Fun Chinese Cartoons Kids Can Watch for Free
Parents who teach their children Chinese often use cartoons to spark interest and make the language fun. Thankfully, the best Mandarin Chinese cartoons for kids are free on YouTube! There are also tons of amazing Chinese cartoon shows on Netflix and Disney+.
If you’re worried about Chinese cartoons being too fast for your child to learn Mandarin, check out my tips on slowing down YouTube videos at the end.
Best free Mandarin Chinese cartoons for kids
Here are 15 popular Chinese cartoons for bilingual children to learn Mandarin. These animated shows are popular among 3 to 8-year-old children in the United States, Canada, China, Taiwan, and Singapore. Each episode lasts between 10 and 40 minutes.
Recommended: Fun Chinese Kids’ Shows with Real People on YouTube
Baby Bus 寶寶巴士
Baby Bus 寶寶巴士 (Bǎobǎo bāshì) is one of the most popular Mandarin cartoons for kids produced in China. Two anthropomorphic pandas, KiKi, Miumiu, and their friends, learn about friendship, safety, daily habits, art, and science through Chinese nursery rhymes, songs, and stories. Subtitles are in traditional Chinese.
Watch Baby Bus in Mandarin Chinese on YouTube.
Chibi Maruko-Chan 小丸子
Originally produced in Japanese, Chibi Maruko-Chan 小丸子 (Xiǎo wánzi) is a popular manga series about family and school life in a small town. The series centers around Maruko, a 3rd-grade student, and relatable daily life experiences and challenges. Subtitles are in simplified Chinese.
Watch Chibi Maruko-Chan 小丸子 in Mandarin Chinese on YouTube.
Little Fox Chinese
Wondering which cartoon is the best for beginners? Little Fox Chinese is amazing for kids learning Mandarin. Topics like daily routines, folktales, and major holidays are introduced through short animations and catchy songs. Each video has subtitles in simplified Chinese and Pinyin.
Many bilingual families use Little Fox as a Chinese curriculum for learning to talk and understand the language. My kids learned several Mandarin Christmas songs from Little Fox Chinese. Watch Little Fox Chinese videos on YouTube.
Octonauts 海底小纵队
Octonauts 海底小纵队 (Hǎidǐ xiǎo zòngduì) is a show about eight animal friends and their underwater adventures. The animals include a polar bear captain, penguin medic, daredevil kitten, puppy photographer, scientist sea otter, engineer bunny, octopus oceanographer, and Tunip, a vegetable-animal hybrid.
This adorable Chinese cartoon has been my children’s top favorite! Watch Octonauts in Mandarin Chinese on YouTube.
Paw Patrol 汪汪隊立大功
The team of pups in Paw Patrol 汪汪隊立大功 (Wāngwāng duì lì dàgōng) are always busy being brave heroes! Each cute pup has an important community role, such as a firefighter and construction worker, and they use their skills to be heroes.
Through stories, rhymes, and songs, this Chinese cartoon teaches kids that we should help those in need and take care of animals.
Watch Paw Patrol in Mandarin Chinese on YouTube.
Peppa Pig 小猪佩奇
Feisty 4-year-old Peppa Pig 小猪佩奇 (Xiǎo zhū pèi qí) is the star of this show about regular family life. Each episode shows Peppa experiencing common childhood activities like swimming, playdates, and visiting grandparents. Since the language is fairly repetitive, kids can potentially learn new Chinese phrases.
Although this show has many loyal fans, some parents find the dialogue concerning.
Watch Peppa Pig in Mandarin Chinese on YouTube.
Pinkfong 碰碰狐
Pinkfong 碰碰狐 (Pèng pèng hú) is a South Korean edutainment company best known for the Baby Shark song. The cartoon features other animals in music videos with catchy tunes that easily get stuck in your head.
Watch Pinkfong music videos and cartoon shows in Chinese on YouTube.
Related: Top Korean Cartoons for Kids
PJ Masks 睡衣小英雄
PJ Masks 睡衣小英雄 (Shuìyī xiǎo yīngxióng) is an animated show about three 6-year-old children who go to school during the day and transform into superheroes at night when they put on their magical pajamas and fight crime throughout the night. Teamwork and helping other people are central themes in this TV show.
Watch PJ Masks in Chinese on YouTube.
Pocoyo 小P优优
Originally produced in Spanish, the beloved Pocoyo 小P优优 (Xiǎo P yōuyōu) stands out with extremely simple animated 3D characters against a plain background. The cute Chinese cartoon for young children focuses on friendship and character interaction without the typical flashy overstimulation of other animations.
Watch Pocoyo in Mandarin Chinese on YouTube.
Qiao Hu 巧虎
Qiao Hu 巧虎 (Qiǎo hǔ) is an extremely popular Taiwanese program featuring a mix of animation, real people, and puppets who teach kids about healthy daily habits, relationships, and basic academic concepts like shapes and colors. This Chinese cartoon is similar to the Daniel Tiger show on PBS.
Learn more about the Qiaohu DVD and magazine program here. Watch Qiaohu on YouTube.
Robocar Poli 变形警车珀利
Robocar Poli 变形警车珀利 (Biànxíng jǐngchē pò lì) is another popular cartoon that’s been translated from Korean. The show’s heroes are mostly emergency vehicles like police cars, ambulances, firetrucks, and helicopters that help their community through accidents. There are some helper people, too!
