If you’re a parent, then you’re probably very familiar with Blippi, the colorfully dressed, bow-tie sporting children’s entertainer who’s one part Mister Rogers, one part Bob the Builder, two parts Pixie Stix. Energetic and curious, Blippi teaches children about the world outside of their homes, explaining everything from fire trucks to colors and shapes. He also offers up crafts and experiments families can do together.

From its humble YouTube origin, Blippi has grown into a conglomerate. The original channel has 21 million subscribers, spawned a live stage show, the animated show “Blippi’s Wonders,” and the puppet-filled spin-off “Blippi’s Tree House.” 

The actor who created Blippi is named Stevin John, who solely played Blippi from his 2014 inception to 2021, when actor Clayton Grimm — who had played Blippi in the stage musical — began trading off hosting duties with the former. Though Grimm becoming the “touring Blippi” stirred up some confusion and pushback among parents at the time, they’ve settled into a peaceful coexistence, and John now has room to take a breather with his own kid.

Stevin John’s resume is currently all Blippi all the time — and with his busy career and his busy home life, one can’t blame him. However, his Instagram, TikTok and Facebook show off a more grown-up side to him. He’s a family man, with a healthy sense of humor about the Blippi world.

He’s most active on Instagram, where he shows off his son Lochlan. He also gives a peek behind the scenes at the Blippi world, such as a retrospective he did when Blippi passed its tenth anniversary. John’s page also offers a humorous look at life as a children’s entertainer; in early 2022, he posted a sketch where he sings in his classic Blippi voice to his pregnant wife, specifically her belly, to the delight of the entire Blippi fandom. It’s clear that in the Blippi family, everyone has a sense of humor — even when they’re not wearing a bow tie and big orange wire-framed glasses.

To read more, be sure to check out TheShockNews’s ranking of 98 great family movies and the best family movies of 2024 so far.