Media Recommendations
These recommendations are editorially selected. No algorithm, no user ratings. Only content we've reviewed ourselves.
Apps
Bäumchen schüttel dich
from 3 years
A calm discovery game: gentle finger movements across the treetop reveal small surprises. Children encounter animals such as giraffes, hedgehogs, kangaroos, or toucans, without goals, time pressure, or overstimulation.
Wunderwimmelbuch Apps
from 4 years
Interactive picture worlds where children explore, experiment, and discover connections at their own pace. Scenes are designed as calm still images with gentle animations and sounds.
Sandmännchen App
from 4–5 years
An extensive play and media library around the Sandman and his friends. Alongside videos, there is a large creative play world with vehicles, animals, and simple mini-games.
Squirrel & Bär
from 5 years
A first introduction to English through a picture-book adventure. Squirrel and Bear must rescue the bees — but beyond the forest, every animal speaks English. Vocabulary is saved in a sticker album. By Berlin studio The Good Evil.
Thinkrolls 1
from 5 years
Logic puzzles that grow increasingly challenging. Simple mazes at first, then physics-based thinking tasks. Two difficulty modes.
Maari: Rette das Meer!
from 3 years
Browser game on kika.de, not an app. The octopus girl Maari and her friends clear the reef of rubbish. To play, just open the browser, nothing to download. Free, no account, no ads. Produced by KiKA.
Bäumchen schüttel dich
from 3 years
A calm discovery game: gentle finger movements across the treetop reveal small surprises. Children encounter animals such as giraffes, hedgehogs, kangaroos, or toucans, without goals, time pressure, or overstimulation.
Wunderwimmelbuch Apps
from 4 years
Interactive picture worlds where children explore, experiment, and discover connections at their own pace. Scenes are designed as calm still images with gentle animations and sounds.
Sandmännchen App
from 4–5 years
An extensive play and media library around the Sandman and his friends. Alongside videos, there is a large creative play world with vehicles, animals, and simple mini-games.
Squirrel & Bär
from 5 years
A first introduction to English through a picture-book adventure. Squirrel and Bear must rescue the bees — but beyond the forest, every animal speaks English. Vocabulary is saved in a sticker album. By Berlin studio The Good Evil.
Thinkrolls 1
from 5 years
Logic puzzles that grow increasingly challenging. Simple mazes at first, then physics-based thinking tasks. Two difficulty modes.
Maari: Rette das Meer!
from 3 years
Browser game on kika.de, not an app. The octopus girl Maari and her friends clear the reef of rubbish. To play, just open the browser, nothing to download. Free, no account, no ads. Produced by KiKA.
Series
TOM & the Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey
from 4 years
TOM wants a slice of bread with strawberry jam and honey. Every single day. And every day that wish leads him into a different adventure. He meets the miller, the strawberry mouse and the busy bees. He never gets a whole slice. But half a slice tastes just as good. 52 episodes, approx. 5 minutes each. By Andreas Hykade, Studio Film Bilder.
Animanimals
from 3 years
Every episode: one animal, one situation, one quiet punchline. The wolf secretly wears a ballet dress. The zebra's stripes have got all mixed up. The octopus bakes. No dialogue, just music and images. 52 episodes, approx. 3 minutes each. By Julia Ocker, Studio Film Bilder.
Shaun the Sheep
from 4 years
Shaun is a sheep with ideas. Usually not good ones, but funny ones. Together with his flock and the dog Bitzer, he turns the farm upside down every single time. No dialogue, just sounds, music and slapstick of the finest kind. By Aardman Animations, the makers of Wallace & Gromit.
Bluey
from 3 years
Six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy Bluey turns every ordinary day into an adventure. With her sister Bingo, Mum Chilli and Dad Bandit. Short episodes, calm pace, no noise. One of the most acclaimed children's series in the world.
Sarah & Duck
from 3 years
A calm animated series about a girl named Sarah and her best friend Duck. Together they discover everyday situations with quiet imagination and gentle humor.
