In this technological era, with the advent of the Internet, most kids or even adults prefer watching cartoons online. This is so as it firstly saves the money spent on buying DVDs, and also they don’t need to wait for the TV broadcasting. So, you might be looking for safe or legal streaming platforms on which you can watch cartoons online for free?
If so, then you have come to the right place. In this post, we’ll discuss in detail the animated streaming platform with its features. Also, we’ll share with you some tips to ensure that your kids remain safe online while watching cartoons. So, keep reading!
Why we love to watch cartoons online？
You might have observed that whether it’s kids or adults, they prefer watching animated shows on their screen gadgets. Let’s dive deeper and understand the dressing behind this change!
1. Easy access anytime
We watch cartoons or animated shows for fun in our free time, right? So because of the Internet availability, now you don’t have to wait for the release of TV broadcasts and limit yourself to home before the TV screen. Now whether you are travelling or anywhere else, you can watch your favorite shows anytime.
2. Wide variety of choices
The next, amazing thing is that streaming platforms for watching cartoons usually come with a great library of content. It means you can access shows from different countries, genres (comedy, action, adventure, fantasy, mystery, etc.), or styles (anime, 2D, 3D, etc.).
3. Personalized viewing
Also watching shows online gives you the advantage that you have full control over your viewing experience. For instance, you can skip the scene (with 10s of gaps) or the episode that you don’t like or feel bored with.
4. Fun for every age
Moreover, viewing cartoons online offers entertainment to every age group people whether kids or adults. This is because kids are basically attracted towards the bright visuals and the lively music that such cartoons offer.
If they view it online, then they enjoy extra benefits like some streaming platforms have age-friendly content categories. Also, the adults would get a feel of nostalgia watching such cartoons.
Navigate their online journey with ease!
Where to watch cartoons online safely and legally?
There are a lot of streaming platforms available online that allow you to watch your favourite cartoons. But the question is: Are all such platforms legal or safe to browse? So, to help you in this regard, here I’m going to discuss in detail the trustworthy services that offer you access to the content free of cost.
Also, we’ll provide insight into the legal platforms with premium access for more features.
Legitimate ways to watch cartoons online free
YouTube Kids
YouTube Kids was officially launched on February 23, 2015, as a kid-friendly streaming platform. It basically allows kids to have access to a wide variety of age-appropriate content.
- Curated playlists by theme or age
- Offline viewing of selected videos
- Safe browsing with human review and algorithms
- Parental controls for screen-time limits and approved channels
- Huge collection of classic cartoons, music videos, and educational shows
Public Library Streaming
Public library streaming services are also websites or applications that allow their users to watch content free of cost, just via their digital ID. Also, such platforms are completely ad-free and allow you to stream content on phones, tablets, smart TV’s, etc. Kanopy Kids and Hoopla, come in the category of such streaming services.
- Kanopy Kids: Curated library of award-winning animated films, educational series, and interactive content for all ages.
- Hoopla: This platform has also allows you to enjoy a great content library including cartoons, e-books, anime, and comics.
Network-Specific Free Sections
Network-specific free, as the name suggests are basically the parts of TV networks’ official app or website that allow users to stream episodes free of cost. For instance, PBS Kids and cartoon networks are among the TV networks that allow Safe, high-quality content without even signing up.
- PBS Kids: Provides access to some full episodes from popular educational shows like Arthur, Wild Kratts, Curious George, and Sesame Street clips. Also, here you’ll find some games and interactive learning activities free of cost.
- Cartoon Network: Provides a limited number of episodes from current and popular cartoons like Teen Titans Go!, Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball, and other trending series.
Free Trials of Premium Services
Besides all, there are also streaming platforms available like Disney+, Netflix, and Hulu that offer 7–30 day trials. Inspite of the free version, you would have full access to their cartoon and anime libraries, which you can cancel anytime to avoid charges.
Premium access to watch cartoons online
Disney+
Disney+ is basically a Disney owned subscription based platform that has content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic in one place..
