Be With Zee - A locally made, guilt-free, wind-down series for the whole whānau 

Find your way in a forest of feelings 

Be With Zee is a new preschool series and mindfulness brand for all ages, featuring Zee, a curious & cuddly forest creature, experiencing the adventures and emotions of life with the support of Matua, a nurturing parent/caregiver. 

Each episode follows Zee and Matua on lighthearted forest adventures, from finding balance on a windy day by planting one’s feet into the earth like a tree, to drawing feelings with crayons when feeling overwhelmed. Together they laugh, explore emotions, encourage each other, and overcome challenges, giving kids and parents real-life coping skills in the process. 

Be With Zee is created by Matt Haworth, a New Zealand writer, art director, and children’s book illustrator who  practices the lessons and tools explored in the show to preserve his own health and well-being as a person living with cystic fibrosis 

The iconic Kiwi accent is present throughout the series. Nine-year-old Forrest Fenn voices Zee while Be With Zee executive producer and father of three, Simon Ward is the voice of Matua. The series includes te reo Māori, which is used across the episodes and even maintained in different language versions. 

Guilt-free screen time made locally in Aotearoa 

A celebration of all the feelings that create the human experience, Be With Zee is a poetic antidote to the overstimulation of today, embracing a slower, more intentional rhythm, fostering mindfulness, curiosity, and emotional depth through gentle storytelling and rich, handcrafted visuals. Reminiscent of series like Winnie the Pooh and Kiri & Lou, the series is designed to bring happiness, calm and connection to kids and parents. 

Be With Zee was developed in collaboration with child psychologists, early childhood education professors and children’s media experts with the goal of creating a series that helps young viewers build focus, empathy, and imagination in a screen environment that soothes rather than overwhelms. 

Be With Zee has also received a Children’s Digital Wellbeing Framework accreditation from FUNdamentally Children – a leading international child development and play consultancy. 

Where can I find Be With Zee? 

The first 26 episodes of Be With Zee have been released on TVNZ+ and will play weekdays on TVNZ 2. Another 26 episodes will be launching in early March 2027. 

You can also find companion digital content like YouTube meditation videos, colouring pages, Lo-fi wind-down beats, and digital shorts, as well as parent tips and activities on bewithzee.com. 

Follow Be With Zee on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and BlueSky.