Best Cartoons for Younger Kids That Parents Love Too
good cartoons for younger kids
The best cartoons for younger kids, according to users, are Bluey, Sesame Street, and shows on PBS Kids like Daniel Tiger, Arthur, and Mister Rogers. Bluey comes up most often and users call it top tier TV. Sesame Street also earns strong mentions as a classic educational program. One user gave a shortlist of Sesame Street, Bluey, and Ms. Rachel.
Bluey gets the most praise because its storylines keep children interested while parents enjoy it too. It works for kids and grown-ups at the same time, which makes it a frequent first recommendation. Users also say that anything on PBS Kids is great, so parents can trust the whole block of shows there rather than hunting for one single title.
For families who want to watch together, users name Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, and The Amazing World of Gumball. Gravity Falls wins praise for its humor and its mysteries, and one user called it hands down one of the best cartoons ever. Adventure Time has depth that lands with older viewers while staying open to younger ones. Gumball slips in subtle adult jokes and themes that parents catch.
One clear warning shows up in the answers: skip Cocomelon. Users say it has a negative impact on young children, and one wrote that there should be absolutely no Cocomelon. Some users also worry about brain-rotting content in general and prefer more enriching options for their kids.
Ms. Rachel rounds out the shortlist for the youngest viewers, since one user grouped her with Sesame Street and Bluey. The overall approach is easy to follow: start with Bluey or PBS Kids for everyday watching, add Sesame Street for learning, and save Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, or Gumball for family time when the grown-ups want to laugh too.
Top picks
- Bluey The most praised show, called top tier TV by users.
- Sesame Street Classic educational program that stays a strong choice.
- Daniel Tiger PBS Kids option users trust for young viewers.
- Arthur PBS Kids favorite named alongside Daniel Tiger.
- Mister Rogers Named as a great PBS option for young children.
- Ms. Rachel Listed with Sesame Street and Bluey by one user.
Popular Cartoons for Young Children
Cartoons Enjoyable for the Whole Family
Avoided Cartoons
Are you looking for cartoons for a specific age group or with certain educational themes?
Bottom line
Users widely recommend Bluey as a top cartoon for younger kids, often highlighting its appeal to both children and adults. Other popular choices include classics like Sesame Street and content from PBS Kids.
Community answers 29
What others in the community said:
Anything on PBS kids is great. Alternatively, Preschool Prep videos or just videos of nursery Rhymes are great.
We do mainly old school PBS. Mister Rogers, Arthur, Daniel Tiger. Bluey is lovely as a more modern cartoon.
Before anyone says “none”, we generally limit screen time to zero, but there are times where we need to just distract our daughter (ie for inhaling meds sometimes).
I was thinking Sesame Street, Thomas train engine - anything else that is at least Better than coco melon, baby shark and alike?
We have one video my 13 months old gets to watch sometimes for a short distraction and thats The Very Hungry Caterpillar on YouTube. It is about 6 minutes. He LOVES it. Toddlers don't mind watching things over and over again so no need for multiple different episodes of something. It is actually good to just stick to one or two in the beginning.
Example image: South Park, an adult show, but a lot of kids watch the show too.
89% of US households with internet access subscribe to at least one of these SVOD services, and the average number of subscriptions has risen to 5.4 platforms. Much of this growth is coming from households with children under age 18, with nearly all of these homes (98%) paying for some form of streaming, and subscribing to significantly more services on average (7.1).
Shows highlighted in purple are in the top 10 overall. Performance-wise, Disney+ is currently the frontrunner among the four most popular streaming services, with five titles in the overall top 10 compared with Netflix’s four and one for Prime Video.
Sesame Street, Bluey, Ms. Rachel
How has no one mentioned Bluey?? Miscarriage, infertility, the fleeting nature of friendships, parenting, adult parent/child relationships.
Ok listen, a slice of life show that focuses on max’s life as a teenager with his dad goofy sounds pretty great to me
post got me thinking. I want my kids to watch peak only. Know what I mean? For starters I’m thinking:
Avatar the last airbender Samurai Jack Clone wars (2003) Adventure time
I feel like those are musts
Og Ben 10 as well mayhaps
If you’re a weeb like me then I think you gotta throw in
Classic dragon ball Naruto Mob psycho 100 as well.
Idrk I’m just spitballing here but surely I’m missing important stuff here.
I'd say Hey Arnold is more fun watching as an adult than it was as a kid. It was good as a kid, but now I relate more to the adult characters. It also has a nostalgic feel to it.
I know it’s not technically coming of age, but are there any cartoons that have that sort of feeling? New adult (18+, not 16 or 17) would be the term I guess. An example of this would be Fiona and Cake. Preferably with a consistent theme of new adulthood
Justice League, The Proud Family, Samurai Jack, Avatar The Last Airbender, etc. I also agree with Hey Arnold as well.
Gravity Falls. Dexter’s Laboratory
Adventure Time is one of the greatest shows ever. So try that one.
I'll be 30 this year and just barely started watching adventure time. Gumball has more adult jokes than anything. The boondocks is really good too
dead end, the way Norma struggles with her autism and breakdowns was the best I've seen in a show
Hello! Going through a depression and one of the things that’s been making me feel less bad is starting my day with cartoons. I just finished disneys Kiff and loved it.
Some shows I love and am looking for similar recommendations are: Steven Universe, She-Ra princess of power, and SpongeBob. I couldn’t get into Avatar the last airbender. Plus points if there is a queer tone to it!
Owl House not being mentioned is criminal
I didn't have cable as a kid so I didn't see a ton.
The incredibles is better an as adult and I already loved it as a kid. I didn't really understand the part where Helen though her husband was cheating as much as a kid and why her smacking Mirage made my dad laugh so much, now I laugh as well. I also relate to him hating his job a lot more now and especially how scummy insurance companies can be.
I'll also throw in Samurai Jack. I first saw it as an adult but I wouldn't have appreciated the long stretches with no dialogue and establishing shots as well as fight choreography as a kid.
I loved watching Gravity Falls and Phineas and Ferb with my kids.
Gravity Falls is hands down one of the best cartoons ever.
- Gravity Falls is often cited as a cartoon that adults can appreciate alongside kids due to its humor and engaging mysteries.
- Cocomelon is frequently mentioned as a show to avoid due to its perceived negative impact on young children.
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