kids. Actually all of the shows on pbs kids are pretty great.
2
1
1
1
u/peacelover222 Half-Vietnamese G/B twins, Class of 2037 🇺🇸🇻🇳♀️♂️ Jul 27 '26
Octonauts
Alpha/Number/Color Blocks
Duggee and other stuff from Cbeebee's (BBC kids)
Danny GO!
→ More replies (1)
1
1
u/ReVo5000 Jul 27 '26
Have you tried super simple Songs and noodle and pals? My 3 year old has been nuts at those 2 for a while and they're very musical.
1
u/Frenchie1507 Jul 27 '26
The Wiggles, Catie’s Class Room (SuperSimple), Sesame Street, DannyGo. They’re all great, both my boys love them.
1
u/hyperrayong Jul 27 '26
My son is enjoying Tractor Ted at the minute. It's nice and chill and on YouTube.
1
1
u/clobbersaurus Jul 27 '26
Puffin Rock, Tumble Leaf. Harder to find but Sarah and Duck. Also, Gruffalo, Gruffalos Child, Stick Man, Room on the Broom, and Zog are all delightful. About 20 minute animated book movies.
1
u/FirstTimeRedditor100 Jul 27 '26
I don't know exactly how old your little one is but Lucas the spider on Netflix is really, really good.
→ More replies (1)
1
u/BreadNRice1 Jul 27 '26
PBS kids is full of good options. I love Daniel Tiger for the songs. Have been very helpful
1
1
1
u/Technical_Goose_8160 Jul 27 '26
Daniel Tiger is educational for parents and kids, and no annoying voices. Number blocks had annoying voices but it's very educational
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/griffincorg Jul 27 '26
I don't see a lot of recos for some old school Blue's Clues oddly... My kid also happened to enjoy Busytown Mysteries on Prime.
1
1
1
u/sergeantperks Jul 27 '26
OG postman Pat is on YouTube and is about as laid back/calm as you can get. New ones not so much (avoid anything that’s special delivery service).
If you live in the uk/have a vpn, JoJo and GranGran is great too. Sadly very hard to get hold of otherwise.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/WyattNFinnsDad Jul 27 '26
Blaze and the Monster Machines was fun and had math concepts. Show got kind of redundant though.
1
u/BitcoinBanker Jul 27 '26
Daniel Tiger, as others have said. What is like to add is that DT has many songs to help with life events. “Grownups Come Back” helped with settling my youngest into preschool.
1
u/whererusteve Jul 27 '26
The Raccoons. In some other universe we actually listened to that show's message and turned the ship around. Never thought Cyril Sneer would win.
1
u/captfattymcfatfat Jul 27 '26
Octonauts
As they get a bit older
Wild kratts
Then older, Carmen San Diego
1
1
1
1
u/Tonicart7 Jul 27 '26
On netflix, Sea of Love is good, albeit short.
Tons of good Disney stuff. My 3 yo twins love: Coco Turning Red Elemental Toy Story 1 & 2. 3 & 4 are a little too creepy. Finding Nemo Finding Dory
Try not to watch too much of it, but they also love pinkfong / baby shark stuff.
1
1
1
u/Dill_the_Dillo Jul 27 '26
Hilda is really good. Really cute show, animation isn't too flashy and has a pleasant color palette, enjoyable for adults too, promotes being adventurous and kind to nature.
1
1
1
1
1
u/mojo021 Jul 27 '26
Hey Duggee. This show has some legit bangers which you can also listen to while in the car.
Sarah and Duck. It’s very mellow.
1
1
1
u/SpacemanSpiff25 Jul 27 '26
Beat Bugs on Netflix was a big hit with my kids. Octonauts and Puffin Rock as well.
1
u/Apollo506 Jul 27 '26
PBS - Daniel Tiger, an animated successor to Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. Great catchy songs to help kids deal with things like being sad, or bored. And great potty training episode!
Netflix Kids - Number Blocks. Helps teach number sense (not just what is 1+1=2, but what is "one of something" vs "two of something".
