3 Levantine Dialect Youtube Channels For Kids That We Love
My kids aren't the only ones who have learned a lot from these channels--I have as well. As an American woman who married into a Palestinian family, trying to immerse our kids in dialect while living in Southern Alabama has been a challenge to say the least. Even as we try to limit screen time in our house, these three channels have been ESSENTIAL.
You'll often find them on the TV in the living room, sometimes as background noise while we do other things, to keep the unique sounds of Arabic flowing into our kids’ ears. Why? Up to age 4, Children's brains are highly receptive to language learning, with the ability to distinguish and learn unique sounds from any language. Arabic contains so many sounds that are not found in English (خ, غ, ق, ح, ع, ص, ض, ط, ظ), and without these channels, my husband is basically a one-man army trying to make sure our kids develop these skills.
Here are the top three Arabic kids' channels that have been a game-changer for us:
1. Kiki Wa Nadoush (Here)
As a facetime-style show for toddlers, Kiki wa Nadoush focuses on teaching toddlers basic words and phrases in colloquial Arabic. Topics include colors, counting, and essential needs like food and sleep. As a parent, I especially love that they include English captions, so I can follow along even if I don’t know every word. One of my personal favorite segments is “Amo Batata” (عمو بطاطا), where I learned the names of face parts in Arabic alongside my kids!
Plus, they have an entire episode dedicated to Palestinian culture—foods, dance, and more. It’s a wonderful way for our kids to connect with their heritage from across the world.
Highlights:
- Colors, basic needs, counting.
- English captions for parents.
- Their adorable “amo batata” (عمو بطاطا) segment is how I learned face parts!
- An entire episode dedicated to Palestinian culture, foods, dance, & more.
2. Kalam Kids (Here)
Another great facetime-style channel, Kalam Kids is all about teaching toddlers basic emotions and words. They also offer episodes in English, which is great for reinforcing lessons. Their repetitive counting and color segments really help solidify the vocabulary for little ones.
What’s especially cool about Kalam Kids is that they have several episodes dedicated to teaching Islam in a way that’s easy for kids to understand. It’s a great option for families looking to incorporate faith-based lessons into their daily routine.
Highlights:
- Teaches basic words & emotions.
- Duplicate episodes in english.
- Repetitive counting & color segments reinforce learning.
- Several episodes dedicated to teaching religion in a kid-friendly way.
3. Ahlan Simsim (Here)
This Jordanian-produced Sesame Street spin-off is primarily in colloquial Arabic, with characters we know and love—like Elmo—interacting in a way that’s culturally relevant. Each episode focuses on a specific emotion, helping kids develop emotional intelligence while learning Arabic.
There’s a good mix of live-action puppets and human characters, as well as some slower-paced cartoons, which make it easy for non-native speakers (like me!) to follow along with the storylines. Ahlan Simsim is fantastic for immersing your child in both language and culture.
Highlights:
- New & familiar characters (including Elmo).
- Full episodes with simple plot lines that kids & non-native speakers can easily follow.
- Each episode focuses on an emotion.
- Live-action puppet segments & human characters, as well as slow-paced cartoons.
Why These Channels Matter for Bilingual Families
When it comes to raising bilingual kids, especially those learning both English and Arabic, exposure to the unique sounds of Arabic is crucial. The ability to distinguish between those sounds can help your child become fluent and confident in both languages. And let’s be honest, if your house is anything like mine, you’re balancing work, kids, and life—so these channels help supplement what we can’t always provide.
As someone who didn’t grow up speaking Arabic, I’ve learned just as much as my kids have from these shows. It’s helped me pick up words and phrases that I now use daily, making the learning process even more fun and interactive for our whole family.
Thank you, Kiki wa Nadoush, Kalam Kids, and Ahlan Simsim, for bringing the beauty of colloquial Arabic into our home!
Looking for More Arabic Resources for Your Kids?
If you're on the same journey of raising bilingual children, check out our bilingual baby books. We create engaging, fun books in English and colloquial Levantine Arabic that help families connect with their heritage. Perfect for baby showers, new parents, or anyone wanting to pass on the beauty of the spoken dialect to their little ones.
With the right tools—whether it's through YouTube channels, books, or daily conversations—you can help your child build strong bilingual skills from an early age!