8 kids’ cartoons that embrace compassion as much as adventure and comedy
Image: Graphic: Allison Corr TV Features Field Guide To Parenting
What if the shows you steer your kids toward could actually help them become better people? We know, seems like a leap. But in the current bumper crop of animated series, many standout programs promote compassion, acceptance, and individualism right alongside their interplanetary adventures and fantastical explorations. These various journeys—which place your kids on a surreal train or in the magical Land Of Ooo—accomplish this without ever being preachy, which is useful as the topsy-turvy world of adolescence gets closer every day, and you find your kids needing guidance that they might otherwise resist. And having your children watch a few of these emotionally intelligent shows may help you feel slightly less guilty about their screen time—and who knows, you may even enjoy viewing them yourself.
Adventure Time (Cartoon Network)
At first blush—and in its first seasons—Pendleton Ward’s Cartoon Network phenomenon mostly seemed like a dose of pure candy-colored absurdity, a translation of internet randomness to the cable airwaves, cut with childlike swords and sorcery silliness. It was only over time that the melancholy at Adventure Time’s core became more obvious, as Finn The Human (voiced by Jeremy Shada, a 13-year-old who grew up a little more every year the show was on the air) got older, more wounded, and occasionally a bit wiser in the process. As Adventure Time progressed, Ward and company became more and more comfortable with tossing threats at their heroes that swords and punching couldn’t master, and the Land Of Ooo became ripe territory for a host of metaphors for them to face. Puberty—confronted most elegantly in the mysterious and lovely sixth-season episode “Breezy”—was only the start, as Finn and friends were forced to face realistic takes on despair, heartbreak, and even something as specific as the fear of caring for an older loved with dementia. But even at its heaviest, Adventure Time never lost the spark of creativity and humor that made it resonate with viewers both young and old. “Come along with me,” the song’s gentle, beautiful closing theme asked at the end of every episode, a promise that, whatever emotionally affecting paths it might end up taking viewers down, Finn and Jake (John DiMaggio) would always be by their sides. [William Hughes]
Suggested ages: 9+
Available: Cartoon Network, Hulu, YouTube, Google Play, Amazon
Kipo And The Age Of Wonderbeasts (Netflix)
Nothing, not even its spellbinding trailer, can prepare you for the varied adventures that await in Dreamworks and Netflix’s Kipo And The Age Of Wonderbeasts. Hopeful and dazzling, the story follows a chipper underground dweller named Kipo (Karen Fukuhara), whose hidden community is ripped apart by a merciless beast. Separated from her family and forced to the “surface world,” Kipo links up with a number of lone wanderers—an emotionally stunted spark plug named Wolf (Sydney Mikayla), a young music enthusiast named Benson (Coy Stewart), and Benson’s mutated beetle companion, Dave (Deon Cole)—and traverses the land in search of her father. Their journey is littered with some of the strangest and coolest hybrid communities one could hope to meet, like lumberjack kittens, perpetually hungover rocker snakes, and a pack of Mensa-ready wolves—one of which is voiced by RZA. Throughout their search for stability, the motley crew of young adventurers often find themselves weighing the benefits of solitude versus their packlike dynamic and begin to understand what it means to sacrifice and legitimately care for others, which can be especially difficult if you’ve never felt properly cared for yourself. In Kipo, a group of castaways learns to become a family against mesmerizing backdrops and an unfairly amazing soundtrack. [Shannon Miller]
Suggested ages: 7+
Available: Netflix
Steven Universe Future (Cartoon Network)
Steven Universe has always been beloved in my family, but I couldn’t have predicted what a gift Steven Universe Future would be. With everything being settled between the Diamonds and Gems in the show’s final season, Steven (Zach Callison) finds himself at odds and uncertain of his purpose. The Gems want him to hang out and eat pizza and watch Dogcopter, but he’s just not that person anymore. Meanwhile, Steven’s friends are all changing: Sadie and Lars have broken up, his dad went on tour with Sadie’s new band, and Connie headed off to college. Steven can’t seem to get a grip, and his rapidly escalating insecurity and anger eventually manifests as a giant pink horned monster. If there’s a better metaphor for puberty, I have yet to discover it. All of this made total sense to my 13-year-old son, who had been having difficulty dealing with his new mood swings, wondering why he would rage against taking out the garbage one minute, then come tearfully apologizing to me the next. Now we point to his rollercoaster moods as not unlike Steven’s feelings, knowing that they too will pass. We both cried at the series finale: him because his favorite show was over, me because I know that, like Steven, my son will soon be setting out to see the world on his own. But I am honestly so happy to have a kid who points to the compassionate Steven Universe as his emotional role model, and will be forever grateful to this show. [Gwen Ihnat]
