Editor’s note: This article was originally published on LDSLiving.com in November 2019.
In most homes, one or two TV shows tend to make their way to the top of the preference list. In our home, the children’s show Bluey reigns supreme. And not just because our three-year-old son loves it—my husband and I might be even bigger fans than our toddler. But for good reason—Bluey is an incredibly heartwarming show about the adventures of a lovable family of dogs.
Each eight-minute episode includes an inspiring truth or life lesson, highlighting the importance of family, love, support, kindness, sharing, inclusivity, patience, friendship, joy, and more. Here are 16 of our family’s favorite gospel-centered lessons from the first two seasons of this fun and uplifting show, organized by theme and episode. By the end of this list, you may find yourself wanting to catch a few episodes of Bluey, whether or not you have a young child in your house!
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Hope
“Bike”
In the episode, “Bike,” Bluey gets discouraged and frustrated with her lack of progress in learning to ride a bike (like so many of us do when we encounter new or hard things in life). But after watching her friends take on similarly inspiring feats around the park, she finds the courage to try again and ultimately succeeds in her quest. In the same way, we can find comfort, inspiration, and courage to endure our own trials as we read about people in the scriptures or revisit stories from general conference.
”Mum School”
In this episode Bluey plays “mum” to a brood of bouncy balloons, but she soon discovers that mothering is much harder than she imagined. When Bluey asks her own mom if her imaginary parenting efforts meant she “failed mum school,” her mom replies, “It’s OK. We all fail sometimes. We can just start again tomorrow.” In the same way, a 2017 Ensign article shares, “Isaiah proclaims, ‘Let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy unto him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon’ (Isaiah 55:7). Mormon adds his witness, ‘As oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven’ (Moroni 6:8). The joy of the gospel is that it is never too late. For as often as we seek forgiveness, the Lord’s redemption will allow us to start anew.”
“Piggyback”
In “Piggyback,” 4-year-old Bingo complains that her legs are tired of walking during a family vacation. But when she finds ways to serve and help other people, she soon forgets her discomfort and “finds joy in the journey.” Just like young Elder Gordon B. Hinckley’s father once encouraged him, Bingo was able to “forget [herself] and go to work.”
God’s Love
“Butterflies”
In “Butterflies,” Bluey and her friend Judo get frustrated with Bingo for being so little and taking so long to play their game. But after witnessing unkindness, Bluey learns empathy and finds a way to include her little sister in the game again. This lesson demonstrates the important gospel principle that “all are alike unto God,” even when someone plays or looks or lives differently than you do.
“Hammerbarn”
In this fun season two opening episode, when shopping at Hammerbarn, their fictional hardware store, Bluey and Bingo bicker because of unfairness and jealousy. But Mom teaches them an important lesson in gratitude: “Just try and be happy with what you’ve got, OK?” Elder Holland shared in 2002, “I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; He doesn’t measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other.”
“Sleepytime”
In this fan-favorite episode, 4-year-old Bingo is having a dream, and Mum, who is depicted as the warm, inviting sun in the dream, tells Bingo, “Remember, I’ll always be here for you, even if you can’t see me, because I love you.” The same is true of our loving Heavenly Father. Even when we can’t see Him, He’s always there for us and He loves us infinitely. As President Thomas S. Monson said, “God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there.”
“Queens”
The episode “Queens” does a beautiful job of teaching about divine worth. Each of the members of the family takes turns playing “queen” and being pampered. Each character was reminded how special they were and how it felt to take turns making others feel special too. Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, former Young Women General President, has said: “The real source that we should turn to to find out our value is our Heavenly Father. … The thing that gives me the greatest comfort is knowing who I am. … If we really understood that we are literal sons and daughters of Heavenly Father, I don’t think we would ever question our value.” This episode is a great reminder that whether you are a 7-year-old, a 4-year-old, a mom, or a dad, we are all children of God and should treat each other like royalty.
“Easter”
“Easter” is the very last episode of season two, and it teaches a great gospel truth. When Bluey and Bingo assume the Easter bunny has forgotten them again, they are instead surprised to discover an elaborate series of clues and a scavenger hunt that leads them to a huge Easter basket treasure. In the same way, our Heavenly Father will not ever forget us, and He has an incredible treasure—immortality and eternal life—awaiting us.
