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When it comes to children’s TV, there aren’t many shows right now that are better than “Bluey.”
We discovered this Australian gem in 2020, right before our son Casey spent a few days in the hospital. While he was there, I watched the episode “Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolfhound” for the first time. Might I suggest you don’t watch this episode while your child is sick in the hospital? I cried hard. We’re talking big, gross, gasping sobs.
That was when I realized this show is just as much for parents and caregivers as it is for children.
Since then, the show has exploded in popularity. Where we at first struggled to find even a Bluey plush toy, now we have a wealth of options. We’ve gleefully bought “Bluey” toys for our son, who is now 4. He loves the characters, and since he was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum last August, it has been wonderful to watch him explore imaginative play more and more.
This list includes some of the great toys he especially loves and has connected with. Comment with your thoughts and let me know which Bluey toy is your child’s favorite.
This might be Casey’s favorite toy right now. Bingo is his favorite character from “Bluey,” and he carries this toy, which he named “Teeny-Weeny Bingo,” with him almost everywhere. It’s getting dirty and worn out and I’m absolutely 100% ready to buy a backup.
When I say almost everywhere, I mean it. Teeny-Weeny Bingo goes to the mall, the doctor’s office, the grocery store — even to school, where she has to stay in Casey’s backpack.
It might be the perfect size. Teeny-Weeny Bingo fits in the cupholder on Casey’s car seat, and she fits in my back pocket. She rode in my purse for three hours the last time we went to Lion Country Safari.
The best part about this toy: It was with Teeny-Weeny Bingo that we first heard Casey create a voice for a toy. It was adorable and sweet and he still does it, this high-pitched little sing-songy voice. After worrying for months and months about delayed speech, hearing him ask for a hug goodnight as Teeny-Weeny Bingo makes my heart explode.
This is the first item on our list to require batteries (2 AAAs). Casey loves the four games on this little toy phone. He loves that Bluey and Bingo call him from time to time. Different songs play from the phone, and Casey likes to break out his dance moves.
Bonus: Where many toys like this are obnoxiously loud, this one is, mercifully, not terrible.
“Where’s Bluey?” Search-and-Find Book
Sometimes getting Casey to sit still feels impossible. It’s one of the many reasons I call him my perpetual motion machine. He’s doing much better with this, but finding books that keep him engaged can be tough.
While he loves Bluey’s “5-Minute Stories,” the search-and-find is a real gem. It’s helped in more ways than one. While he looks for the list of items in each image, he creates stories for each of the little vignettes within. It’s opened up his world with storytelling, and he’s found other ways to express this creative side of himself.
It’s also proved just how incredibly observant Casey is. He’s able to find tiny little details and partially hidden items. And he’s so proud of himself when he has found everything on the list.
Hear me out: You’re going to love this giant stuffed Bluey.
Not just your child, but you, as a parent or caregiver or someone else who loves a child and wants that child to be happy.
We call her “Really Big Bluey.” She’s 32 inches tall and can be buckled in for maximum hilarity when you’re driving to school or the store. There have been a few mornings when Teeny-Weeny Bingo absolutely had to have a friend drive to school with her, so long came Really Big Bluey, buckled into the back seat next to Casey’s car seat. That I forgot she was there while driving around for the rest of the day only made it more funny, once I realized why people were looking at me and smiling whenever I stopped at a red light.
Really Big Bluey also has been known to be a bit of a bed hog. The flip side of that: She makes a great pillow.
This scented, moldable sand is reminiscent of its brother brand, Kinetic Sand. As far as sensory toys go, kinetic sand is amazing. This kit marries Casey’s love of all things Bluey with his passion for making a mess with anything sand-related.
The kit comes with three packets of sand: light blue, which is scented like blue raspberry; orange, which is scented like … orange, of course; and pink, which is vanilla-scented. It also comes with two rollers, one with a paw print pattern and the other with leaves. There are three molds: Bluey, Bingo and Mackenzie.
One of the things I love most about this set: The sand pouches are resealable and actually, really, truly do seal. We’ve bought other sand play kits where the grains of sand get into the zip-seal and that’s the end of that, better grab a sandwich bag.
Please note: This is by no means a comprehensive list. Here are more super fun Bluey toys that we have and play with regularly, and which your child might love:
Bluey Lights and Sounds Playhouse
Bluey Caravan Adventure Playset with Jean Luc Figure
Bluey Doctor Bag and Check Up Set (Casey loves to play dress-up as a doctor, give us shots and check out temperatures.)
Bluey Ultimate Activity Backpack (This is awesome for road trips!)
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