12 of the Best Chinese Cartoons
Our 2026 list features the best Chinese cartoons — all available for free on YouTube — with clear age suitability ratings for children ages 3–12.
Let’s face it — young children are drawn to screens.
So why not make that screen time work for your family's bilingual goals?
If your child is going to watch TV anyway, these curated shows can actively support your family's bilingual journey by immersing young learners in authentic Mandarin through stories they'll actually want to watch.
1. POLI安全小將 (Robocar POLI)
Age suitability: 3-7 (Preschool and up)
Country of origin: South Korea
Robocar POLI is a South Korean animated series which follows a team of rescue vehicles — Poli the police car, Roy the fire truck, Amber the ambulance, and Helly the helicopter — who transform into robots to save friends in danger on Broomstown.
It is specifically designed as a non-violent educational show teaching children about traffic, fire, and home safety
Available on Youtube.
2. 汪汪队 (Paw Patrol)
Age suitability: 3-7 (Preschool and up)
Country of origin: Canada
Paw Patrol is a Canadian animated series follows a brave rescue puppy team led by 10-year-old Ryder as they protect Adventure Bay with teamwork and courage.
Each of the six core pups — Chase, Marshall, Skye, Rubble, Rocky, and Zuma — has a unique role based on real-world emergency services, teaching children about different jobs while promoting problem-solving, community responsibility, and collaboration
Available on Youtube.
3. 超级飞侠 (Super Wings)
Age suitability: 3-7 (Preschool and up)
Country of origin: South Korea/China/US co-production
Following a friendly jet plane named Jett who delivers packages worldwide with his transforming plane friends, Super Wings has become one of China's most successful animated exports. It serves as an educational resource that introduces children to world cultures, landmarks, languages, and customs.
Available on Youtube.
4. 小猪佩奇 (Peppa Pig)
Age suitability: 3-7 (Preschool and up)
Country of origin: UK
Peppa Pig is a British preschool animated series following Peppa, a lovable but slightly bossy young pig, as she navigates everyday activities.
While this series has it fair share of detractors, it still offers real value as a resource for exposure to Chinese vocabulary.
Available on Youtube.
5. 喜羊羊与灰太狼 (Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf)
Age suitability: 3-12 (Preschool and up)
Country of origin: China
Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf is an animation series which follows the mischievous Pleasant Goat (喜羊羊), the village's smartest resident who always foils the plans of his rival-turned-ally Wolffy (灰太狼) — a persistent but lovable inventor.
Available on Youtube.
6. 帮帮龙出动 (GO GO Dino)
Age suitability: 3-7 (Preschool and up)
Country of origin: South Korea
GoGo Dino Explorers is a South Korean animated preschool series where transforming robot explorers travel to a distant planet to study, help, and protect various dinosaur species
Available on Youtube and MeWatch.sg
7. 小企鹅波乐乐 (Pororo the Little Penguin)
Age suitability: 3-7 (Preschool and up)
Country of origin: South Korea
Pororo the Little Penguin is a South Korean series that follows a curious little penguin named Pororo and his animal friends. They encounter small challenges and learn practical lessons about friendship, problem-solving, cooperation, and social etiquette in each episode.
The series also includes a spin-off dinosaur series, Pororo Dino Advntures (波乐乐恐龙历险), perfect for dinosaur lovers.
Available on Youtube.
8. 巧虎 (Qiao Hu)
Age suitability: 3-8 (Preschool and up)
Country of origin: Japan
巧虎 is a lovable tiger who teaches little ones manners, habits, and life skills. Great for language learning as the Mandarin is spoken clearly and slowly for kids to catch every word.
Available on Youtube.
9. 汉字侠：神奇汉字星球 (Magic Chinese Character Planet)
Age suitability: 6-12 (Primary school)
Country of origin: China
Hanzi Hero: The Magic Hanzi Planet is a Chinese character educational animation series, set against the backdrop of Chinese character culture.
Available on Iqiyi/Bilibili clips
10. 米小圈 (Mi Xiao Quan)
Age suitability: 6-12 (Primary school)
Country of origin: China
Based on the original book series, Mi Xiaoquan's School Diary (米小圈上学记), this series follows the humorous daily life and heartwarming troubles of a mischievous elementary school boy named Mi Xiaoquan, focusing on his friendships, family interactions, and growth at school.
The series also covers different educational themes, including Chinese history, Chinese idioms, and Chinese characters.
Available on Youtube.
11. 肥志百科 (Fei Zhi Bai Ke)
Age suitability: 6-12 (Primary school)
Country of origin: China
肥志百科 is a humorous educational shorts comic series which shares interesting facts about plants, animals, food, and everyday things from history and culture.
The content is presented in short episodes rather than as a full cartoon series.
Available on Youtube.
12. 我是不白吃 (Wo Shi Bu Bai Chi)
Age suitability: 6-12 (Primary school)
Country of origin: China
我是不白吃 is a hilarious animated foodie and cultural series which shares fascinating stories behind everyday foods and expands into science, history, and classic literature.
The content is presented in short episodes, as the series began as a short-form video series on platforms like Douyin and Bilibili in 2019.
It has since been adapted into a popular comic book series, with over 30 volumes.
Available on Youtube.
