Five of the best
The Moe Show
New Zealand’s answer to Sesame Street is ostensibly made for kids but that hasn’t stopped it garnering a devoted cult fan base of adults who dig the wry comedy stylings. If you monitor screen time with your child, then this is a safe bet to keep you both entertained.
Barefoot Bandits
This show about three kids exploring their neighbourhood and investigating mysteries is another crowd pleaser. The animated adventures of Tane, Fridge and Riley aims to capture the spirit of growing up in New Zealand and the allstar voice talent includes Josh Thomson, Laura Daniel, Rhys Darby and Temuera Morrison.
Maia the Brave
To paraphrase Batman’s Commissioner Gordon, Maia is the superhero we need right now. These short 10minutelong episodes are a mix of live action and animation that aim to empower and educate younger viewers about the world around them in a fun way.
What Now
The perennial kids’ favourite is still going strong and its popularity shows no signs of waning. Full episodes are available now and they’re promising kids there’s loads more gunge, slime and foam on the way.
Kai Five
Kai Five makes cooking child’s play. So if you’ve got a budding Gordon Ramsay on your hands, though hopefully without the potty mouth and anger management issues, then this cooking show is for them. They’ll learn kitchen tips and tricks as well as learning how to whip up a feed using only four ingredients — things like sushi, nachos, broccoli bites and vegan pancakes.