Suggested ages: 10+
Available: Cartoon Network, Hulu, Amazon
She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power (Netflix)
In this inspired take on the character best known in the ’80s for being He-Man’s twin sister, the new She-Ra has the most powerful female presence on this list. Adora (Aimee Carrero) is an orphan who’s been raised by the Horde, an evil army that aims to take over the planet Etheria. Then she finds a magical sword that turns her into She-Ra, and winds up leaving the Horde to hang with the brave rebel princesses of the show’s title. This fairly straightforward tale of good versus evil becomes more nuanced through the feud between Adora and Catra (AJ Michalka), former best friends now on opposite sides of the fight, as well as fantastical battles that span portals and dimensions. She-Ra’s gripping season-long quests and adventures will keep kids riveted, especially as it veers into alternate realities or mysteries. Throughout, the family that Adora has formed is always rock-solid, even if she and Glimmer (Karen Fukuhara) disagree about battle plans; and Catra’s lackey, Scorpia (Lauren Ash), eventually stands up for herself by realizing that Catra’s constant putdowns make her a bad friend. Not only do female characters dominate the series, but same-sex relationships are also the norm in the Etheria universe, not the exception; last season also saw the addition of a non-binary character named Double Trouble (voiced by Jacob Tobia). The show’s progressive approach toward sexuality and gender is undeniably refreshing. Season five drops next week. [Gwen Ihnat]
Suggested ages: 8+
Available: Netflix, Amazon
Craig Of The Creek (Cartoon Network)
I’m an absolute sucker for shows that play on the unique sociopolitical ecosystem powered by children. (Case in point: The first thing I binged after Disney+ launched was Recess.) Craig Of The Creek, created by Matt Burnett and Ben Levin, who were story editors and writers on Steven Universe, peeks into the complex world of the titular protagonist—a sincere, kind-hearted adventurer with a penchant for problem-solving—and his two loyal friends, Kelsey and JP. Their beloved creek is populated by a number of colorful cliques, like the equestrian-loving Horse Girls and the war-ready Paintballers, who harbor their own traditions and mannerisms. Craig (Philip Solomon) and his team are rarely interested in battling these factions, but finding ways to coexist and play peacefully. When he’s not a playground ambassador, Craig is a doting son and brother among one of the most emotionally healthy families onscreen. Togetherness and support are pervasive themes throughout the series, and putting a Black family at the center of such wholesome expressions has worked to obliterate a number of negative stereotypes. What’s more, casual kindness—where it’s not so odd for the older “cool kids” to halt their garage band practice to give Craig’s friends an impromptu guitar lesson—permeates the show in ways that signal a truly remarkable universe. [Shannon Miller]
Suggested ages: 6+
Available: Cartoon Network, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon
Infinity Train (Cartoon Network)
With a protagonist and a creator—Regular Show alum Owen Dennis—who both spent their youths designing amateur computer games, Infinity Train has plenty of elements kids might recognize from their favorite digital pastimes. Set on an endless train where each car is a world unto itself, every episode of the series is essentially a new level, full of puzzles for smart, headstrong teenage hero Tulip (Ashley Johnson) to think (or feel) her way through. She even gets a score of sorts, in the form of a mysterious number on her hand that seems to change as her personal growth expands and contracts. It’s an un-subtle metaphor, but one that Infinity Train handles with decidedly subtle grace. Nowhere is that clearer than in “The Cat’s Car,” the central point of the show’s first season. Tricked into reliving memories of her parents’ recent divorce by the titular feline (voiced with purring glee by the always wonderful Kate Mulgrew), Tulip is forced to confront the fact that some of her recollections of that time aren’t as happy as she might want them to be—but also not as awful as she’d feared. Tellingly, this epiphany does not resolve all of Tulip’s problems instantly; instead, it realistically takes several more episodes of surreal characters—corgi kings, cheerful robots, weirdo turtle people—for her experiences on the train to start helping her grow and heal. [William Hughes]
Suggested ages: 10+
Available: Cartoon Network, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon
The Owl House (Disney Channel)
