What Are the Best Resources for Learning Te Reo Māori?

You do not need to be fluent to bring te reo Māori into your home. A few picture books, a kids' show, a song and a handful of everyday phrases are enough to start, and you can learn right alongside your child.

This guide lists resources we checked in October 2026. Each one is still available, and each one works for a parent and child learning together.

Start with a few phrases you can use every day

Short phrases stick best when you use them at the same moments each day. Say them at breakfast, at the door and at bedtime, and your child will soon say them back.

Look up any new word in Te Aka Māori Dictionary. It is free online, it is also an app for iOS and Android, and each entry tells you how a word is used.

Picture books in te reo Māori for young children

Bilingual picture books let you read the English and try the Māori on the same page. That takes the pressure off a parent who is still learning.

• Reo Pēpi by Kitty Brown and Kirsten Parkinson. These bilingual books are written for children aged 0 to 5 and their whānau. Each book has a glossary and a pronunciation guide. The first series covers getting dressed (Kākahu), animals (Kararehe) and the face (Kanohi), and the third series includes Kare ā-Roto, a book about feelings.
• "Kei Te Pēhea Koe?" by Tracy Duncan (Picture Puffin, 2008). This 32-page bilingual picture book teaches children to say how they feel, from hōhā (bored) to makariri (cold) and matekai (hungry). A pronunciation guide at the back helps new learners.

Read the same book many times. Repetition is how the phrases move from the page into your family's talk. For more read-aloud ideas, see our list of read-aloud books for kids.

Kids' shows and films in te reo Māori

Screen time can do real work when the language is in the show. Watch with your child and repeat one new word together after each episode.

Shows on MĀORI+

MĀORI+ is the streaming service of Whakaata Māori. Its Tamariki section includes:

• Kiri and Lou: the stop-motion preschool series about two friends in prehistoric Aotearoa, reversioned into te reo Māori.
• Pūkana: a long-running te reo Māori show for young people, with seasons 19 to 24 on the service.
• Māori-language versions of familiar cartoons such as Cocomelon and Morphle.

Some content on MĀORI+ may not be available outside Aotearoa because of content rights.

Disney films dubbed into te reo Māori

The production company Matewa Media dubs Disney animated films into te reo Māori. Your child may already know these stories, which makes the new words easier to follow.

• Moana Reo Māori (2017), which came to Disney+ in June 2020.
• The Lion King Reo Māori and Frozen Reo Māori (2022), which came to Disney+ in November 2022.
• Coco Reo Māori (2023).

Disney+ catalogs differ by country, so check what is available where you live.

Songs to sing together

Songs give children the rhythm and sound of the language before they know what every word means. Sing in the car, in the bath and while you tidy up.

• "Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi": a waiata written in the 1950s by Canon Wiremu Te Tau Huata. He first taught it to his own children in the car, and it spread after the Ministry of Education put it in school books.
• The Moana Reo Māori soundtrack: released in November 2017, it lets children sing songs they already love in te reo Māori.

For more ways to use music at story time, read our guide to musical storytelling.

Apps for the whole family

Apps fill the gaps between books and shows. Keep sessions short and do them together, so the app becomes a shared game.

• Kupu: take a photo of an object and the app gives you Māori words for it. It is on iOS, Android and the web, and it was made with support from Spark, Te Aka Māori Dictionary and Google.
• Te Aka Māori Dictionary app: the same dictionary as the website, for iOS and Android.
• Drops: offers a Māori course with short, illustrated lessons. There is a free version with time limits and a paid Premium version.

One note: Duolingo does not offer a Māori course. Its course list includes Hawaiian and Navajo, but not Māori.

Classes for parents who want to go further

When you are ready for structure, a class gives you a teacher and a plan. Then you can bring each new phrase home to your child.

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa runs te reo Māori programmes at many levels. Its Level 1 options include Te Ara Reo Māori online (full time or part time) and Papa Reo, which you study at home with resources and a support person. The site lists these programmes with no fees.

Make it a family habit

• Pick one routine. Use "Mōrena" every morning for a week before you add another phrase.
• Label the house. Use Kupu or the dictionary to find words for things your child touches every day.
• Read, then watch. Pair a Reo Pēpi book with an episode of Kiri and Lou on the same day.
• Join Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. Māori Language Week runs every September, in the week that includes the 14th. It is a good time to try something new as a family.

Mistakes are part of learning. When you try a word out loud, your child sees that learning a language is something families do together.