As a father of four kids, ages three to fourteen, I’ve been surrounded by a house full of children who have all grown up on Dr. Seuss. These stories and characters have been part of our family rhythm for years, especially during the holidays. This season, that connection feels even more personal because my three-year-old is deeply invested in The Grinch. She knows the story, understands his personality, and has strong opinions about him, which is exactly why the new Christmas episodes with Blippi and The Grinch immediately caught her attention.
Both episodes debuted on December 19 and were immediate hits with my youngest child. She loves the Grinch’s specific brand of annoyance, tomfoolery, and clumsiness, and both episodes managed to showcase his weird sense of being in a way that seemed to resonate with her.
What struck me most was how thoughtfully these episodes handle the Grinch. He is still grumpy, still skeptical of Christmas, and still very much himself. The storytelling assumes kids are capable of understanding emotional nuance, and that’s something that matters to me, and the entire reason I write articles about animated movies that teach kids empathy and why our team at Parenting Patch is so focused on other life lessons from children’s entertainment. My three-year-old wasn’t just watching colors and movement; she was watching how the Grinch responded, when he softened, and why. That kind of engagement is exactly what keeps a young child glued to the screen in a good way.
The Grinch and Blippi Make Gingerbread Houses
This episode, also available on the Dr. Seuss YouTube channel, centers on Blippi visiting the Grinch’s cave to build gingerbread houses together. The premise immediately connected with my three-year-old because it mirrors real Christmas activities she already understands, especially because the Minecraft gingerbread house she recently made on her own was in clear view during the episode. She followed the process closely, from building to decorating, and stayed focused on how the Grinch reacted to each step. Then she proudly showed me her house again.
The Grinch’s resistance is handled patiently, which is where the episode really works. He does not flip a switch and become cheerful, and Blippi doesn’t talk down to him. Instead, the episode lets the activity itself do the work. Watching my daughter stay glued to the screen as the Grinch slowly engaged made it clear that the pacing and tone were right for her age. There is also plenty of goofy dancing and other silly moments to keep the episode lighthearted and engaging, even as it teaches the kind of lessons parents will be familiar with from previous Blippi outings.
From a parent’s perspective, the episode feels grounded and calm. It captures the messiness and humor of holiday traditions without overstimulation. My older kids may not have been interested, but my three-year-old never looked away, which says a lot about how well the episode holds attention while staying true to the Grinch’s character.
At just over 13 minutes, it’s long enough to tell the desired story, but not so long that my youngest drifted away from the action. Admittedly, she can watch entire movies if she’s fully invested in them but for children with lower attention spans, I think it’s a good length.
Silly Christmas Games with Blippi and the Grinch
The second episode, also streaming on the Blippi YouTube channel, shifts the focus from crafting to play and movement. This one pulled my three-year-old in just as strongly. She watched closely as Blippi tried to engage the Grinch through games, clearly following the cause-and-effect of each interaction.
What stands out here is that the Grinch’s change comes through shared experience, not explanation. There are no heavy-handed messages, just some slow play and fun that breaks down his typical Grinchy resistance. My daughter stayed glued to the TV, reacting to each game and watching for the Grinch’s responses, which showed she was following the emotional arc as much as the action. Much like the Gingerbread house episode, the Grinch stays true to form, still showing off show of his grumpy attitude while also declaring that he loves his stocking because “it’s stinky.” And just like his original story, the Grinch’s heart eventually grows three sizes once again.
This episode feels especially useful during high-energy holiday moments. It is festive, playful, and still grounded in character. Once again, my three-year-old stayed fully engaged from beginning to end, making both episodes easy additions to our Christmas viewing rotation. It’s another short episode at just under 10 minutes, making it a quick watch for most kids that will keep their attention from start to end.
I recently spoke with the team at Fred Rogers Productions about how to help children cope with holiday anxiety. Be sure to check out their episodes of Alma’s Way, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and Donkey Hodie, then for some live-action fun, check out both of the episodes above from the teams at Dr. Seuss Enterprises and Moonbug Entertainment.