The Owl House’s Luz (Sarah-Nicole Robles) has a hard time fitting into the real world, due to her proclivity for fantasy (especially fantasy that freaks out her classmates). She finds a more accepting new home in the magical Boiling Isles, apprenticing under powerful sorceress Eda (Wendie Malick) and eventually enrolling in Hexside Academy to study more witchcraft. The bizarre residents of Boiling Isles tell Luz that no human has ever become a witch, but she’s nevertheless undeterred, carving out a path of her own and reveling in the weirdos she now gets to hang with. As Luz asks, “Why does everyone think that being a weirdo’s so bad?” Why indeed. Series creator Dana Terrace worked on Gravity Falls before this, and fans of the Disney series may find some similarities: The diabolic Bill’s eyeball shows up in various places, and Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch uses his Bill voice for the Owl House character of King, an adorable little demon. But it’s Luz’s brave journey that will be most entrancing for kids to witness. As she declares, “I’ll never know unless I try!” she shows how she’s a trailblazer for both self-confidence and non-comformity. Disney has already renewed the show for a second season. [Gwen Ihnat]
Suggested ages: 8+
Available: Disney Channel, Amazon
Summer Camp Island (Cartoon Network)
While it definitely doesn’t match the occasional intensity of Adventure Time, fans of the surreal cult favorite will recognize familiar beats in the especially light and whimsical Summer Camp Island. There’s a good reason for that: Julia Pott, a former animator and staff writer on Adventure Time, created this series about a magic-infused summer camp run by a group of anthropomorphic animals/teenage witches. It’s a world fully immersed in wonder, where the campers can have a hearty chat with the moon (voiced by Cedric The Entertainer), and it’s perfectly plausible to be friends with a set of sentient pajamas. Couched in boundless fantasy and sharp humor, Pott places the healing, very real comforts of friendship at the center of the series. And while, sure, there aren’t too many youthful cartoons that warn against the dangers of friendship, Summer Camp Island—with its talking trees and potions—normalizes frank expressions of platonic affection. Hearing young friends plainly state that they miss and love each other resonates in its unfortunate rarity, and it’s reassuring to see a show like this make it look as easy as it should be. [Shannon Miller]
Suggested ages: 9+
Available: Cartoon Network, YouTube, Google Play, Amazon
58 Comments
Great list! Gotta add Hilda to it!
Hilda has fantastic writing – great world they built!
Hilda was great: sweet, warm, but still able to be a little unsettling at times. I hope there’s more of it to come.
Don’t let the folks over at io9 see that headline. You’ll be flooded with “they’re for adults too!!!!!1!!!!1!!!!!”
Wow, I wouldn’t let my kids watch any of this dreck. And thanks to Disney Plus, Tubi, and Pluto I don’t have to. My kids’ days are filled with:The Adventures of Winni the PooGummi BearsTail SpinGargoylesGI JoeTransformersJayce and the Wheeled WarriorsRobotechConan the AdventurerHe-man and the Masters of the UniverseShe-Ra: Princess (Singular) of PowerTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (The Original)The Real GhostbustersExtreme Ghostbusters Edit:I forgot to mention:Avatar: The Last AirbenderDanny Phantom Young Justice (Except current season, they be a bit too young for Halo’s many deaths)Batman: TAS and the rest of the DCAUW.I.T.C.H
While all great animated shows the other thing that ties them together is their homogeneity. They demonstrate how modern cartoon character design is stuck in a massive rut and they all address wider, progressive, issues while being truly risk-averse in a wholly timid way.They avoid tackling issues head-on by employing whimsy and a kind of corporate-mandated surrealism. I wish there was something on this list that truly broke free of this, to be remembered fondly in years to come rather than lumped-in with “all those other cartoons”.
Adventure Time was just so good, one of my favorite shows of the ‘10s.I wonder if the new episodes on HBO Max are delayed at this point.
It does such a wonderful job of communicating, whether as just under the surface or specifically called out, how much it weighs on Finn that he’s the only human left. There’s a pathos there that he has to cut through by embracing the new friends he has.
Until we find out he isn’t.
I just started watching Craig of the Creek recently while working and really enjoy it. And you’re right, Kelsey makes the show and she is my favorite character.
Amphibia is another one I’d recommend. Anne starts off kind of rough but as the show goes she starts fitting in better with her adopted family.
I wish I could like Amphibia more; I guess Gravity Falls set the bar too high.Big City Greens might be the one Disney thing missing from here; it’s a very nice show with very little cynicism.
Ugh. I miss Gravity Falls. Disney seems so hellbent on rebooting and redoing everything they can. Instead of a live action Lady and the Tramp (or whatever the hell else they are unnecessarily doing) they should bring us more Gravity Falls.
As much as I loved ‘Gravity Falls’ – I just recently finished a re-watch – I think it ended in the perfect place. I’m not sure what new episodes could really deliver.
yeah that’s fair.. Weirdmageddon pretty much lived up to its name.