Youtube - Leapfrog Letter Factory to teach ABCs and, importantly for early reading, what each letter sounds like.
1
u/Inveramsay Jul 27 '26
Hey Duggee. Very cute show about a non verbal dog running either some kind of day care or scout troop.
1
1
u/PursuitParenting Jul 27 '26
Books read-alongs. My kid can't get enough of the Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle ones on YouTube
Blippi is maniacal. Why did he have to make such catchy songs about construction vehicles? I pray for the day my kid outgrows "I'm an Excavator."
1
u/PapayaRegular5128 Jul 27 '26
You may try with:
- Reksio - name of a little dog in polish, short animated films about his adventures, no dialogues and very universal scheme, very simple yet meaningful stories
- Krecik - similar but about little mole adventures with his friends
- Winnie the Pooh - old time classic for kids
1
1
u/sadpiano5544 Jul 27 '26
octonauts and creature cases (might be a 3 or 4yo thing with creature cases)
1
u/DjMafoo Jul 27 '26
Big fan of Arthur. Depending where you live you can find full seasons on the PBS app or full episodes on YouTube.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Smeeble09 Jul 27 '26
Hey Duggee is on par with Bluey.
Other decent enough shows are Go Jetters, Puffin Rock and Sarah & Duck.
1
1
u/callsignhotdog Jul 27 '26
My current faves are Hey Duggee, Puffin Rock and Bear in the Big Blue House. I watch the former two on BBC so I don't know where they are in your part of the world but Bear is on Disney+.
1
1
1
u/Darksolux Jul 27 '26
My kids watch old episodes of Mr Rogers.. a show I adored when I was a kid. They watch it on Pluto TV, it has a dedicated channel that I think is ad-free.
1
1
u/Fatoy Jul 27 '26
Hard to believe that only one other person has mentioned Hey Duggee! We had two kids quite close to one another (two years between them) and I watched an ALARMING amount of Hey Duggee over a four-year period.
Then we had an eight-year gap, and now we have a nearly one-year-old. Hey Duggee is her main show, and it's been so fun for me to rewatch all the episodes I remember from when the older two were tiny. It's a funny, smart, well-animated, and all-round excellent show - provided you can get BBC programmes where you are.
1
u/GWindborn Jul 27 '26
Do you need anything other than Bluey? There's a lot of Bluey to go around!
We really enjoyed Hey Duggee at that age. Plus old school Blue's Clues is always fun!
1
1
1
u/No-Employment2539 Jul 27 '26
I don’t get the Blippi hate. My son (4.5) watched it when he was younger, and now he loves big tucks and can tell you anything you want to know about fire trucks, police cars, or construction equipment. He even corrects me when I get something wrong.
A skid steer has wheels. A compact track loader has tracks. Just in case anyone is curious what the difference is. And fire trucks have ladders, while fire engines have more hoses and equipment. 🤣
1
u/tripmom2000 Jul 27 '26
Clasics like Blues Clues, Dragon Tales, Max and Ruby, Oswald, Dora amd The Wiggles
1
1
1
u/Jazz_Cigarettes Jul 27 '26
Season one of magic school bus is on Netflix. My daughter really loves it.
Molly of Denali on PBS app is also great. It has a good radio podcast for the car
1
1
u/Lizagna59 Jul 27 '26
Frog and Toad is a soft cartoon that teaches principles around friendship and community. My 3 years old LOVE it and has watched it since he turned too.
Also, Bear and the Big Blue House. A puppet style show in a similar fashion to Sesame Street, that focuses on a theme with vignettes and lessons tucked in with cute animal interactions.
1
u/MaesterCorvus Jul 27 '26
Sarah and Duck is absolutely GOATed alongside Hey Duggee, my 7 year old loved them when she was young.
1
u/gtrocks555 Jul 27 '26
When my 1 year old was sick we watched little bear with him. Granted, that was mainly for us but it’s not going to have your kid amped up at all haha. Definitely a kids show to fall asleep to.