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Agency
“Verandah Santa”
In a cute Christmas episode, Bluey learns the important lesson of forgiveness and having Godly sorrow for our sins. When Bluey’s baby cousin Socks bites her during a game, Bluey takes out her revenge by volunteering to play Santa and leaves gifts for everyone except Socks. Dad asks Bluey to imagine if Socks did the same thing to Bluey, and it makes Bluey realize that what she did was wrong, feel true sorrow for her actions, and ultimately apologize to and forgive her cousin.
“Grandad”
The episode “Grandad” is one of the best examples of the show’s depiction of familial love and support, but it also teaches us about agency. Mum wants both her daughter Bluey and her dad to live for a long time, so she encourages them to make choices that will keep them healthy. In a similar fashion, our Heavenly Father pleads with us to make righteous choices so we can return to live with him. Yes—like Grandad and Bluey—we all have our agency, and we can choose not to rest or eat our proverbial pumpkin seeds, but we should also consider the consequences of our actions and how they may dishearten or disappoint our loving heavenly parents.
“Circus”
In “Circus,” one bossy friend Hercules wants to play motorbikes while everyone else is already playing Circus. But as he continues to bully everyone into his game, instead of meeting his frustration with more anger, Bluey comes to the rescue with kindness. She patiently suggests a new role perfect for him in their Circus game and his anger dissipates. Just like it says in Doctrine and Covenants 121, “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained …, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned.”
Progress
“Shadowlands”
In one of the first episodes in the series, Bluey, Bingo, and their friends are playing a game called Shadowlands. When their friend Coco wants to change the rules to make it easier, Bluey says they can’t “because they’re the rules!” But after playing for a while, Coco has a realization: “That’s why you can’t change the rules—because the rules make it fun!” The same principle is true with God’s commandments. Without God’s “rules” like repentance, life would be much more complicated, less “fun,” and lead to “misery and endless woe.”
“Baby Race”
The episode “Baby Race” features a lesson that Mum learned as a new mother and a valuable lesson for us all. When Bluey was a baby, Mum was quick to compare her daughter’s progress to those of the other babies and easily became discouraged. But after some encouraging words from another veteran mom, Mum was able to be content with Bluey’s progress and stop comparing her accomplishments to the other kids’. Sister Joy D. Jones has shared, “How many of us struggle, from time to time, with negative thoughts or feelings about ourselves? I do. It’s an easy trap. Satan is the father of all lies, especially when it comes to misrepresentations about our own divine nature and purpose. Thinking small about ourselves does not serve us well. Instead, it holds us back. … We can stop comparing our worst to someone else’s best.”
“Takeaway”
“Takeaway” (or takeout as we would call it here in the US) does a great job of teaching the principle of enduring trials. While waiting five minutes for their food to be done, the episode quickly turns into a comedy of errors parenting style: Bingo wants a drink, Bluey wants to play with the menus, Bingo is starving, the girls play restaurant and kick Dad off his chair, the crows eat Dad’s dinner, Bluey floods the sidewalk, and then when they finally get up to leave, Dad slips and spills ALL their food. But instead of getting mad, in the end, Dad realizes (essentially) that he should “be not weary in well-doing,” and seizes the moment as a chance to play with his girls.
“Perfect”
Bluey is determined to make the perfect Father’s Day card for her Dad, but of course, the card is never perfect. Mum points out that she and Dad aren’t perfect either, and that Dad will love whatever Bluey does—as long as it’s the best she can do. There have been countless conference talks and messages about the commandment to “Be ye therefore perfect” and eventual perfection, and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s statement does a good job of summarizing many of them: “Every one of us aspires to a more Christlike life than we often succeed in living. If we admit that honestly and are trying to improve, we are not hypocrites; we are human. … If we persevere, then somewhere in eternity our refinement will be finished and complete—which is the New Testament meaning of perfection.”
BONUS!
“Onesies” (new episode from Bluey season 3)
When the Heelers’ aunt Brandy comes to visit, her four-year-long absence from their lives becomes even more noticeablele when she gifts the girls animal onesies and unleashes a crazed Bingo. Like all Bluey episodes, it’s fun but also full of important lessons—maybe even more so for adults than for kids. Without sharing too many spoilers, it touches on a serious topic more head-on than any other Bluey episode to date. It’s a good reminder of three things: first, to “mourn with those that mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort”; second, to be humble enough to share your trials with those who care most about you; and third, to keep strong family ties whenever possible.
