Spin me a story

Take the bite out of back-to-school with DStv shows for children of all ages.

- GENEVIEVE TERBLANCHE

Stressed and pressed kids? It's time for a treat. There are adventures, friends and new ideas waiting for your young ones on DStv this month and next. Anyone can be a hero and tell a story, from the world's most adorable little spider to a TV obsessed starfish, an adventurous cat, and two kids whose BFF is a snow monster, to teens who're working to create their own graphic novels and gaming YouTube channels. And there are lessons to learn for all ages and stages.

Read on for more about these upcoming series, and a list of the other shows starting on DStv screens right now, including returning shows that are bringing us brand-new episodes to continue their story. And remember, your kids might meet some of their favourite characters when they play and learn with DStv Island Adventures, free to all parents via the MyDStv app.

LUCAS THE SPIDER

This show brings animator Joshua Slice's adorable YouTube character Lucas The Jumping Spider into his own series, with some new friends to tag along on his adventures. While the series is about learning those all-important social lessons with a particular stress on compassion and empathy - it also helps its young audience to feel less frightened of spiders and other creepy crawlies that they'll encounter around their living environments. And since it takes place in a regular human-sized house, there's all the fascination of seeing normal everyday places and objects from the point of view of a tiny little spider who can jump around from floor to table, to wall and ceiling and creep around the house during the day and night. For kids aged three and up.

• Watch Lucas The Spider season 1, Mondays at 07:15 on Boomerang (*302).

THE UNSTOPPABLE YELLOW YETI