Table of Contents
This is a page where I will collect links to tv shows and movies in te reo Māori suitable for beginners to watch. If you have any suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I can add them to this page.
Also know that to gain the most benefit of absorbing the language from watching these, avoid using English subtitles. Otherwise you’ll be reading English rather than working your brain to improve your te reo comprehension. And, for the best results try watch things slightly above your level but that you still enjoy and understand at least the storyline.
TV Shows
Many of the kids shows are produced in both English and te reo Māori. This page will only link to the te reo playlists. Most content is available for free on either Youtube or Māori+.
Tākaro Tribe - Te Reo Rārangi
Created for preschoolers, it follows 5 patupaiarehe (woodland fairies) each named after the vowels in te reo: A, E, I, O, U. Each episode they learn a new word, how to spell it and how it looks in real life. They also have extra songs and videos other than the series. Empty (grey) links are videos I couldn’t find.
- Youtube channel
- Website
- Learn the alphabet
- Season 1: all | playlist | 1-5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20
- Season 2: all | playlist | 1-5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20
- Season 3: all | playlist | 1-5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20
Pipi Mā
“Join Pipi, Hura, Tītoki and Pītau Pōtiki as they discover and explore the exciting world within their kōhanga and beyond!”
Darwin and Newts
This kids tv series follows Māori siblings Darwin and Newts as they explore their world through science and playing in the outdoors, accompanied with other characters. It is a step up from Te Reo Rārangi, but has simple language and is easy to follow along with.
Both Craft with Newts and Experiments with Darwin season 1 were only produced in English.
Molly of Denali
It’s set in Alaska and “follow[s] the adventures of feisty and resourceful 10-year-old Molly Mabray, an Alaska Native girl.” A kids TV show with 2 seasons. The language is a bit more advanced than Darwin and Newts.
- Māori+ (until 21st July 2027)
We Bear Bears in te reo Māori
A cartoon dubbed by Cartoon Network New Zealand a few years back. There are 3 full-length episodes, 7 two-minute episodes, 10 thirty-second episodes of a learn te reo series, and 1 behind the scenes recording video. The language is quite complicated and they speak fast, but it’s very entertaining.
Ngā Kōtiro o Taranaki
“A stunning colourful, 2D animated short series set in 1870’s Taranaki, Aotearoa. The Land Wars in Aotearoa are over. A Taranaki hapū is planning a feast with Pākehā former soldiers to mark the start of more peaceful times. Not all is what it seems.”
- Māori+ (until 31st March 2027)
Tōku Reo Kōkara
A 6-episode (10 mins each) documentary focusing on “the important role mothers play in the effort of te reo Māori revitalisation and creating future generations of te reo Māori speakers.”
Movies
Matewa Media are an awesome film company who partnered with Disney and create Māori dubbed versions for Disney films. Currently there are 6 of them, and they’re all available on Disney+. They’re also working with Dreamworks for an upcoming Māori version of Shrek.
There is a lot of language in these and they’re great for improving your reo comprehension, especially if you’re familiar with the story.