Oona and Baba's Island
from 3 years
Oona and Baba live on a small island and experience gentle everyday adventures. Each episode consists of several very short stories that can be watched individually. The pacing, language, and visuals are calm and clear.
Esme & Roy
from 4 years
Esme and Roy take care of little monsters and help them with everyday challenges. The series tells warm-hearted stories about emotions, friendship, and solving problems together.
Bing
from 3 years
Bing is a small bunny experiencing everyday situations, from playtime to frustration. The stories are closely connected to young children's daily lives and take emotions seriously.
Tumble Leaf
from 4–5 years
A calm stop-motion series about a small fox and his friends. Each episode invites curiosity, thinking, and experimentation without offering fixed solutions.
Maari, Adventures in the Coral Reef
from 4–5 years
Maari, a young octopus girl, lives in the Blue Bay Reef and experiences short underwater adventures with her best friends, Toots the turtle, Fin the crab, and the little plankton Spotti. Together they help other sea creatures, solve problems, and face challenges calmly and bravely.
Nitso and the Very Hairy Alphabet
from 5 years
Nitso is a yeti child starting school. Each episode a letter goes missing and Nitso has to find it. 26 episodes, 26 letters. In German and English.
Kiri and Lou
from 4 years
Kiri, a little dinosaur, and Lou, an old frog, are best friends in New Zealand. Short episodes, quiet pace, warm stories about friendship, loss and change. Award-winning.
TOM & the Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey
from 4 years
TOM wants a slice of bread with strawberry jam and honey. Every single day. And every day that wish leads him into a different adventure. He meets the miller, the strawberry mouse and the busy bees. He never gets a whole slice. But half a slice tastes just as good. 52 episodes, approx. 5 minutes each. By Andreas Hykade, Studio Film Bilder.
Animanimals
from 3 years
Every episode: one animal, one situation, one quiet punchline. The wolf secretly wears a ballet dress. The zebra's stripes have got all mixed up. The octopus bakes. No dialogue, just music and images. 52 episodes, approx. 3 minutes each. By Julia Ocker, Studio Film Bilder.
Shaun the Sheep
from 4 years
Shaun is a sheep with ideas. Usually not good ones, but funny ones. Together with his flock and the dog Bitzer, he turns the farm upside down every single time. No dialogue, just sounds, music and slapstick of the finest kind. By Aardman Animations, the makers of Wallace & Gromit.
Bluey
from 3 years
Six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy Bluey turns every ordinary day into an adventure. With her sister Bingo, Mum Chilli and Dad Bandit. Short episodes, calm pace, no noise. One of the most acclaimed children's series in the world.
Sarah & Duck
from 3 years
A calm animated series about a girl named Sarah and her best friend Duck. Together they discover everyday situations with quiet imagination and gentle humor.
Oona and Baba's Island
from 3 years
Oona and Baba live on a small island and experience gentle everyday adventures. Each episode consists of several very short stories that can be watched individually. The pacing, language, and visuals are calm and clear.
Esme & Roy
from 4 years
Esme and Roy take care of little monsters and help them with everyday challenges. The series tells warm-hearted stories about emotions, friendship, and solving problems together.
Bing
from 3 years
Bing is a small bunny experiencing everyday situations, from playtime to frustration. The stories are closely connected to young children's daily lives and take emotions seriously.
Tumble Leaf
from 4–5 years
A calm stop-motion series about a small fox and his friends. Each episode invites curiosity, thinking, and experimentation without offering fixed solutions.
Maari, Adventures in the Coral Reef
from 4–5 years
Maari, a young octopus girl, lives in the Blue Bay Reef and experiences short underwater adventures with her best friends, Toots the turtle, Fin the crab, and the little plankton Spotti. Together they help other sea creatures, solve problems, and face challenges calmly and bravely.
Nitso and the Very Hairy Alphabet
from 5 years
Nitso is a yeti child starting school. Each episode a letter goes missing and Nitso has to find it. 26 episodes, 26 letters. In German and English.
Kiri and Lou
from 4 years
Kiri, a little dinosaur, and Lou, an old frog, are best friends in New Zealand. Short episodes, quiet pace, warm stories about friendship, loss and change. Award-winning.
