巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu Chinese Kids Show and Magazine Review
Have you heard of 巧虎, a popular Chinese animated show for kids? A few years ago, when my children and I began to learn Chinese, we subscribed to the 巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu show and magazine program.
If you’re raising multilingual children and your looking for educational screen-time, 巧虎 (Qiaohu / Ciaohu) can help. Instead of TV shows in English, watching Chinese 巧虎 shows might encourage your family to speak the minority language.
Our experience with the Chinese show 巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu
We first subscribed to the 巧虎 (Qiaohu / Ciaohu) when my daughter was 3 years old, and she was instantly a super fan! Now, it’s my 3-year-old son’s turn to adore 巧虎 while 6-year-old big sis starts to outgrow the Chinese show and activity books
In general, we try to avoid excessive screen-time and try to think of it as a special opportunity for my children to have Chinese language and cultural exposure. Previously, my kids watched 巧虎 a few times each month, and they use the workbooks much more often.
Recently, we decided not to renew our subscription due to preference for screen-free resources (eg, Luka Reading Robot, Youdao Pen). However, I still think there are great aspects of 巧虎 (Qiaohu / Ciaohu) worth sharing with other families.
This article was first published in November 2017 and has since been updated with new information. I have no affiliation with 巧虎 (Qiaohu, Ciaohu).
What is 巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu?
巧虎 the clever tiger is also known as Qiaohu or Ciaohu. This subscription-based program geared toward young children learning Chinese. 巧虎 originates from the Japanese anime program Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō. Franchises in China and Taiwan provide educational materials in Mandarin.
Like the popular American show Sesame Street, 巧虎 combines live action, animation, and mascots with music and dance. However, 巧虎 is MUCH better and less annoying! (Sorry, I really can’t stand Elmo’s voice.)
Why is the 巧虎 Qiaohu, Ciaohu Chinese show so popular?
巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu is easy to understand
Children learning Chinese need exposure to native Mandarin speakers. Compared to other popular shows dubbed in Mandarin, the speech is clear and relatively slow. As a result, young children and non-fluent adults like myself can hear each word.
In addition, Ciaohu features real people on the show, so your child can see children and adults speaking native Mandarin. This is important compared to popular children’s shows which only have cartoon characters.
Explore this: How I Taught My Child 1000+ Chinese Characters as a Non-Fluent Speaker
巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu gives you presents each month!
With these monthly packages, the start of each month felt like Christmas for my kids! The kids were excited about getting:
- A 20-30 minute educational DVD
- 1-2 interactive workbook(s)
- Toys for younger toddlers; games for older children
- A CD of songs from past episodes (this comes every few months)
巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu grows with your child
The subscription is geared for children between age 6 months to 9 years. Packages are based on age:
- 寶寶版 Baby edition (My personal and professional opinion is that this is way too young to start screen time. Let babies be babies!)
- 幼幼版 Yoyo edition (This is the version that we started with when my daughter was 3.)
- 快樂版 Happy edition
- 成長版 Grow edition (Zhuyin is introduced)
- 學習版 Learn edition (Pinyin is introduced)
- 小一版 1st grade
- 小二版 2nd grade
- 中年級 3rd-5th grade
巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu workbooks are interactive!
To reinforce the lessons in the DVD, each workbook includes activities and stickers.
巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu teaches manners and more
巧虎’s educational content is relevant for a wide age range. For toddlers, important skills such as hand-washing, stranger danger, safety, manners, shapes, and counting are reviewed.
For Kindergartners and elementary-school aged kids, content includes math, science (eg solar system), and Zhuyin (bopomofo).
Explore this: Chinese Books for Kids Organized by Type and Level
巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu sings and dances!
Each episode has Chinese songs, nursery rhymes, poems, and dancing! In this video, my daughter is singing a tooth-brushing song from one of her favorite episodes! Now we can sign this song as part of our daily routine!
Explore this: 100+ Popular Chinese Children’s Songs and Nursery Rhymes
巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu teaches traditional Chinese characters
Since the Chinese workbooks correspond with DVD dialogue and subtitles, children can follow along with the DVD. Also, Chinese song lyrics are provided in the workbooks. In the video below, my daughter is excited about reading Chinese in the 巧虎 (Qiaohu / Ciaohu) workbooks!
巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu gifts motivate kids to speak Chinese
Since the toys and games reinforce topics from the DVD and workbooks, kids may be motivated to speak Chinese and apply new lessons through pretend play.
幼幼版 Yoyo edition and 快樂版 Happy edition toys
Here are examples of toys from the 幼幼版 Yoyo edition and 快樂版 Happy edition that my daughter received when she was a toddler.
Fishing activity to review ocean animal names in Chinese
Pretend Chinese Ice Cream Shop
Related: Ice Cream Scoop Counting with Dot Stickers – Math Activity for Kids!
Learn Sushi names in Chinese
Bowling game with plastic bowling ball and pins
And this is only a fraction of what we have gotten in the mail! But to be honest, the amount of toys became extremely overwhelming over time. We have donated almost all of the 巧虎 (Qiaohu, Ciaohu) toys from our monthly packages.
成長版 Grow edition activities
Dinosaur card game with paper dinosaurs
My children have been a huge fan of this interactive dinosaur game!
巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu reminds kids not to watch too much TV
At the start of each show, 巧虎 tells you to sit far back and limit your screen time. Yes!! Thank you 巧虎!
巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu DVDs are compatible with American DVD players
In contrast to many overseas videos, the 巧虎 DVDs should work in your regular DVD player. As a result, you don’t have to worry about changing the region code or getting a region-free DVD player!