How can you guys forget Naruto?! The most compassionate anime character ever. So compassionate, they even named the “talk-no-jutsu” move after him for always seeing the good in his enemies and talking them into turning around their evil ways.So disappointed.
Very surprised that “Gravity Falls” didn’t make this list but I’ll have to give “Owl House” a try before complaining further
I’m a fan of all of but Kipo.
What do you have against kipo?
Because you haven’t watched it, or because you didn’t like it? Literally binged the whole thing in one sitting last night (during the night because y’know plague) and I looooooved it.
Haven’t seen it yet.
Highly recommended. It fits right into this group of shows, but something that I strangely never see in descriptions of it is that it’s super black: every main protagonist with a speaking role except Kipo is voiced by a black actor (both human friend characters are black and while Kipo is purple her dad is literally Sterling K Brown), and while every animal in this fantastical world is associated with a specific musical style (folk lumberjack cats, dubstep bees, hard rock snakes, etc.) humans get hip hop. Which is super unusual for a high concept fantasy show, animated children’s cartoon or otherwise. Makes it feel ultra specific in the best way.
Hilda (on Netflix) is also a very entertaining, compassionate and sympathetic show. There aren’t very many actual bad guys in it – almost all problems get resolved through mediation and discussion, after the initial misunderstandings of the magical beasts in question. And, it’s really funny.
100% agree — it’s one of my favorites and I love the messages.
I can’t BELIEVE this article missed Hilda. It’s the best animated show I’ve seen in years. Such a treasure.
yeah i binged it on my own without even watching it with my kids. do you know if there will be a season 2?
There indeed will be a second season!
Not that I know of, but I was meaning to look it up – I sure hope there’s something in the works
I love the Woodman. Such a low-key dick.
The hottest of takes: Adventure Time was only great for its first few seasons. Then it was a good show with some truly great episodes sprinkled into a whole bunch of poorly plotted lore.
Even those seasons don’t stack up to Steven Universe.
I’ve been maintaining an episode-by-episode review blog for since the end of Season 2.So yeah agreed.
This is a good list, but I’m sad there’s no Avatar. Both those shows dealt with compassion and personal growth and all sorts of good stuff. The Last Airbender, especially, focused just as much on the kids mastering their emotions and moods as much as mastering their elemental magic martial arts. I mean, the main character, Aang, has to come with grips with his entire people being wiped out, and then fighting the grandson of the man responsible, who is planning on committing more genocide. Despite everyone telling him he’ll have to kill the dude in order to stop him, he ultimately shows mercy and finds a way to strip him of his fire powers.
As for Legend of Korra. . . she has to learn anger management and find inner balance in a rapidly modernising world. She fights a bunch of different political and religious extremists, culminating in a fight with a military dictator who basically has magical nukes and a giant mech. She ends up learning that these groups didn’t start out trying to be evil; the basic ideas were good, but they took them too far.
I’m probably explaining this pretty poorly, but these shows are amazing.
Avatar should be here, 100%. I saw the title and was absolutely sure it would be.
Avatar the Last Airbender may be the single best show I’ve ever watched and the ending is perfect. This isn’t childhood nostalgia. I was a 30+ year old husband and father when I first watched it and it was just amazing. My wife and oldest watched with me the second time I watched it and I can’t wait for my 5 year old to watch it when he gets a tad older
Only explanation for its absence is if this list is solely for 2020 shows…and yet they included Adventure Time, which can’t hold the jock of either Avatar or Korra (and I watched 4 or 5 seasons of it!)
I wonder if they’re just trying to focus on more recent shows; Avatar ended 12 years ago. And it certainly has more violence in it than some of the shows listed here. But all that said, I agree it’s a fantastic series for discussing important, humanist themes. One thing I love about it is that once you actually get a close look at the Fire Nation, you realise it’s full of ordinary people who just want to live their lives. It doesn’t portray the whole populace as violent dicks, but shows what happens when your country is led by them.
I love Avatar and Legend of Korra but I’m going to have to hit pause on this common talking point about Aang showing “mercy” to the Firelord. That wasn’t the point. The whole point was the fact that Aang (quite selfishly) didn’t want to change his moral stance to save the world. A point that doesn’t really get addressed until the comics where Aang talks to Roku about his decision to not let his role as Avatar compromise his personal morality. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I think death should be avoided if at all possible and there are better ways to solve problems than with that type of violence. But, it doesn’t seem to be fair reading of the show to act as if Aang cared about the Firelord or had any sort of empathy towards him. Pretty much every past Avatar he talked to told him: “hey bro, being an Avatar takes sacrifice. You have to think about others (the world) before yourself.” In a way that makes Aang’s character even more nuanced even though the show never really explores this part of his character.Basically, there is a difference between Aang and a character like Steven Universe. Steven legitimately cares for the people he fights in his show and passionately wants to help them. Aang, moreso, just doesn’t want to get his hands dirty. There’s a difference.