- Offline downloads for mobile devices
- Family-friendly profiles and parental controls
- Ad-free and High-definition (HD) and 4K Ultra HD streaming experience
- Access to the full Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic libraries
- Pricing: $15.99/month (No Ads), $29.99/month (Bundle with Hulu & ESPN+)
Netflix
Netflix is a digital platform that was introduced to us as a Television and video streaming service on January 16, 2007. It has over 300 million paid memberships in 190+ countries.
- You can download the episodes on your mobile devices for Offline viewing
- Also, premium version offers you the Ultra HD streaming (4K) on multiple screens simultaneously
- It also offers the Ad-free viewing of all content, including animated originals and licensed cartoons
- Pricing: $17.99/month (Standard), $24.99/month (Premium)
Hulu Premium
Talking about Hulu premium, then its the newly launched ad-free subscription plan of the Hulu platform. It enables you to watch 1000+ TV shows or movies on your devices without any interruptions.
- It has the option to even add Live TV channels
- Also, the premium version supports Ad-free streaming of the full Hulu library
- The amazing thing is that you can access even current-season episodes of popular TV cartoons
- Pricing: $18.99/month (No Ads), $36/month (Bundle with Disney+ & ESPN+)
HBO Max is another streaming platform that was introduced to us on May 27, 2020. It’s available on diffrent devices like smart TVs, streaming devices (Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV), mobile apps, and web browsers.
- It provides you an access to both kids’ and adult animation
- Also, by buying the premium version, you would enjoy the high-definition (4K) ad-free streaming with downloads options.
- Pricing: $9.99/month (With Ads), $16.99/month (Standard), $20.99/month (Premium)
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video as the name suggests is an Amazon-owned platform designed with the aim of allowing its users to stream a wide variety of content. For instance, here, you’ll find animated movies, licensed series, kids’ shows, and Amazon Originals. Also, for your information, after Netflix, Prime Video is basically the most popular on-demand streaming service worldwide.
- Offline downloads on mobile devices
- Included in an Amazon Prime membership
- Large catalog of animated series and films with ad-free viewing
- Pricing: $14.99/month (Prime Membership), $139/year (Annual), $8.99/month (Standalone Prime Video)
Crunchroll is a world-famous anime streaming platform that is basically owned by the Sony group corporation. Also, this platform has officially revealed that it has a community of 60 million registered users and 2.6 million subscribers.
- Subtitles and dubbed versions available
- Huge library of anime for all genres with no ads.
- The best thing is that you would have access to simulcasts and the latest episodes immediately after the Japan release
- Pricing: $7.99/month (Fan), $11.99/month (Mega Fan), $14.99/month (Ultimate Fan)
Funimation
Lastly on our list is the Funimation streaming platform that is basically renowned for dubbing and the release of foreign content especially anime one.
- English-dubbed content for easier viewing
- An extensive library of anime series and movies
- Offline downloads and a premium ad-free option
- Pricing: Funimation content now merged with Crunchyroll; use Crunchyroll plans: $7.99–$14.99/month depending on tier
“Watch cartoons online free reddit” and other forums
Furthermore, there are various online communities like Reddit, Discord, and fan forums where people discuss about the cartoons and also upload episodes there. So, by joining such communities, first of all, you would get the reviews of different people about the shows. And also you can watch them free of cost.
How to use these forums safely?
- The very first thing is that Stick to threads and subreddits that usually talk about legal streaming (e.g., YouTube, Crunchyroll, free trials).
- Also, always keep away from downloading or streaming from illegitimate sources to prevent malware or copyright issues.
- However, it’s recommended you should use the online forums just for taking reviews or suggestions not for watching cartoons.
Parental guidance for watching cartoons online
When it comes to kids browsing online, then you have to stay cautious! As watching cartoons on streaming platforms also comes with many risks, like exposure to age-inappropriate content, especially for kids. So, to ensure a safe browsing experience for kids, you have to be actively involved in their digital activities.
