Learn Dutch in 2024 streaming these 15 children’s programs

Last updated: February 18, 2024

Watching Dutch cartoons is the perfect place to start when you first start learn the language.

Children’s programs are ideal because the speech is slow and clear, and they use very basic vocabulary.

Even as an absolute beginner I would suggest to practice listening to and comprehending spoken Dutch.

This is, in my opinion, more helpful than watching content in your native language with Dutch subtitles.

Thanks to the world wide web there are tons of ways to access Dutch cartoons even if you aren’t living in a Dutch speaking country. 

Here are my top suggestions by platform!

YouTube channels with subtitles

YouTube is an excellent tool for language learning.

Videos on the platform are available virtually no matter where you are in the world — so there’s nothing standing in the way of you and endless Dutch content.

Unlike other platforms, YouTube has the benefit of subtitles which are crucial in the early stages of language learning.

1. Nijntje

Nijntje (also known as Miffy) is an iconic Dutch cartoon character appearing in a series of books illustrated and written by Dutch artist Dick Bruna. The first Nijntje book dates back to 1955.

They post videos approximately daily and there are nearly over 1,000 on the channel in total. Nijntje is one of the best cartoons for beginners wanting to learn Dutch because the text is very clear and repetitive.

Subtitles: YouTube subtitles are available in Dutch (auto-generated) and can also be auto-translated into several other languages.

2. Peppa Pig

Originally created in English, Peppa Pig is cute and naughty little pig who lives with her little brother George, Mama Pig, and Papa Pig. 

The Peppa Pig Nederlands official YouTube channel posts several new episodes per week, ranging from 5-30 minute videos. There are nearly 900 videos on the YouTube channel.

Subtitles: YouTube subtitles are available in Dutch (auto-generated) and can also be auto-translated into several other languages.

3. PAW Patrol Nederlands

The PAW Patrol team of pups team up every episode to keep Adventure Bay safe. Spoken in clear Dutch, you’ll have around 600 videos to learn from on the official YouTube channel.

Subtitles: YouTube subtitles are available in Dutch (auto-generated) and can also be auto-translated into several other languages.

4. Juf Roos

Juf Roos tells stories and sings songs for the class which are perfect for a beginner learning Dutch. Think about, for instance, a song pointing to, and describing parts of the face.

This is another great way to get to know typical Dutch songs known by both young and old (e.g. typical Sinterklaas songs).

Subtitles: YouTube subtitles are available in Dutch (auto-generated) and can also be auto-translated into several other languages.

5. Sesamstraat (NPO Zappelin)

Sesame Street has been around for more than 50 years and translated into more than 70 languages so there is a good chance you know about it or even watched it growing up.

The Dutch version features some of the characters you already know and love, plus some new ones like Pino, Ieniemienie, Purk, and Tommie.

Check out the Sesamstraat playlist on the NPO Zappelin YouTube channel for nearly 100 videos to choose from!

Subtitles: YouTube subtitles are Dutch (auto-generated) and you can also auto-translate into several other languages.

6. Kud

Kud is an online animated series by comedy writer Peter Lub with musical assistance by Peter Peerdeman. Episodes are between 1-2 minutes and are geared towards a mature audience rather than for children. 

The channel is no longer active (they posted their last video in 2020) but there are 280 videos to enjoy.

If you’re redirected to the Kud English YouTube channel, just search for @KudNL in YouTube search.

Subtitles: YouTube subtitles are available in English and Dutch (auto-generated) and can also be auto-translated into several other languages.

7. Heb je zin?

While actually not a children’s program, the list wouldn’t feel complete without ‘Heb je zin?’. This is an animated soap series by Dutch teacher and creator of learndutch.org, Bart de Pau.

This is another one of the best cartoons for beginners wanting to learn Dutch. Bart designed it specifically to help people learning Dutch, so the spoken Dutch is slow and clear.

There are three seasons with each season increasing respectively in difficulty.

Subtitles: Dutch and English

For streaming in the Netherlands 

If you are learning from a non Dutch speaking country and want to explore content that isn’t available in your country, you can try using a VPN.

A VPN (virtual private network) changes your IP address so that you can browse the internet as if you were in another country. This way you can browse, for instance, Netflix content in the Netherlands or Belgium.

