Bluey is an Australian children’s cartoon starring a rambunctious 6-year-old blue heeler puppy named, well, Bluey!
Beloved by parents worldwide, Bluey inspires fan art, dedicated social media accounts, and even a podcast. It’s the only kid’s show I love to watch without my kid. Today we’re ranking the 10 best bluey episodes from a superfan mom’s gentle parenting perspective.
With snappy 7-minute episodes, Bluey somehow transcends the overworked moral lessons and archetypes of most children’s television. (Lookin’ at you, Peppa.) Kids can enjoy zany child-centered play while parents ponder the adult-aimed subtext. Basically, there’s something for everyone!
With Bluey, we explore the true range of emotions and experiences from the child’s and the parent’s perspectives. We witness joy, conflict, introspection, and relationship repair as Bluey navigates the challenges of daily life.
My favorite Bluey episodes, and the ones I’ve ranked below, explore the adult-child dynamic. They answer the ever-present question: how can we, as parents, help our children learn and grow at a pace that’s right for them?
Read on to find the 10 best Bluey episodes that have actually helped me grow as a gentle, respectful parent. For real! You’ve got to watch these.
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The 10 Best Bluey Episodes
On this list, you’ll find some definitive fan favorites as well as a few controversial picks that will hopefully expand your love and appreciation for this special children’s show.
Best Bluey Episodes #10: Octopus
Bluey’s father Bandit is the proverbial “fun dad.” Energetic, outgoing, and full of jokes, Bandit’s willingness to leap into elaborate play with his kids feels aspirational to parents in the real world.
In the episode “Octopus” we see that not all dads can toggle so easily between the seriousness of adulthood and the chaos of free play. I know many parents can relate.
Playing with your kids is a gateway into their emotional lives. It’s incredibly important but also strangely difficult for us practical types.
In this episode, Bluey’s friend Chloe and her Dad communicate their feelings and find a way to play that meets everyone’s needs and expectations.
If you’ve ever felt bored playing with your kids, this one’s for you.
Best Bluey Episodes #9: Calypso
Bluey and her little sister Bingo attend a Waldorf/Steiner school. It’s based on an actual school in Brisbane!
In this episode, we meet Bluey’s teacher Calypso. With her Waldorf/Steiner background, she knows a thing or two about encouraging imaginative play and exploration.
In contrast to Octopus, this episode is all about holding space for children to play without adults. Calypso even creates new opportunities for play through subtle observation.
(If you’re interested in what observing a child looks like, read our article on Montessori for Infants.)
Without lifting a finger, Calypso directs her class like a seasoned maestro, weaving one game into another. Her patience and gentle touch with each child’s personality and desires is something to behold.
Best Bluey Episodes #8: Burger Shop
In the most meta of Bluey episodes, we find Bluey’s father Bandit taking the advice of a “parenting expert” and creating well-meaning but developmentally inappropriate expectations for his two preschool pups.
Bluey and her sister have opened a burger shop in their bathtub complete with burgers and chips made of styrofoam alphabet letters.
Rather than ask his kids to get out of the bath at bedtime, he tells them they can decide when it’s time to leave. As you can imagine, things quickly go off the rails.
This is a classic case of parenting by the book instead of parenting the kids who are right in front of you. Sorry, y’all. There’s no parenting manual even in the Bluey-verse.
Best Bluey Episodes #7: The Weekend
In this episode, we join Bluey and her sister Bingo for a typical weekend. Bandit’s watching a cricket match and the kids are running wild around the house.
There’s nothing special about this weekend and yet, the creators of Bluey still manage to tug at our heartstrings.
While her father Bandit is wrestling with Bluey in the front yard, Bingo has an otherworldly encounter with a leaf bug. Though she desperately wants her father to come see, he doesn’t hear her tiny calls.
Later on, when the sadness of not being heard by her father bubbles up again at bedtime, Bingo tells Bandit the whole story.
Bandit could easily dismiss Bingo’s feelings as ridiculous and unrealistic. Instead, he shoots an all-star parenting three-pointer by validating her emotions and playfully bringing closure to their missed connection. It’s epic!
Best Bluey Episodes #6: Camping
On a family camping trip, Bluey meets a French-speaking puppy named Jean-Luc who is staying at a nearby campsite. Despite a language barrier, they form an instant alliance and spend their entire holiday frolicking in the woods near a creek.
One morning, Bluey is devastated to discover Jean-Luc’s family has gone home. Will they ever see each other again? (Have some tissues handy for the tear-jerker conclusion!)
