Parenting

Ugga Mugga! 30 Daniel Tiger Characters And Why They're Just So Lovable

Updated: Dec. 2, 2021

Originally Published: Sep. 1, 2021

PBS

What is there to say about Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood that hasn’t already been said a million times before? It is, in every sense of the word, perfection. It’s a world in which the neighbors all get along. And where the adorable kids teach each other valuable lessons on kindness, how to share, and feelings. As for the parents? Every last one of them is filled to the brim with patience — patience we will never, ever, in a million years have in real life. Yes, there’s so very much to love about Daniel Tiger characters and the universe they inhabit.

Of course, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is perfect because it’s Utopian and, therefore, inherently unrealistic. But that doesn’t mean we don’t love it. Mom Tiger has a song for everything. Dad Tiger is helpful with Baby Margaret and encouraging to every kid that comes into his home. Daniel’s friend, Prince Wednesday, even attends public school with all the adorable peasants. And, yes, we love how diverse the neighborhood is, too. Every big feeling, every change, and every mistake takes the form of a lesson taught in a voice just barely above a whisper. Bonus: The show puts practically everything to a memorable tune you can utilize later — assuming you manage not to just immediately lose your shit when things go south. (Been there! Sorry, tiny humans.)

With so many wonderful and diverse characters scattered around Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, it can be hard to keep track of everyone. To help, we went through and organized all of Daniel Tiger’s friends and the adults in their lives. We’ll also talk about why some feel extra important. Not only will this explainer earn you some cool cred with your toddler or preschooler, but it could also very well come in handy around Halloween time. Jodi Platypus costume, anyone?

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Characters 101

The Tigers

The Tigers are quite possibly the world’s most patient and soft-spoken family. There have been a ton of vital lessons taught by the tigers, but a few moments with the family stick out in particular. First, when Mom and Dad Tiger bring home Baby Margaret, they utilize many practical introductory skills we can all use when introducing our older child(ren) to a new sibling.

Later, when the pandemic hit and Daniel could no longer visit with his Grandpere, the show did a fantastic job of illustrating how kids and older folks can keep in touch. We also just dearly love how, despite living further away, Grandpere is such an essential and helpful part of the Tiger family. The Tigers include:

Daniel Tiger: The titular 4-year-old tiger who lives on Jungle Beach with his parents.
Mom Tiger: Daniel’s mother, a carpenter.
Dad Tiger: Daniel’s father works at the clock factory. He also does photography as a hobby.
Baby Margaret Tiger: Daniel’s little sister, named after Daniel’s favorite book, Margaret’s Music, as well as Dad Tiger’s paternal grandmother.
Grandpere: Daniel’s grandfather, who travels in a sailboat and has a French accent (“grandpere” is French for grandfather).

The Royal Family of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe

Not all royal families are created equal. King Friday and Queen Sara take the cake, though. Their son, Prince Wednesday, is one of Daniel’s good friends and even goes to school with Daniel. Over time, we’ve seen Prince Wednesday’s big brother, Prince Tuesday, work at both a restaurant and a shoe store. The King and Queen also regularly invite everyone onto the castle grounds for big parties. So, all the people in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe definitely love the royal family. The royals include:

King Friday XIII: Ruler of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
Queen Sara Saturday: King Friday’s wife and mother to Prince Tuesday and Prince Wednesday.
Prince Tuesday: Prince Wednesday’s older brother and Daniel Tiger’s babysitter.
Prince Wednesday: The youngest member of the royal family as well as Daniel’s best friend and classmate.
Chrissie: Prince Tuesday and Prince Wednesday’s cousin and Daniel’s friend.

Daniel Tiger’s Friends and Classmates

Daniel’s class consists of quite the assortment of students — there are humans and animals. Some of our favorite classmates teach Daniel that everyone is different and not all families look the same. Miss Elaina is the daughter of Music Man Stan and Lady Elaine Fairchilde. Meanwhile, Katerina lives with only her single mom. O the Owl also lives with one parent, his Uncle X. The Neighborhood of Make-Believe families are certainly all different, but they all get along so harmoniously. What’s not to love?

The Owl Family: O the Owl plus his uncle, X the Owl.
The Cat Family: Daniel’s classmate Katerina Kittycat and her mother, Henrietta Pussycat.
The Museum-Go-Round Family: Miss Elaina and her parents, dad Music Man Stan and mom Lady Elaine Fairchilde.
The Platypus Family: Older sister Jodi Platypus, twins Teddy and Leo, mom Dr. Platypus, and grandmother Nana Platypus.
Teacher Harriet’s Family: Teacher Harriet, nephew Max, and niece Amira.

Daniel Tiger’s Other Neighbors

Outside of the classroom, there are a few other neighbors, too. Baker Aker’s bakery is a favorite shop for everyone to visit. There’s also a doctor and a dentist. And Mr. McFeely is, of course, the well-loved deliveryman. Remember him from anywhere else? If you said, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, you’d be right. Daniel Tiger is a Fred Rogers creation and explores the Neighborhood of Make-Believe we’d visit on trolley rides.

Baker Aker
Mr. McFeely
Dr. Anna
Dr. Lee
Trolley

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Songs

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a helpful show that teaches kids tons of useful and valuable lessons. But a big part of that instruction comes from the show’s songs. Music can be a major tool in a child’s education, so if your child would like to listen to a few songs from their favorite Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood characters, check out the tunes below.

This article was originally published on Sep. 1, 2021