The inter-generational love for the Australian children’s cartoon “Bluey” was on full display during the Montague Public Libraries sponsored Bluey Party last weekend as parents and their children enjoyed the activities together, while expressing their love for the popular Blue Heeler. 

Starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, the Discovery Center filled with families from Montague and beyond, with games and activities replicating those from the TV show like “Keepy Uppy,” “Animal Hospital” and “Taxi,” along with a self-guided scavenger hunt around the building. Kids of all ages were engaged with the activities, especially “Keepy Uppy,” which is essentially a game of keeping a balloon in the air and not letting it touch the ground.

Montague Public Libraries hosted a Bluey Party the year prior with 140 attendees, and this year, 240 guests came to enjoy the day, according to Angela Rovatti-Leonard, the youth services librarian at the Carnegie Library. Although another Bluey Party has not yet been planned, Leonard said she hopes to make it an annual tradition.

Leonard explained that the idea to use “Bluey” for a family and children’s literacy activity came from the show itself, which revolves around pretend play and family activities. She also sees how popular the “Bluey” books are at the library.

“We can't keep enough books in the library,” Leonard said. “They're always being checked out — I can't buy enough Bluey books.”

“Bluey” originated in Australia in 2018, and has since become an international hit with viewership numbers in the United States reflecting it’s continued popularity. According to IMDB, the show follows the adventures of a 6-year-old Blue Heeler puppy, Bluey, who lives with her dad, mom and 4-year-old little sister, Bingo.

The show tackles real-world subject matter for children and adults in a digestible way, with the most viewed episode – the 28-minute episode “The Sign” – revolving around the family moving to a new home, and the characters navigating the change from their different perspectives. 

According to Nielsen Media Research data, 50 billion minutes of “Bluey” watch-time on Disney+ were racked up in United States as of November 2024. In 2023, Bluey was the second most watched show in the U.S., falling just behind the Netflix series “Suits” in the Nielsen’s data.

Leonard explained that there aren’t many opportunities for pretend play that are free for families to enjoy together, and the public library has an opportunity to offer free activities like this using their budget.

According to Scholastic, pretend play helps develop social and emotional skills, including learning how to empathize, share responsibility and problem solve.

“They'll use a piece of asparagus and turn it into a magic wand, just using everyday items to have fun together as a family, and they also deal with some tough topics right as well. I've seen some of those episodes as well, and it's a kid-friendly way to deal with topics,” Leonard said. 

After watching a few episodes of “Bluey,” Leonard said she understands the enjoyment adults get out of the show, too.

Parents at this year’s Bluey Party, many decked out in their “Bluey” attire, expressed their appreciation for the show. 

Daniel and Amanda Bowling brought their 5-year-old son Dean to the event, and Daniel Bowling wore a death metal t-shirt with the character Muffin on it. He said he found “Bluey” before his son did, and he appreciates the animation style of the show along with the “chaos” that Muffin brings. Now, the family watches “Bluey” as part of their nighttime routine.

“We have Disney+, so he gets to watch it as often as he can,” Amanda Bowling said.

Both Daniel and Amanda say their son enjoys the show, so much so that he became emotional over one episode, “Easter,” where Bluey and Bingo worry the Easter Bunny will forget them as he did the Easter before, until they discover an Easter basket after some careful sleuthing.

Courtney Stebbins of Montague said that her two daughters, 5-year-old Alita and 1-year-old Sydney, enjoy the show, and that as a big sister, Alita sees herself reflected in Bluey. Courtney Stebbins said her daughters “take a lot of inspiration” from the make believe and pretend play in the show.

Brandon Dobnic traveled from Vermont with his son Konstantine to attend the Bluey Party and carried a “Bluey” backpack and keychains of the characters while his son played at the Animal Hospital table, and completed the scavenger hunt. 

Dobnic said that he watches “Bluey” with his son about three times a day, and leaves the show on for Konstantine to watch throughout the day. Having watched the show for three years now, Dobnic said he and his song have found favorite episodes, with his being the episode “Whale Watching,” and his Konstantine’s being “Sleepytime.”

After the years of watching “Bluey,” Dobnic appreciates the show’s ability to reflect real life relationships and awareness unlike other shows.

“I think it really connects with what real life actually looks like, and then how that transcends into parenting dynamics, and situational awareness,” he said. “It’s very real.”

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.