I personally used ExpressVPN for this, which costs around USD 10.00 per month.

Once you set up your VPN, check out your favourite platforms in your Dutch speaking country of choice for cartoons to watch to help you learn Dutch!

Here are my recommendations for the Netherlands.

Netflix

8. Nijntje

As I mentioned above, Nijntje is a Dutch cartoon character dating back to 1955 who appears in a series of books illustrated and written by Dutch artist Dick Bruna.

There are a handful of Nijntje programs available on Netflix in the Netherlands:

• Nijntje
• Nijntje: langere verhalen
• Miffy & friends
• Ontdek de wereld met Nijntje
• Nijntje: kleuren, cijfers en vormen

Subtitles: Unavailable

9. Kikker & Vriendjes

Kikker the frog is the main character from the books by Dutch author and illustrator Max Velthuijs. Together with his friends Varkentje, Eend, and Haas, he goes on all kinds of adventures and meets other characters.

The Dutch is clear and at a good speed, however unfortunately there are no subtitles available.

Subtitles: Unavailable

10. SpongeBob SquarePants 

Many will already be familiar with the show SpongeBob SquarePants which chronicles the adventures of the SpongeBob and his friends in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom.

Despite being originally created in English, you can stream three seasons in the Netherlands with Dutch audio. Unfortunately the subtitles are only available in English.

Subtitles: English

11. Captain Underpants 

The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants is an animated series based on a book series called Captain Underpants.  The series follows the adventures of George and Harold, and their strict principal Mr. Krupp for three seasons. 

Also originally an American series created in English, you can stream it in the Netherlands with Dutch audio.

Subtitles: Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, and more

12. Draken

Draken (Dragons) is an American animated television series based on the 2010 film ‘How to Train Your Dragon’.  If you like the series, you can find several different spinoffs on Netflix.

Subtitles: Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, and more

NPO Start

NPO Start is a free platform where you can watch a number of televisions programs which broadcast originally on the Dutch stations NPO 1, NPO 2, and NPO 3.

The platform is only available in the Netherlands, so to you will need a VPN to access these programs if you are not located in the Netherlands.

13. Sesamstraat

Sesame Street, as already mentioned below, is an iconic children’s program which has been around for more than 50 years.

Like the original Sesame Street, the characters are a combination of puppets and real live actors. There are tons of 16 minute episodes available for streaming on NPO Start.

Subtitles: Unavailable

14. Het Klokhuis

Het Klokhuis is an informative program aimed at children 8 and up. It has been on television in the Netherlands since 1988.

Episodes cover a wide range of topics but in general explains how things work and how things are made. Rugby, biodiversity, red pandas, and avocado all have their own episode.

Subtitles: Dutch

15. De Regels van Floor

Floor’s rules answer the important life questions of a 10-year-old girl. Like how to deal with an annoying brother or what to do with when she receives a terrible gift.

Though aimed at kids, I’ve heard parents mention that they also enjoy this funny Dutch series. With 5 seasons on NPO Start, there is plenty to see!

Subtitles: Dutch

Disney+

The nice thing about Disney+ (at least when streaming from the Netherlands, e.g. with a VPN) is that many series and movies give you the option of Dutch audio.

The downside is that I have found the Dutch subtitles not to be in line with the audio. My guess is that the Dutch subtitles are a translation of the original language subtitles, and not based on the voiceover.

In other words, the Dutch subtitles may in some cases be misaligned with the audio.

Nonetheless, I didn’t want to leave Disney+ off the list since there are so many available series to watch with Dutch audio. However, this platform may be of better use to intermediate learners who rely less on subtitles or want to watch without subtitles.

Movies like Encanto, Finding Nemo, and The Lion King are all available for streaming in Dutch.

In summary

Cartoons and children’s programs in general are great to follow if you want to learn Dutch. The more you listen to Dutch, the better your comprehension becomes.

Thanks to YouTube, Netflix, and in some cases, the use of a VPN, you can access Dutch programming for kids even if you aren’t living in a Dutch speaking country.

My top recommendations?

Start with the programs that were originally produced in Dutch, like Nijntje, Kikker, or Sesamstraat! 

Once you are ready for more engaging, age appropriate content, check out Het Klokhuis.

Don’t see your go-to Dutch children’s program on the list? Leave a comment and let me know what I should include in the next list!