The World Health Organisation recommends no screen time for children under the age of two, and a maximum of one hour per day between the ages of two and five. I know that fact well, because I felt bad about it every single time I, a mere mortal, whacked on Ms Rachel or The Wiggles while trying to single-handedly settle or occupy my screaming twins in the first three years of their lives.But considering Ms Rachel, an entertainer who explicitly makes content for kids aged 0-3, has more than 13 billion views on YouTube, I don’t think I’m alone.If you’re also in the trenches of early parenthood, here’s a guide to the best and worst shows I discovered. Importantly, experts say the second-best thing to not turning on the TV is watching it together, so the ranking is really based on how much I, as a parent, could endure it.THE WORSTCocomelon’s main character JJ on his first day of school.Cocomelon/YouTubeCocomelon (Netflix, Stan, YouTube)Watching Cocomelon is the closest I’ve come to doing psychedelic drugs. This is a world of soft edges, wide eyes and rictus grins where looping nursery rhymes and disembodied laughter lull you into a state of deadened euphoria. Thanks to the clunky animation, it feels like gravity doesn’t quite function right (which tracks with the level of sleep deprivation you’re probably feeling while watching it). And, with each “episode” on Netflix lasting a full hour, you also get the oppressive sense you can never really leave.This hugely popular singalong series, which started as a YouTube phenomenon, is loosely based on the school and home life of JJ, a young toddler who has only two teeth and one sprout of blond hair but also the unnerving psychical dexterity to play soccer and lasso sheep. Of course, little kids love it. But the addictive nature and fast-paced visuals (with most shots lasting just a couple of seconds) has led the series to be frequently decried as “TikTok for toddlers”. That means any reprieve you get from turning the TV on is often immediately ruined by the crushing guilt that you’re melting your children’s brains. I don’t watch this show for the same reason I don’t do hard drugs: the anxiety.Blippi (Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube)There is no character in children’s entertainment more cursed than Blippi, a grown man in a beret and suspenders who incessantly giggles like a child and skips around empty water parks and play centres as though he’s gone mad after surviving the apocalypse. I simply will not allow this weirdo in my home.Blippi, created and first portrayed by Stevin John, has been described as “a Mister Rodgers for the YouTube age” and he does fulfil the same function: he guides children through real-world scenarios and teaches basic concepts. There’s some merit in that. But Fred Rogers always managed to do that while keeping the tone and demeanour of an adult human being. A lost art.Danny Go! has 5 billion views on YouTube. Now he’s on Netflix.NetflixDanny Go! (Netflix, YouTube)He’s clocked more than 5 billion views on YouTube since 2019, but I only discovered Daniel Coleman – co-creator and star of Danny Go! – when his show hit Netflix last month. It’s been one of the platform’s top 10 series in Australia (beating adult titles such as Beef and Unchosen) ever since. But is it any good? Honestly, it makes me feel like I’m on the verge of a seizure.Part child aerobics class, part rave, part video game simulation, each 30-minute episode offers songs and adventure-based activities that encourage kids to dance and move along in time. That’s great, but as a parent of multiples who is already overstimulated 99 per cent of my day, the last thing I want is an American dude with glow sticks standing in front of a hypnotic neon spiral blasting EDM at my toddlers.THE BESTUS entertainer and educator Ms Rachel spread from YouTube to Netflix in 2025.NetflixMs Rachel (Netflix, YouTube)YouTube isn’t all bad! It produced my beloved Aunty Rachel – sorry – Ms Rachel. What she lacks in production budget (like Danny Go, she loves a green screen), she makes up for in sheer likeability.Rachel Accurso is a former preschool music teacher who started making videos online in 2019, when her son was struggling with a speech delay. Known for her unrelenting sunny disposition and soothing voice, her short clips (now compiled into 30-minute episodes on Netflix) make screen time feel wholesome – and even productive – with nursery rhymes and phonics lessons for babies and young toddlers.Shoutout to the original songs, too: The Mama Song (“mama, mama, can you say mama’s name?”) is a mainstay for every desperate mum on parental leave trying to beat “dada” to the first word.The WigglesThe Wiggles (ABC iview, Netflix, Stan)They’ve been wiggling longer than I’ve been alive, but this iconic group looks a little different these days with eight members and only Anthony remaining from the original line-up. There’s still a lot of nostalgia here for millennial parents like myself, though, as we handily already know the words to classics such as Hot Potato and Fruit Salad. And, in a world dominated by American YouTubers, there’s a real comfort in having your kids entertained by Australian adults interacting in a 3D real-world space.A few surprising things you’ll clock once you’re 10 hours deep: The Wiggles have way more Scottish and Irish influence than I remember from the old