Watch Robocar Poli in Mandarin Chinese on YouTube.
Sesame Street 芝麻街
For over half a century, Sesame Street 芝麻街 (Zhīma jiē) has been the leading educational show for children. Their “Fun Fun Elmo” Mandarin Language Learning Program series on YouTube is dedicated to Chinese teaching. Each episode features simple songs and introduces the four tones, Chinese stroke order, and characters.
Watch Sesame Street in Mandarin Chinese on YouTube.
Super Wings 超级飞侠
Here’s another Chinese cartoon for kids who love vehicles! Super Wings 超级飞侠 (Chāojí fēi xiá) is a team of friendly airplanes that can transform into talking and walking robots. In each episode, the airplanes interact with animated people and animals, giving kids a taste of geographical and cultural diversity.
Watch Super Wings in Chinese on YouTube.
Super Truck 超级卡车
Carl, the Super Truck 超级卡车 (Chāojí kǎchē), is the hero of Car City. Whenever his city needs help, he transforms into any vehicle needed to save the day. This Chinese cartoon shows kids the important roles of buses, post office trucks, and other vehicles.
Watch Super Truck in Mandarin Chinese on YouTube.
Thomas and Friends 湯瑪士小火車
Thomas the train 湯瑪士小火車 (Tāngmǎshì xiǎo huǒchē) and his friends have been entertaining children for decades! In this wholesome Chinese cartoon, Thomas learns how to admit mistakes, help others without expecting rewards, and face fears with the help of good friends.
Watch Thomas and Friends in Chinese on YouTube.
Related: How I’m Learning Chinese as a Busy Parent
Educational Mandarin Chinese cartoons on Netflix and Disney+
If you subscribe to Disney+ or Netflix, you’ll never run out of Mandarin cartoons! Here are two top favorite educational Chinese cartoons.
Bluey 布鲁伊
Bluey 布鲁伊 is such an amazing show for parents and kids alike! Through heartwarming and hilarious stories, it teaches family and community values and life skills like turn-taking, coping with emotions, and navigating conflicts in relationships.
As a pediatrician, Bluey is my favorite Chinese cartoon for toddlers and kids of all ages.
Watch Bluey in Mandarin Chinese on Disney+.
Magic School Bus 神奇校车
This educational cartoon goes along with the Chinese Magic School Bus books! Explore the human body, outer space, and more with a diverse cast of curious children and the best science teacher, Ms. Frizzle! I watched the fun Magic School Bus show in English during my childhood, and now I’m rewatching it in Mandarin with my kids.
Watch Magic School Bus in Mandarin Chinese on Netflix.
Related: Cool Chinese Science Shows for Kids Learning Mandarin
There are so many more educational and entertaining cartoons for kids in Chinese on Disney+ and Netflix. Bookmark the following articles for more recommendations:
Common questions about Chinese cartoons for kids
Can kids learn Chinese from TV shows? What if the videos are too fast for my children? Here are tips for maximizing learning during Chinese cartoon time with kids.
Can kids really learn Mandarin from Chinese cartoons?
Children learn Chinese through immersion, so they need plenty of chances to hear the language. Ideally, kids are actively participating in conversations with real Chinese-speaking people. If you have limited time, try to focus on speaking Chinese consistently at home.
If extra Chinese exposure is needed, age-appropriate shows can help your child become familiar with the language.
Studies show that watching slower-paced shows with caregivers can make a passive encounter interactive and educational.
Parents can help kids make connections between Chinese cartoon shows and real-life experiences.
How to slow down Chinese cartoons on YouTube
If the speaking and animation speed is too fast for your child, here’s how to slow down YouTube videos.
- Click on the gear icon (settings) in the bottom right corner of the screen.
- Click “Playback speed”
- Decrease the speed to 0.75.
- If that is too slow, click on Custom.
- Use the slider to adjust the speed by 0.05 increments.
How much time should my child watch Chinese cartoons?
For screen time in children, the American Academy of Pediatrics offers the following recommendations:
- Age 0-18 months: No screen time except for video chatting with relatives
- Age 18-24 months: Watch limited, high-quality shows together with caregivers to ensure understanding
- Age 2-5 years: Less than 1 hour per day together with caregivers to ensure understanding. Set a time limit and clear expectations.
- Age 6+ years: Set a daily or weekly time limit. Talk to kids about how excessive cartoons affect behavior, creativity, physical activity, weight, vision, and sleep.
How do you say “cartoons” in Chinese?
In Chinese, cartoons or animated films can be translated in a few ways:
- 卡通 (kǎtōng)
- 卡通片 (kǎtōngpiàn)
- 动画片 (dònghuà piàn)
Children’s cartoon translates to 兒童卡通 (értóng kǎtōng) in traditional Chinese or 儿童卡通 (értóng kǎtōng) in simplified Chinese.
How to find more Chinese cartoons for kids on YouTube
If you want to look for more cartoons, Google search “Cartoon name 中文” (zhōngwén / Chinese); for example, “Octonauts 中文.”
For a general cartoon search, you can Google 兒童卡通 in traditional Chinese or 儿童卡通 in simplified Chinese.
What are your favorite Mandarin Chinese cartoons for kids?
Have you watched any of these Chinese cartoons yet? What other Mandarin kids’ shows would you recommend? Please share in the comments below! We’d love to learn from your family.
