Chinese Cartoons and Animated Shows for Kids
A list of Chinese Cartoons for kids that are fun and educational. These animated shows in Chinese not only give kids exposure to the Chinese language, but also teach moral lessons.
Have you decided to teach your child Mandarin Chinese? Study at an online school is a very effective way to learn Chinese pinyin.
Using Chinese TV Shows and Cartoons for Kids to help learn Chinese
Let’s face it, when it comes to learning a new language or trying to retain your mother tongue, watching T.V. can actually be helpful. And while TV alone is not going to teach kids Chinese, it is a great additional resource to help give that extra exposure to the language.
I have fond memories of watching Chinese soaps or the Hong Kong news with my grandmother. It was good exposure to Cantonese and helped me put the language into context.
Now that I’m a mom trying to ensure my child will grow up speaking Chinese, I’m definitely using her favourite television characters and Chinese cartoons as a tool to help her learn Mandarin Chinese. Not only is it easy on the parent (because we get a break when they’re watching T.V.), but it’s a different way for them to absorb the language.
Below is a list of 10 of our favourite cartoons in Chinese for kids:
Note: My criteria for shows isn’t simply the language, but the moral lessons contained in the show. The following list of Chinese cartoons is best suited for children ages 2–5 years.
The list is broken up into the following:
- Cartoons which teach kids Chinese
- Original Chinese Cartoons for Kids
- Translated Chinese Cartoons for Kids
- Youtube animated TV shows for Kids
5 Cartoons which help teach kids Chinese
1. Miaomiao Kidz cartoons and shorts
There aren’t a lot of children’s cartoons in English that are dedicated to introducing Chinese to young viewers. Think of ‘Miaomiao’ as the Chinese Dora the Explorer. In each episode, little Chinese-Canadian Miaomiao goes on role playing adventures with her animals friends and introduces a new word of Mandarin Chinese to the audience.
This kids cartoon great for parents who don’t speak Chinese and want to learn together with the kids. There are seven minute episodes that feel more like a traditional cartoon and two minute videos that focus on verbal repetition for language retention.
‘Miaomiao’ was created with the help of early Mandarin Chinese learning experts and also teaches children social skills like sharing, teamwork, and cooperation. For a more advanced Chinese learner, Miaomiao’s Chinese for Kids App has all the two minute episodes fully dubbed in Chinese.
Watch ‘Miaomiao’ on Amazon Prime Video or their Youtube Channel here. You can also read a full review of the TV show and app here.
2. Ni Hao Kai Lan
Before Miaomiao, Nickelodeon made ‘Ni-Hao, Kai Lan’, based on the childhood memories of the show’s creator growing up in a Chinese-American family. Kai Lan, similar to Miaomiao also introduces viewers to Mandarin Chinese, along with some Chinese culture and values and what it’s like to live in an intergenerational family. ‘Ni-Hao, Kai Lan’ is also supposed to teach children how to identify and express their emotions, but one critique from parents has been children end up imitating Kai Lan’s behaviour which isn’t always stellar.
Some episodes of Ni Hao Kai Lan are available on Youtube here or on Nick Jnr.
Original Chinese Cartoons for Kids
3. Heavenkid
Produced in Taiwan, ‘Heavenkid’ is an award winning animation that is completely in Mandarin Chinese. This series is better for slightly older children (3 and up) as there are some scary scenes of monsters or demons.
What I love about ‘Heavenkid’ is that it shows kids the true cultural essence of Chinese culture. A lot of Chinese cartoons produced from Mainland China lack this aspect since the traditional culture was destroyed during the cultural revolution.
Heavenkid is based on a Chinese book Di-Zi-Gui that draws heavily from the teachings of Confucius and the wisdom of ancient China. Confucius believed that moral principles, virtues, and discipline should be some of the first lessons taught to a child.
The series uses 3D animation and lively entertainment to provide a moral educational tool that imparts these ideas to children in a very subtle manner. I learned about ‘Heavenkid’ through the Chinese immersion daycare I send my daughter to.
You can find some episodes of ‘Heavenkid’ on Youtube here or buy the DVD sethere.
4. Fruity Pie (水果冰淇淋)
So this one isn’t a cartoon, but live-action. I thought I would included ‘Fruity Pie 水果冰淇淋’ in here to mix things up as the show is very appropriate for young children. Sometimes it’s nice for kids to see real actors and people on screen.
This Chinese show is produced by the Taiwan Public Television service and episodes can be seen on Youtube here.
Translated Chinese Cartoons for Kids
The next four Chinese cartoons for kids on this list are simply our favourite English cartoons dubbed in Chinese. Showing kids content they are already familiar with in a different language will lower their resistance to the language because they already have context of what’s happening.
5. Peppa Pig in Chinese
My daughter is a big ‘Peppa Pig’ fan, so to show that her favourite characters also speak Mandarin is a great way to reinforce that learning Chinese is fun and cool! We also like Peppa because there is never any violence or scary monsters that will cause your child to start screaming and covering her eyes.
You can find dubbed Mandarin versions of ‘Peppa Pig’ on this YouTube Channelor by searching “Peppa Pig in Chinese”