In an age of constant contact, people often experience these kinds of brief, poignant friendships only in childhood. “Camping” evokes a nostalgia for a simpler time when you lived your life moment to moment, unburdened by the fear of heartbreak.
I love how Bluey’s mother, Chilli, doesn’t sugarcoat the reality of missing a friend. She allows Bluey to sit in her lonesome feelings and process her loss. It’s a fan favorite!
Best Bluey Episodes #5: Takeaway
In this episode, we find Bluey’s father Bandit picking up a bit of takeaway (aka takeout) from the local Chinese restaurant. When the restaurant says it will be five more minutes for an order of spring rolls, the Heeler family waits outside.
What unfolds is a surprisingly realistic and hilarious depiction of what it’s like to wrangle two preschoolers in a public space. I was spitting out my coffee with laughter.
After reading a strangely prescient fortune cookie, Bandit realizes he placed some grownup expectations on his children. He decides to “let kids be kids” and joins them in some spontaneous free play.
“Takeaway” brings a Seinfeld level of situational comedy to the parenting sphere. It’s a must-see.
Best Bluey Episodes #4: Baby Race
When Bluey starts comparing herself to a friend, Bluey’s mother Chilli advises her to “run your own race.”
She recounts a time early in motherhood when she wanted more than anything for baby Bluey to sit, crawl, and walk before all the other babies in her mommy group, particularly her friend Judo.
Any new mother can relate to this sweet tale of trying to race your baby from one big milestone to the next. As the type A mom of a rolling, bum-shuffling, late-walking baby, I feel this episode in my bones.
In the final minutes, Chilli’s friend Coco, an experienced mum with nine kids, shares some simple wisdom that every mother needs to hear. (I’m not crying, you’re crying!)
Best Bluey Episodes #3: Sleepy Time
In the episode “Sleepy Time”, we witness a night of restless waking and musical beds as Bingo attempts to sleep in her own room the entire night.
Composer Joff Bush includes several beloved classical pieces from Holst’s The Planets to create a lush, ethereal soundtrack. It’s gorgeous!
Most of the episode is told from within the magical world of Bingo’s dreams. At one point, Bingo’s mother Chilli morphs into a bright blazing sun, heralded by the song “Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity.”
Her gentleness and understanding as Bingo navigates the uncertain waters of “big girl sleep” is the highlight of this episode.
Also, Bandit sleepily singing “99 Bottles” to Bluey on the toilet is a whole mood. Parents of young children will love this one!
Best Bluey Episodes #2: Sticky Gecko
When it’s time to meet Bluey’s friend Judo and her mother at the playground, Bluey and Bingo are in a hurry to do everything but actually leave the house. They pull out every preschooler delaying tactic in the book.
Bluey’s mother Chilli gets increasingly frustrated with her two pups until finally, she hits her boiling point. The producers of Bluey layer on the drama, creating tension that is so real and relatable you forget you’re watching cartoon dogs.
This episode makes it to the top of my list because it asks one of my favorite parenting questions. When your child is misbehaving, what is the most loving, most generous interpretation of their actions?
In “Sticky Gecko”, we’re reminded this question works equally well for adults.
Best Bluey Episodes #1: Bin Night
With plenty of stellar Bluey episodes to round out this list, why “Bin Night?” Isn’t it just Bandit, Bluey, and Bingo taking out the trash over and over? Okay, hear me out.
Taking place over the course of several months or perhaps an entire year, we see Bandit and Chilli doing everyday stuff with their kids. The repetitive, rhythmic style of this episode is its core message.
Each garbage day, each breakfast, is a short family meeting, allowing the girls to share their feelings and concerns in a low-pressure environment. They learn, dream, and receive guidance about challenges in their lives. All while doing something completely mundane.
“Bin Night” highlights the importance of creating routines for connection with your children. You don’t need a special occasion to be present with your kids. A walk down the driveway can be enough.
Best Bluey Episodes: Runners Up
If you made it through this list and you’re hankering for even more Bluey goodness from Seasons 1 and 2, check out these heart-warming, laugh-out-loud funny episodes.
While they didn’t quite make my top 10 list, they are much loved by Bluey fans across the world:
Bluey Was Made By Gentle Parents For Gentle Parents!
Parenting against the mainstream is isolating. It’s tough to find other parents and role models to guide you on your gentle parenting journey.
It was a revelation for me as a new parent to watch Bluey for the first time and discover that, not only were there other gentle parents out there like me, there were millions of them!
I hope you and your family enjoy this show together and start building your very own 10 Best Bluey episodes.
Did we cover your favorite Bluey episode or did we miss it altogether? What would you add to our Top 10 Best Bluey Episodes list?
