Christian Video Content for Children & Students

Prioritizing content review before our children/students view content is a wise and responsible approach. Much content can also help Catholic school teachers (including Alberta) reach many Student Learning Outcomes in the religious education resources. Please use these services and other resources to review what children/students are watching from a Catholic perspective:

• Plugged-in is a vast inter-Christian resource, encompassing both Catholic and non-Catholic content. It's a valuable tool for parents/teachers to assess the suitability of programs for their children/students.
• The Catechism of the Catholic Church provides answers from the magisterium on all doctrinal and moral matters.
• Magisterium AI: Recently highlighted in a Vatican conference, Magisterium AI provides a summary of the sources from the Bishops regarding a question of morality or faith presented in video content. 
  
  

Knowing that many content services may play unrelated videos after the chosen video ends is essential. This underscores the need to monitor what your children/students view actively. If possible, preview what's 'coming next' and what children can click on during and after any video (CCC [Catechism] 2223, Deut. 6:7).

Free and Paid-for Streaming Services 

• FORMED is a specifically Catholic streaming service that ensures your children a safe and enriching viewing experience. As of Mar. 2024, the application features an excellent series such as some of our favourites: Brother Francis, Catholic Heroes of the Faith, and the Saints and Heroes Collection. One can get a free membership simply by visiting a website for a Catholic parish and inserting the Code after downloading the application on your TV, Android, IOS or Windows device. Many parishes in the Diocese of Calgary publish the updated free Code for download on their parish website's Home (Front) page. Programming is for all ages, but they have a particular "kids" section.
• EWTN is a large Catholic TV station. Its kid's section features excellent programming such as The Way of the Cross for Kids, Massterpiece Donut Shop, and Tomkin: The Catholic Cowboy. The download is free and available on all platforms.
• SHALOM WORLD KIDS - SHALOM WORLD YOUTH is an international Catholic TV station with many exciting children's programs. The download is free and available on all platforms.
• CATHOLICTV features a wide array of Catholic programming, such as The Fred and Susie Show. You can access this website directly on your computer, TV, iOS, or Android. Downloading is free and available on all platforms.
• PUREFLIX (INTER-CHRISTIAN CONTENT) has much content from various Christian denominations that may or may not agree with Catholic Theology. Nevertheless, a discerning parent will be able to see the great content available on the platform. Paid subscriptions are available. Programming is for all ages, but they have a particular "kids" section. 
• NETFLIX and AMAZON PRIME (SECULAR): These streaming services have a lot of Christian content and anti-Christian content. Some great Christian programs from Netflix include Veggie Tales and Paul: Apostle of Christ. 
• YOUTUBEKIDS.com: features many religious content. Just insert keywords from the Scripture or the Tradition of the Apostles (ex., creed, Jesus story) 

Programs outside of streaming services 

AGES 2-7/Grades K-2 and above​

• Animated Bible Series (Saddleback Kids) is a sensitive and straightforward retelling of crucial Bible stories. It could be used with Children Ages 7-12.
• CatChat is a locally produced Albertan Catholic Children's show that speaks about Catholic morality and doctrine
• Christian Kids TV is an Eastern Rite Catholic production team that produces basic animation programs on the Saints' lives and the Bible's stories. This could be used with Ages 7-12.
• Hermie is a common caterpillar that learns lessons about morality and the Bible.  Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• Larryboy is from the makers of Veggie Tales and tells stories about vices to avoid and virtues to achieve. It could be used with Children Aged 7-12.
• The Beginners Bible tells the main stories of the Bible to children in easy-to-understand language. The series is in episode form and includes many hours of content. It could be used with Children Ages 7-12.
• The Donut Man is created by Rob Evans. The Donut Man is similar to other children's TV shows, focusing on music to get across the Christian Gospel. The series is in episode form and includes many hours of content.
• The Holy Tales: Bible tells stories from the Bible based on the liturgical year. It could be used with Children aged 7-12.
• Veggie Tales tells stories from Church History, the Bible and elsewhere to teach Christian concepts centred on morality. It could be used for children up to the age of 18. As of March 2020, new series are available for subscription at Canadian NETFLIX and PUREFLIX. Veggie Tales are also available as short clips on YouTube.
  
