If, when choosing kids’ TV shows for your toddler or preschooler, it’s come down to Bluey vs Daniel Tiger, you’re in luck.
Both of these shows are loved by millions and, honestly, both of them are pretty great. Parents who are choosy about screen time often allow either, or both, Bluey and Daniel Tiger.
Believe it or not, even though they are both great, one of these shows is better than the other.
Which one is better, though?
I’ve put together a list of items to compare Bluey and Daniel Tiger on. I’ll give my conclusion and you should be able to draw your own with the information given.
Let’s get right to it.
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a children’s TV show that most parents and caregivers are familiar with. It’s been around for over a decade and has built a positive reputation due to the quality and thoughtfulness of its content.
It also doesn’t hurt that the show is a modern spinoff of the classic show, Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, a show that is near and dear to hearts worldwide.
Bluey, on the other hand, is fairly new. It doesn’t invoke any cherished classic from our childhoods long ago.
It’s a great show, though. It’s critically acclaimed and has even won awards for its excellence.
Both Bluey and Daniel Tiger are widely accepted as being educational, age-appropriate, and quality – there’s little argument about this.
If it comes down to Bluey vs Daniel Tiger in your home, or you’re just curious about which one is better, here are some items that will help you decide.
Bluey vs Daniel Tiger: The Showdown
Animation
There’s been a lot of hype over the past several years about the speed of animation/scene changes possibly being damaging to children’s developing brains.
The fuss over the children’s show Cocomelon is a great example of this.
If the speed of the animation is a concern of yours, you should be happy to know that neither Bluey nor Daniel Tiger contain fast-paced animation or rapid scene changes.
Daniel Tiger features periods wherein the audience is asked a question and Daniel pauses for several seconds and waits for an answer. The rest of the show follows the same pace.
Bluey is a slow-paced show, though slightly less so. The pace of the show is not a widespread complaint of parents, however.
As far as the animation itself, Daniel Tiger features slightly simpler animation, which can be helpful for a child’s ability to focus on the show.
It’s hard, as a fan of both shows, to give one of them a point and not the other, but Daniel Tiger earned the point in this round.
Humor
There are some kids’ shows that feature mean-spirited and/or inappropriate humor.
Peppa Pig is an example of what I’m talking about. If you want to read about how Bluey compares with that show, I wrote a piece up on it.
Daniel Tiger contains nearly no humor. There are, of course, scenes in the show that your child might find funny.
Overall, there isn’t much purposeful humor in Daniel Tiger, though.
Bluey, on the other hand, has a lot of humor written into the script. Some of it is meant for children and some for parents.
There is some humor, like with the “fluffing” episode that some caregivers have stated they don’t appreciate.
Overall, the humor in Bluey is plentiful, mostly benign, and relatable.
One point for Bluey.
Education
As far as the educational value of both Daniel Tiger and Bluey, we’re just looking at which show does a better job at teaching colors, shapes, and numbers – the academic stuff.
Daniel Tiger often sets out to teach things like colors and shapes. This is never the focal point of the show, but kids can learn these things by watching.
As far as Bluey goes, teaching children shapes, colors, numbers, ect. is not a focus in the slightest.
Daniel Tiger gets the point on this one.
Social Emotional Learning
Social-emotional learning has emerged as one of the most important aspects of children’s programming over the past decade.
Daniel Tiger was a bit of a trendsetter in social-emotional learning cartoons. This cartoon presents well-thought-out lessons on sharing, caring for people during illnesses, adjusting to a new sibling, and more.
One study demonstrated that children actually show a greater amount of empathy after viewing Daniel Tiger. The caveat here is that the increased empathy was only present if the show was viewed and discussed with a caregiver.
We already know that screen time can have benefits like these when a caregiver is present and attentive.
Bluey is a show that’s widely praised for its social-emotional themes. The lessons in Bluey, however, are a bit more covert and multifaceted.
Also, the social-emotional lessons aren’t just for children. Many of the episodes, if not all of them, provide a mirror through which parents can look at their own feelings and behaviors.
Whereas Daniel Tiger deals with one social-emotional issue at a time, Bluey presents layers of complex issues, which is far more realistic.
Another way in which Bluey triumphs over Daniel Tiger is the emphasis on the emotional impact children and parents have on each other, and how that drives many of a family’s behaviors and interactions.
This was a close one, but Bluey gets the point.
Bluey vs Daniel Tiger: Which show is better?
This was a tough comparison.
I tallied up the points, giving greater weight to social-emotional learning, and Bluey comes out as the better kids’ cartoon overall.
This does not mean that you should choose Bluey over Daniel Tiger every time the choice comes up – or ever.
When it comes to Bluey vs Daniel Tiger, choose the one that helps your child the way they best take in information.
If the simple animation of Daniel Tiger soothes your toddler and allows them to process the lessons, that’s the show that’s best for them.
If your little one responds well to Bluey and you’ve got the time to watch it with them and talk about the content, you’ve found the show that’s right for your family.