Gotta Be Done: All Things Bluey

Very early on in the era of Disney Plus, we encountered an Australian family who felt so very familiar. The parents were downright silly with their kids, not afraid to appear ridiculous or get dirty in their quest to be active participants in their kids’ childhood. The offside parental comments about cricket, or the toilet, or love, could have been spoken in our house, and served to make the show endearing on so many levels. If you aren’t yet familiar with Bluey and the Heeler family, then now is the time to get aquainted.

Season one has been available for some time now in the US, and we have watched and re-watched, and watched again without the kids to our heart’s content. We have been discontented with the absence of Season 2 from Disney Plus. We’ve seen some of the wonderful “outtakes,” and a few free episodes on Disney Now, but Season 2 has been withheld from Disney Plus for a whole year, while they aired it to folks who subscribe to their other streaming platforms. Insert disgruntled eye rolling from my husband here. Our lack of patience pays off this week, as Bluey Season 2 hits Disney Plus this Friday. I am seriously contemplating taking the day off from work to snuggle up with my littles and spend a day with the Heeler family.

We have done many Heeler adjacent things while waiting for Season 2. I became an avid listener of Gotta Be Done, a delightful Australian podcast created by two moms and fellow Bluey addicts. I have refrained from listening to much of season two, simply because I haven’t seen the episodes. Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling go into the weeds on each episode of Bluey, taking a whole bunch of detours into mum life, childhood memories, and everything else! Their conversations are witty, relatable, and incredibly funny. I really hope these two branch out into some other podcasts because they are simply delightful to listen to.

We have crafted our way through the year with the Heelers too. Of course I found a crochet pattern and made our very own Bluey Heeler. I have the yarn for a Bingo too, but then other things sidetracked me. I expect the whole family to arrive shortly after the showing of season two in our house.

There are coloring and activity books available, as well as a sticker collection. The Bluey website and social media feed always contains some crafts or games that you can do as a family. The show is very keen on showing parents how they can be an interactive part of their kids life, instead of letting life and chores stick them on the sidelines, and this comes through in everything they put out.

We drove to two different Targets when the toys first came out, and found quite a few of them. I regularly find them hiding around the house, and have to remind everyone that when the kids are done with this show, they are mum’s toys. Mum gets to keep them. There are episode specific figures, generic figures, play scenes, and even the Heeler house to play with. Stuffed Animals too of course, though we’ll stick with our homemade ones. for now

But the crème de la crème is the series of books that have been steadily put out this year, with several more to come. Most of the books are episode retellings of some of our favorite episodes from season one. The books are the same size and formatting as the old Little Critter books by Mercer Mayer, and so have that nostalgic feel for parents raised in the eighties. You can join Bluey on her nighttime adventure in Good Night Fruit Bat, follow mum on her walk in The Beach, and go down to The Creek with Dad. One of the wonderful things about the cartoon is continued in the book; it’s commitment to integrity in storytelling that encourages independent learning. For example, rather than have Bluey come across a kangaroo on the walk down to the creek, she comes across a potoroo. My kids have no idea what that is, and so instantly want to know more.

Currently our favorite of the new books is Bob Bilby. This is also an episode retelling, but the book is done completely from the perspective of Bob Bilby himself, he’s a puppet not an actual Bilby. The narrative structure of the book, and a perspective that differs from the episode itself, carries on with the whimsical approach to life that permeates the world of the Heelers. I have a feeling this book will soon be replaced when our favorite episode is brought to book on September 7, here come the grannies.

The board book All About Bluey was the one my five year old took for herself instantly. Smaller than the other books, it is not your typical light on words board book. It contains all kinds of information about Bluey and her family, and has a special emphasis on living life to its fullest, with what you have around you.

Bluey’s days are filled with fun and games and new adventures. And in the evening, nothing beats the special feeling of hanging out with the whole family.

The Heelers are just the family we need as we shake off the remnants of 2020. So get yourselves some popcorn and get comfy for season two this week, it’s gotta be done.

GeekMom was sent review samples of some items in this post.