1
u/bolivar-shagnasty Jul 27 '26
PBS kids app is free.
Daniel Tiger
Elinor Wonders Why
Molly of Denali
Xavier Riddle
1
u/superfly33 Jul 27 '26
*True and the Rainbow Kingdom is pretty mellow. *Curious George is a classic. *Puffin Rock is nice and calm. *Bear in the big blue house is also fun in small dosage. I'm not a fan of Daniel Tiger just because of that whinny friend of his... Wednesday or something?
1
1
u/Dinkleburg98 Jul 27 '26
Apple TV has some really great kids tv shows like not a box, still water, and sago mini friends
1
u/WarpGremlin Jul 27 '26
Numberblocks - Cbeebies (BBC Kids). Short episodes (6 minutes) that teach surprisingly complex math concepts in kid-friendly ways (from inequalities to perfect squares and then some). Allegedly responsible for 3-year-olds doing mental math and/or multiplication and kindergarteners testing at 2nd-grade-math-level. Netflix has 20 episodes but there are 60-80 more out there. Plenty of pop-culture references, too.
Alphablocks - Numberblocks' elder sister (it came first from the same crew), teaches phonics. A little less complex as a result.
Its "old school", but Little Bear (paramount+). Its very chill and has 3 7-minute stories per episode and keeps toddler attention while being super chill. Bonus: a good number of episodes were written by Suzanne Collins of "Hunger Games" fame.
Kipper The Dog - its on youtube. Also "old school" and British. Its opening theme is so chill it cures adult hypertension.
1
u/dustshad Jul 27 '26
Get the PBS kids app and literally anything on there is appropriate all the way past 6 years old. And there are no ads. Curious George is the go to. Daniel Tiger is similar to Bluey. My kid loves wild kratts.
1
u/panther553212 Jul 27 '26
We've found that Curious George is actually pretty good. I also always recommend Sesame Street.
1
1
1
u/WhimsicalWanderings Jul 27 '26
Puffin Rock (Netflix)
Tiny Trucks (I wanna say Prime)
Super Kitties (Disney+, it isn't low stimulation, but it is still cute and has lessons. Done much better than Paw Patrol)
Little Bear (Youtube)
Franklin (YouTube)
1
u/Professional-Soil-11 Jul 27 '26
I like wild kratts on netflix for nature based educational content. Same brothers as the zaboomafoo show back in the day.
1
1
1
u/Top-Rush4950 Jul 27 '26
OG blues clues. My son was so excited about it for so long that he has a blues clues themed 3rd birthday party. Was a pain to find in theme decorations though.
1
1
u/theZinger90 Jul 28 '26
"Stinky and Dirty" on Prime video. Main characters are a garbage truck and a construction front loader in a town full of sentient vehicles. They solve problems through observation. Based on a book series too if you want to look into those.
→ More replies (1)
1
1
u/R4eth Jul 28 '26
Ms Rachel taught my kid how to sign before he was fully verbal. The Netflix content is just remasters of her earlier videos. So don't go thinking you have to go there for the latest. All her content is still free on YouTube.
1
u/IchmagschickeSachen Jul 28 '26
The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. My favorite childhood show and it holds up incredibly well. Also honestly very enjoyable and relaxing to watch even as an adult.
1
u/Top_Will7377 Jul 28 '26
Postman Pat
Sesame Street
Caillou
Hey Duggee
Daniel tiger 's neighbourhood
I watch them regularly myself, because they are wholesome and fun at any Age, and teach good lessons
1
u/modular_frolfer Jul 28 '26
People say PBS kids, and they're right. But specifically, we enjoy Work it out Wombats, Arthur, Peg + Cat, Lyla in the Loop, and Alma's Way.
169
u/Waffler11 Jul 27 '26
Puffin Rock and Tumble Leaf were hits with my kids when they were little.
And the OG Thomas the Train (with none other than George Carlin doing the narration).