days, with many old folk songs getting the wiggly touch. (My kids’ obsession with Michael Finnegan, a song about an old man whose beard gets blown away in the wind, runs deep). And, as polished as the production is, there’s still a real sense of fun and invention.I feel privileged to be part of the generation of parents who got to experience the Tree of Wisdom for the first time: a wonderfully daggy new character unveiled to dance to old Irish folk song Rattlin’ Bog who became an internet sensation for his improvised krumping and thrusting. I do draw the line at hearing Anthony pull out the bagpipes before I’ve had a morning coffee, though.Miranda Tapsell voices Little J and Deborah Mailman voices Big Cuz in this acclaimed Australian kids’ show.SBSLittle J and Big Cuz (SBS On Demand, ABC Kids)Bluey rightfully gets a lot of credit for exposing Aussie kids to local culture (even if it is about Australian dogs). But before that, we had Little J and Big Cuz. This award-winning animated series follows two Indigenous kids who live with their nanna and dog in the outback. And if those kids sound familiar, it’s because they’re voiced by national treasures Miranda Tapsell and Deborah Mailman. The show moves at a gentle pace, with Little J and Big Cuz learning about their culture and community via school and family. But it’s still cheeky and fun enough to entertain. Mailman isn’t coming back for season five, which returns next year, but she’ll be replaced by Kartanya Maynard, who you might recognise from Heartbreak High.Elmo, still the MVP of Sesame Street.NetflixSesame Street (ABC Kids, Netflix)Yes, it’s nice to have shows like Little J and Big Cuz repping local treats like Anzac bickies, but Cookie Monster and co are classics for a reason. This beloved children’s show has been on air for more than half a century and there’s a real comfort in popping on the same characters that entertained me and (very nearly) my parents.I like that there’s a consistent focus on community and creativity, as well as segments that are explicitly educational. And I also appreciate that every so often an insanely famous celebrity will get roped in to hang out with Elmo and entertain me.Sadly, we’ve lost a lot of the pop-culture parodies the show embraced in the 2000s and early 2010s. I guess kids didn’t know who Sopranos star James Gandolfini was or appreciate why it was funny for him to talk about hugging his teddy bear when he gets scared. But the most recent season did include Miley Cyrus singing inside an animated submarine.Tim Minchin appears in a recent episode of Play School.ABCPlay School (ABC iview)We may not get Miley Cyrus on the ABC but hey, a recent episode of Play School did feature Tim Minchin. It’s not nothing! This institution of Australian television – three years older than Sesame Street – is still running strong today.Yes, it has all the old comforts (the opening song alone is worth its place on this list). But in an age of YouTube and AI slop, I love Play School’s handcrafted and largely analogue sensibility. Trusted presenters make crafts, cook food and produce science experiments with actual Australian children. We must protect it at all costs.Trash Truck follows a little boy named Hank and his best friends: a rubbish truck, a bear, a racoon and an Australian rat.NetflixTrash Truck (Netflix)There is no greater celebrity to a toddler than a rubbish truck, so god bless Max Keane for making a TV show about one. This gentle animated series follows a little American boy called Hank who spends his days roaming around his rural hometown with a kind-eyed and largely non-verbal rubbish truck, a bear voiced by Kevin from The Office (Brian Baumgartner), a raccoon and a maternal Australian rat (Jackie Loeb). Why are his parents cool with this arrangement? It’s not really addressed.Each 10-15 minute episode, however, is a total delight. It’s all about friendship and adventure, in really simple terms. The motley crew either solve a problem or complete a task each episode, often with a real sense of humour (the episode where they each get accidentally addicted to Hank’s dad’s phone is especially relatable). And the music is sweet and unobtrusive, with a theme song you can happily whistle all day. Good news for existing devotees: the show’s just been renewed for its long-anticipated third season!Bandit, Bingo and Bluey in smash-hit Australian series Bluey.Bluey (ABC iview)No one is doing it better. This smart, sweet and exceptionally well-crafted little Australian series about a Brisbane family of blue heelers has set the benchmark for children’s entertainment worldwide.Granted, it’s occasionally a difficult watch for tired mums and dads. (How do Bandit and Chilli constantly commit to this level of hands-on play? This is an absolute stitch-up). But I also appreciate the time the show takes to make Bluey and Bandit real parents: mums who’ve survived sleep deprivation and mothers’ group, and lost their minds in the eternity it takes getting kids out the door; dads who are defeated by duck cakes from The Australian Woman’s Weekly Cookbook. I like to think it will teach my toddlers empathy, but I’m yet to see real results.What’s your favourite kids’ show? Let us know in the comments below.Want more TV? We’ve got you.Newsletter: Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. 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