Films
Molly Monster: The Movie
from 5 years
Molly is a little monster girl with a big question: what does it mean to get a sibling? Her parents are far away on Egg Island. Molly and her best friend Edison, a clockwork toy with a life of its own, set off to find them. A journey through Monster Land, about friendship, responsibility and finding your place in the family.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Four Other Stories
from 3–4 years
A calm animated adaptation of several Eric Carle picture book classics. The hungry caterpillar eats her way through the week before transforming. Additional short stories are included in a gentle picture-book style.
The Great Christmas Rescue
from 5 years
A short Octonauts adventure focusing on teamwork and marine life protection. Clearly structured and easy to follow.
Room on the Broom
from 4 years
A charming animated adaptation of the Julia Donaldson picture book. Told in rhymes, the story follows a friendly witch and her animal companions on a gentle adventure.
Koala Moon, Bedtime Stories
from 3 years
An English-language YouTube channel offering calming bedtime stories and gentle sleep meditations. Not a traditional film, but an audiovisual alternative especially suitable for evenings.
Molly Monster: The Movie
from 5 years
Molly is a little monster girl with a big question: what does it mean to get a sibling? Her parents are far away on Egg Island. Molly and her best friend Edison, a clockwork toy with a life of its own, set off to find them. A journey through Monster Land, about friendship, responsibility and finding your place in the family.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Four Other Stories
from 3–4 years
A calm animated adaptation of several Eric Carle picture book classics. The hungry caterpillar eats her way through the week before transforming. Additional short stories are included in a gentle picture-book style.
The Great Christmas Rescue
from 5 years
A short Octonauts adventure focusing on teamwork and marine life protection. Clearly structured and easy to follow.
Room on the Broom
from 4 years
A charming animated adaptation of the Julia Donaldson picture book. Told in rhymes, the story follows a friendly witch and her animal companions on a gentle adventure.
Koala Moon, Bedtime Stories
from 3 years
An English-language YouTube channel offering calming bedtime stories and gentle sleep meditations. Not a traditional film, but an audiovisual alternative especially suitable for evenings.
Podcasts & Audio
Audio recommendations are language-specific. Switch to German for German-language podcasts.
Gardenkeeper Gus
from 3 years
A calm audio story series about 6-year-old Gus and his squirrel friend Rel exploring a larger-than-life garden. Gentle nature sounds, simple adventures and short episodes make it well suited for younger listeners.
Goodnight, World!
from 2–5 years
Sesame Street characters team up with Headspace to help little ones wind down. Gentle stories, breathing exercises and calming soundscapes, designed to make bedtime feel safe and peaceful. About 20 minutes per episode.
Little Stories for Tiny People
from 3–6 years
Original short stories for young children, each one lovingly written and read aloud by creator Rhea Pechter. Gentle plots, relatable characters, warm narration. About 10–15 minutes per episode, new stories regularly.
Storynory
from 4–7 years
Classic fairy tales, myths and original stories, read aloud with clear British narration. From the Brothers Grimm to Greek myths to brand-new adventures. Running since 2005, one of the longest-running children's story podcasts in the world.
Gardenkeeper Gus
from 3 years
A calm audio story series about 6-year-old Gus and his squirrel friend Rel exploring a larger-than-life garden. Gentle nature sounds, simple adventures and short episodes make it well suited for younger listeners.
Goodnight, World!
from 2–5 years
Sesame Street characters team up with Headspace to help little ones wind down. Gentle stories, breathing exercises and calming soundscapes, designed to make bedtime feel safe and peaceful. About 20 minutes per episode.
Little Stories for Tiny People
from 3–6 years
Original short stories for young children, each one lovingly written and read aloud by creator Rhea Pechter. Gentle plots, relatable characters, warm narration. About 10–15 minutes per episode, new stories regularly.
Storynory
from 4–7 years
Classic fairy tales, myths and original stories, read aloud with clear British narration. From the Brothers Grimm to Greek myths to brand-new adventures. Running since 2005, one of the longest-running children's story podcasts in the world.