Downsides of the 巧虎 Qiaohu, Ciaohu Chinese cartoon
To be fair, like anything in this world, 巧虎 is not perfect. These are the aspects of the program that prompted us to cancel our subscription:
Plastic toys
Most of the toys are plastic, and I wish they were eco-friendly. Since we try to live minimally, we end up donating most of the toys. The clutter really accumulates month after month. I wish there was an option to order the DVDs and workbooks without the extra toys/games.
Explore this: How We Transformed Our Play Area / Homeschool Room – Before and After Guide
Busy images
Like most Chinese learning materials, many pages of the workbooks are overly cartoonified. Unfortunately, excessive colors can distract from important teaching concepts. For example, the clock teaching workbook came with an interactive paper clock that my daughter put together independently.
For a child who has not yet previously learned this skill, you can see in the image below many competing visual elements.
My daughter learned how to tell time from various hands-on activities that I created and not through Ciaohu.
巧虎 Simplified Chinese version is not easily accessible in the United States
- China’s 巧虎 program uses Simplified Chinese: https://www.qiaohu.com/. However, they deliver within China, so you have to know someone who lives there and who can receive and then mail the package to you.
- Taiwan’s 巧虎 program uses Traditional Chinese: https://www.ciaohu.com/. This program is available for US families through their office in Garden Grove, California.
English-Chinese language mixing:
Occasionally, English is used since it is introduced to Taiwanese children around age 4-5. This is a downside for our family since we use 巧虎 as a Chinese immersion resource at home. Fortunately, most of the materials are in Chinese however.
Explore this: Chinese Leveled Readers: Comparison of Graded Books for Kids
Learning traditional Chinese with 巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu
Although we are mainly learning simplified Chinese, we used 巧虎 to increase their exposure to native Mandarin. My daughter also learned to read many traditional Chinese characters through the Ciaohu workbooks. Even if your kids are not yet ready to read Chinese characters, 巧虎 might help their spoken language skills.
巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu subscription costs
For reference, here are monthly subscription rates in the United States for 2017:
- 6 issues = $175 USD ($29/month) with free air freight shipping from Taiwan
- 12 issues = $322 USD (~$27/month) with free air freight shipping from Taiwan
The cost of subscription to other countries are as follows:
- China, Hong Kong:
- Half-year: $155
- Full-year: $290
- Asia, Austrailia, New Zealand
- Half-year: $171
- Full-year: $320
- Europe, Central, and South America
- Half-year: $188
- Full-year: $345
- North America
- Half-year: $188
- Full-year: $345
Note that the above pricing is subject to change and that you should contact the company to verify current rates!
巧虎 Ciaohu contact information
Apex Brilliant Child Development Inc.
- Tel: 714-888-5190
- Fax: 714-265-3630
- Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Ciaohu versus Qiaohu
Since the Ciaohu website uses traditional Chinese, and Pinyin is not used in Taiwan, the phonetic translation for 巧虎 is spelled with a “c” instead of “q”.
If you Google “Qiaohu”, the results are for the mainland China version, not the Taiwan version.
However, if you have questions and cannot read the website, call the Ciaohu office! In the past, they have generally responded quickly to my questions.
Ciaohu subscription forms
You can use the following forms to subscribe to Ciaohu. Please let them know that we referred you!
While they offer referral gifts, we do not accept them because we want to remain unbiased in our recommendation and we do not need anymore toys.
Summary
巧虎 (Qiaohu / Ciaohu) Chinese shows and workbooks are popular among many families. If your family wants to include screen-time into your daily routine, the monthly subscription can help with providing exposure to native Mandarin speakers and Asian culture.
On the other hand, if your family has adequate exposure to Mandarin and you’re concerned about screen-time and clutter, don’t worry about skipping this Chinese program.
What does your family think of the 巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu Chinese show?
Did you find the 巧虎 Qiaohu / Ciaohu show, toys, and/or workbooks to be helpful? Please share your thoughts in the comments! We’d love to learn about your experience.
More Chinese learning resources for kids
- 7 Natural Ways to Improve Communication Skills Through Play
- Favorite Chinese Books for Kids
- Popular Chinese Songs for Kids
- 20+ Educational Chinese Apps for Children
- Websites and Apps with FREE Multilingual Books
This was very helpful and informative, thank you. My daughter is 20months and I really liked how you weighed and pros and cons for parents to make a decision based on their goals and budget.
Hi Sonia! Thanks for taking the time to write! Grateful to hear that the review was helpful!
Hey Betty,
Do you know how I can get the simplified chinese version? I can’t seem to find it even when I search qiaohu or ‘巧虎‘.
Thanks!
Hi Eliza! Check the “downsides” section of the article. I put a link to the SC version which I think is only available in China. If you have family/friends in China, you could have it delivered to them, and then they could ship it to you…
Hello! This has been the most helpful thing I’ve seen on the internet on how to get ciaohu DVDs! Thank you!
Would you happen to know at which subscription age they introduce zhuyin? My son is currently learning zhuyin and I’d love to use these to help reinforce what he’s learning in class. Love from a fellow physician mom 🙂
Hi Dr. Nancy! 🙂 Thank you for stopping by! I’m so sorry for just seeing your comment now! I have updated the post with this information:
– 成長版 Grow edition (Zhuyin is introduced)
– 學習版 Learn edition (Pinyin is introduced)
Ciaohu generally responds quickly to questions via email and phone though! I hope that you were able to get in touch with them!
Hi,
This looks perfect for my kids to learn Chinese. I love that’s in traditional characters too.
Thanks for the info/tips!
I’ll start with the YouTube QiaoHu for now and see if it’s captures their attention.
Good luck with learning Chinese at home. 🙂
Jennifer
Hope your kids enjoy learning from Qiaohu!