  

AGES 7-12/Grades 2-6 and Above​

• 100 Bible Stories are Flash videos featuring popular stories from the Bible. While the production value is lower than others on this list, 100 Bible Stories features Catholic stories from the Bible, excluding Protestant and non-Catholic Christians, such as the stories from the Book of Tobit. 
• 3-2-1 Penguins! is from the makers of Veggie Tales and tells stories about Christian morality. 
• Bibleman is a superhero who uses the Bible to teach lessons to children/students about how to act. Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• Bugtime Adventures features bugs learning Bible stories and their modern application to their lives. Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• Bible Stories – The teaching of Jesus features the famous series The Storykeepers, Kids 10 Commandments, Iesodo (the bird who learns about Jesus), and Bugtime Adventures
• Animated Stories from the New Testament is a cartoon series from animators who worked with the Walt Disney Corporation. Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• Animated Stories from the Old Testament is a cartoon series from animators who worked with the Walt Disney Corporation. Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• Iesdodo tells the story of a bird that learns about Catholic morality. Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• Kids 10 Commandments teaches the basic morality of the Catholic faith using exciting characters and stories. Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• Last Chance Detectives is a high-production live-action series about a group of children who solve mysteries and learn about Christian virtues. This could be used for children up to the age of 18.  Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• McGee and Me is a live-action cartoon series focusing on Bible stories and the need to practise the virtues. Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• My Catholic Family features the stories of Catholic Saints, such as St. Faustina. These and more are also available on the EWTN App.
• Old Testament Stories is another retelling of Bible stories in cartoon form. It could be used for children between the ages of 12 and 18. A warning that the holy Tetragrammaton (the Four Letter Word) Holy Name for God is used in the film. 
• The Greatest Adventure Stories from the Bible places contemporary fictional characters into popular Bible stories, such as Jonah, Esther and Ruth. This could be used for children up to the age of 18.  Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• The Animated Bible Series tells stories from the Bible in age-appropriate language.
• The Flying House is a Japanese Christian anime series featuring modern-day children witnessing Biblical events. This could be used for children up to the age of 18. Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• The Storykeepers tells the story of the early Roman Catholic Church and how it survived despite persecution. Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• What's in the Bible? from the makers of Veggie Tales tells the stories of the Bible from a comedic perspective. Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
  
  

AGES 12-18

• Brother Fire tells the story of St. Francis and other Franciscans during the Middle Ages. 
• Catholic Central includes videos targeted towards teens that interpret modern issues and questions from a Catholic perspective. 
• Charlemagne tells the story of Church history from St. Augustine to the great Catholic emperor Charlemagne. It is a detailed look at early Middle Ages Church history (300s-800s).
• Quo Vadis tells the history of the early Church, from the ministry of the First Pope, St. Peter, to the early Church Fathers, including St. Ambrose and their struggle with Arianism (the belief that Jesus was not fully God). It is a detailed look at the early history of the Church.
• McGee and Me: The New Adventures tells the story of Nick from McGee and Me, who is now a teen. The series goes through the difficulty of being a religious Christian teen. Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• The Bible (2013 Mini-series) and AD the Bible Continues to bring Bible stories and Church history to life using modern special effects and storytelling. Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• The Visual Bible Project brings the Bible to life verse by verse. The Visual Bible project produced the Books of The Gospel of Matthew, The Gospel of John, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Gospel of Luke (also called "the Jesus Movie"). Search for it in available formats and at various services. 
• The Bible Project tells about the meaning of scripture from an inter-Christian perspective. Please note that since this is told from an inter-Christian viewpoint (including non-Catholics), it is missing books in the Catholic Bible.
• The Chosen tells the story of Jesus using a mini-series mode. It can be accessed through Angel Media Applications in various formats (Roku, IOS, Android, etc.)
• The Thomistic Institute speaks about the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas from a modern perspective (should be used for older children/grades)
• Various Movies and Series are grouped on IMDB, such as the one listed here. Search for it in available formats and at various services. ​
• Video Catechism: reviews the significant sections of the catechism in a teen-friendly way (the summary of all the Catholic faith).

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Compiled by the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, Diocese of Calgary.