A great way to introduce children to a foreign language is by use of media. Research shows that children learn quicker when they are interested and entertained, so watching their favourite programmes in German will help them absorb words and phrases while explaining the actions through the pictures on the screen. For older children an added benefit is the use of subtitles to improve their reading and writing skills. Following on are some online German resources especially designed for children.
- Die Sendung mit der Maus
- ARD-Mediathek
- ARD-Audiothek
- ZDFtivi
- Biene Maja
- Heidi
- Wissen macht Ah!
- Unser Sandmännchen
- Lauras Stern
- Streaming services
Die Sendung mit der Maus
The Sendung mit der Maus is a popular educational show for children which has been produced since 1971, and has since gained a reputation as being highly accessible for children. In the educational part of the show, the presenters give answers to questions children frequently ask, for instance how a car is made. These clips are occasionally interrupted by brief animated shows, such as Shaun the Sheep. The show is broadcast every Sunday at noon, though there is an expansive archive of clips on its YouTube channel. Additionally, there is an app which allows for the show to be watched on the go.
ARD-Mediathek
The ARD-Mediathek includes a rich subsection with content specifically made for children. In this section, all the children’s programs are available, so that it serves as an easy to use platform that can be used for watching various shows. On this platform, you also find all content by the ARD’s children’s channel, KiKa. There, you find all kinds of accessible series for children which will be presented in more detail below.
ARD-Audiothek
The ARD-Audiothek also comes with a specific subsection for children. Here, one can find a rich selection of tales, fairytales, or podcasts of TV shows, such as Die Sendung mit der Maus. Additionally, the site offers crime stories for children, a news podcast for children and podcasts in which historical or political issues are simplified and made accessible for children.
ZDFtivi
ZDFtivi also offers TV content for children, though it is not a fully-fledged TV station like KiKa. On this site, one can find classics such as Biene Maja. A particularly recommendable series is logo!, which is a news format for children and usually praised for its accessibility.
Biene Maja
Biene Maja is a famous German show for children. The story is centred around a bee called Maja, her best friend Willi, and other animals. Maja explores the world around her and experiences exciting adventures with her friends. She meets a beetle, ants, and a spider. Maja and especially Willi love eating honey. Willi is also rather lazy, which is very endearing.
Heidi
The children’s show Heidi tells the story of an orphaned girl who moves from the city to her grandfather’s hut in the Swiss mountains. Her grandfather is grumpy at first, but he warms up to the girl. Heidi experiences many things in the mountains with her friend Peter. She learns to love her life there. The show is enriched by the beautiful animation of Swiss mountains.
Wissen macht Ah!
Wissen macht Ah! is a funny and informative show. Its two hosts explain history, science, and many other things in an easily understandable and interesting way. The show is designed to educate children in a pleasant and fun way. It also includes short clips, where people reenact what is explained.
Unser Sandmännchen
The Sandmännchen is a German classic and has existed for many decades. Each episode is shorter than ten minutes and shows different bedtime stories for children. The show has kept its charm and many of the animations are several decades old and look like actual drawings. The Sandmännchen is German for the Sandman, and at the end of each episode he blows sand at the screen to make the children sleepy.
Lauras Stern
This television series follows Laura, a seven-year old girl who finds a star that has fallen from the sky and has broken one of its points. She helps the star and sends it back to the sky. She talkst to the star every night and it helps her and her friends with ist magical abilities whenever they need it. Click on this link to watch the 10-minute episodes.
Streaming services
Most Tv Streaming services like Netflix, have the option to choose from a range of languages. This, allows the viewer to watch their favourite shows in different languages or turn on subtitles to read along which makes it an easy an readily accessible tool to learn a new language.
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