I didn’t see it that way, but fair enough. I haven’t read the comics.Ozai said something to the effect of Aang being the most powerful being in the world, but still weak because he won’t kill. But Aang still prevails, and Ozai ends up powerless and imprisoned. The lesson in my eyes is that true power means not needing to kill in order to achieve victory or justice. Korra does the same thing with Zaheer, and later Kuvira. Despite having the opportunity to kill them, she’s able to capture them and they stand trial for their crimes. I think Aang initially was being selfish, because he didn’t want to abandon the Air Nomads’ teachings. He never wanted the responsibility of being the Avatar, which meant sacrificing his own path to enlightenment. But the point of talking to all those past Avatars was that they all screwed up. What Aang ultimately learns from them is not “you need to be a killer,” but that he needs to be proactive and focused and decisive. He learns from their failures (and his own) and forges a new path, and ultimately becomes a better Avatar because of it.
Yay! Acknowledgement of Infinity Train. It’s a delightful series with layers galore and some fantastic voice acting, and everyone should go watch it all now.
That’s on my queue while working tomorrow. I’ve been wanting to watch it for a long time, but either didn’t have the time or forgot.
No Danger & Eggs? I am disappoint.
(free on Amazon)
I watched all of Craig of the Creek a few months ago and immediately fell in love with it. It’s funny and charming and just so pleasant. I love how creative the characters are and the stuff they do/make leans more on the side of improbable than impossible (like Kids Next Door, where they’re using wood planks and mustard bottles to shoot lasers and go to the moon). I can totally see kids making their own maps and inventions like Craig does. And he may be the lead, and JP may be the funniest character, but Kelsey is 100% the heart of the show (I really like the episode where she’s just on her own while the boys look for a bathroom).It has the look and charm of Steve Universe, but there’s no kooky mythology to keep up with (I guess other than the whole “other side the bridge” thing, which isn’t a huge part of it, just an underlying storyline).
If you’re covering children’s animation you should write about”Bluey” on Disney+. That show is frankly one of the funniest, inventive and often beautiful children’s shows I’ve ever seen. It deserves far more attention then it’s getting.
Bluey is amazing! Have you seen the second season yet? I used my VPN to watch to stream ABC(Australian Broadcast channel) and we watched them as they were released a few weeks back. It was a highlight of this quarantine.
Yeah the second season is indeed brillant. “Sleepytime” is a legit masterpiece.
Just went to youtube to watch some clips and was kind of surprised by the Like/Dislike ratio. There are a LOT of dislikes and I’m really curious why. Looks like a cute show.
Nothing I can confirm but I’ve heard of “family values” concerns from some groups in the States because the show deals frankly with toilet visits and even occasionally birth etc. which they dont find appropriate for Disney. Maybe its a targeted down-voting? dunno?
What’s the target age? A lot of these shows in the article look fun, but none look like my 4 year old would be ok with them (she scares pretty easily these days)
4 years old is pretty much perfect. Any age is really. Its a pre-school aged show that adults can happily watch.
Thanks for the recommendation – Bluey’s definitely the new favorite in the house.
Get ready for aussie show Bluey to invade the US. Disney owns the distribution rights I think
Re: Summer Camp Island – This show is for babies . . . and I love it!
“Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch uses his Bill voice for the Owl House character of King, an adorable little demon.”I don’t think I’m capable of hearing the voice of Bill Cipher and thinking it’s adorable. That voice is locked into my brain as one of pure, terrifying malevolence.
One of my favorite deeper lore things about Gravity Falls is that Bill Cipher doesn’t look like a pyramid. Pyramids look like Bill Cipher.
I’d throw in Doug…it’s available on many streaming services. Loved that when my son was younger. Funny, not preachy, but good values were modeled
Our daughters (10 and 4) have been binge watching Craig of the Creek for the past week, and the older one became an Ozzy fan because of the choice of title song for the first season of Infinity Train. The second season wasn’t quite as good as the first, which was a little intense with the break up of Tulip’s parents. That required some explaining to our then 9-year-old.
I will point you to The Hollow on Netflix with enough twists in storyline that will keep you engaged yet shows fine examples of teamwork and compassion thoughout its two seasons….even an emotional death of a character [spoiler…it is a virtual reality death..] not too intense, good enough for 10+