Understanding content ratings and age appropriateness
Every streaming platform like we mentioned above, actually uses the content ratings systems to categorize their content based on age groups. So, as a parent, you should be familiar with such rating systems, so you can determine whether the content your child is watching is suitable for them or not.
- ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board): The ESRB rating system was in reality introduced for rating video games. But now it’s also used to rate other online content. For instance, the ratings include E (Everyone), E10+ (Everyone 10+), T (Teen), M (Mature), and AO (Adults Only).
- TV Parental Guidelines (U.S.): As the name suggests, this system was designed to rate the TV programs or streaming content. For instance, its rating will be of kind like TV-Y (All Children), TV-Y7 (Older Children), TV-G (General Audience), TV-PG (Parental Guidance), TV-14, and TV-MA.
- Local or Regional Ratings: Also, many countries have their own age rating systems. For instance, U.K.’s BBFC or Australia’s Classification Board basically use ratings like PG (Parental Guidance), U (Universal), 12+, 15+, or 18+.
Alongside checking the content rating, you must also watch some episodes to read the summary of the animated shows or cartoons. Thus, you would get an idea of what type of content there is what message it gives to the kids.
Enhancing protection with parental control apps
According to a 2021 report by Common Sense Media, 70% of parents express concern about their children’s online safety. The report emphasizes the need for parental guidance and the implementation of safety measures. For a 100% reliable control over your kids’ digital watching, it’s best to install FlashGet kids’ parental control app, which is the most parents’ favourite.
This is because this app acts as the digital bodyguard of kids, which keeps an eye on kids every digital move and keeps parents updated by sending real-time alerts. Let’s have a look at its features!
- Website filtering: Owing to the FlashGet Kids app, you can blacklist the inappropriate website URLs.
- Screen time management: Furthermore kids are very much attracted to cartoons. While watching them, they couldn’t even realize how much time had gone thus ignoring their studies or other activities. Thus, by using FlashGet Kids, you can set time limitations on specific apps, allowing watching cartoons and even blocking them during study or sleeping hours.
- Real-time monitoring: Also, the amazing thing about Flashget Kids that makes it unique among all is that it allows you to screen mirror your kids’ devices. Thus, you are able to see what type of cartoons your kids are streaming.
Tips for an optimal cartoon viewing experience
- Ensure a Stable, Fast Internet Connection: If you want your kids to enjoy watching cartoons then ensure that they have a stable Internet connection.
- Balance Old and New Content: Also, I would say that it would be best if you encourage your kids to watch both classic and modern animated shows. This is because classic shows, although being 2D, still make kids laugh without having complex concepts.
- Explore International Animation: Moreover, it would be best to guide kids to watch animation shows from all countries, like South Korea, Japan, France, etc. Thus, they would know their cultural differences and explore their storytelling methods.
Conclusion
In summary, watching cartoons online is best because you can watch them anytime at any place and also have personalization benefits. Also as discussed throughout the article, there are many streaming platforms available that allow you to stream your favorite cartoons free of cost. Plus, some have premium access with high quality and ad-free experience.
However, when it comes to kids, you should check the content ratings to ensure that your kids watch only age-appropriate content. Also, for having full peace of mind regarding kids’ digital safety, you can leverage FlashGet Kids parental control tool. It combines advanced features to ensure a safe and healthy browsing experience for kids.
FAQ
Absolutely yes. It would be safe to watch cartoons online for free, but the condition is that you should use legal streaming platforms like PBS Kids, YouTube, etc. Otherwise the mirror websites in spite of giving you fun will invade your device security by installing the malware.
Most of the streaming platforms have parental control features that allow you to filter out the content on the basis of your kids’ ages. Also you can make use of FlashGet Kids for additional reliable protection as it allows real-time monitoring or website filtering options.
You would need a VPN only if the content you want to watch is restricted in another region. So, using the VPN, you would hide your IP address, like from where you belong, thus easily access that content.
