In 2011, Turner EMEA announced that Cartoonito would expand across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa with both CN and Boomerang channels in that region launching blocks. On August 22nd of that same year, Cartoonito launched in Italy (as part of an extension of Turner and Mediaset's partnership, which originally included the original Boing channel there) and ten days later on September 1st, Cartoonito launched in Spain replacing that country's version of Boomerang. On December 1, 2012, Cartoonito launched in South-East Asia replacing that region's version of Boomerang. On June 30, 2013, the Spanish version of the channel was shut down alongside the Spanish version of Cartoon Network. By 2015, barring the UK and Italy, the brand had been phased out in every EMEA/APAC territory due to Boomerang's then-ongoing global relaunch.
With the announcement of Batwheels on October 6, 2020, WarnerMedia began planning a global relaunch of the Cartoonito brand. The relaunch was announced on February 17, 2021, with the announcement of Cartoonito's US debut as a block on Cartoon Network (marking the channel's second attempt at a dedicated preschool block since Tickle U, which aired from 2005 to 2007) and as a content hub on HBO Max (currently, Max). This comes as a part of WarnerMedia's plans to expand its kids and family offerings, coinciding with Cartoon Network's plans to expand its target audience (to also target families) and the announcements of Bugs Bunny Builders, Tom & Jerry Junior (later renamed to Tom & Jerry Time before getting scrapped) and Jessica's Big Little World respectively. The brand would now focus on celebrating what makes preschoolers original & unique, which is part of CN's then-new direction and each show would use "human-centric learning". The US block premiered on September 13, 2021. The brand also expanded to Latin American regions beginning on December 1 of that year (replacing the LATAM version of Boomerang).
Starting in 2022, Cartoonito re-expanded its presence in the EMEA and APAC regions: the British channel was rebranded on February 1, blocks were launched in subsequent months on either Cartoon Network or Boomerang, and the Italian version of the channel rebranded on June 5. In 2023, WBD began rebranding their Boomerang channels in Europe and Africa to Cartoonito, as well as Boing in France. That same year, WBD announced that it would rebrand Boomerang in the SEA countries to Cartoonito on July 28th and on September 4th in the Nordic countries, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and the Arab world.
Compare Nick Jr., another preschool children's network block.
A list of shows that have aired on Cartoonito:
- The Adventures of Chuck & Friends (UK)
- Alice & Lewis (non-North American countries)
- Animal Stories (UK)
- Baby Looney Tunes note
- Baby Shark's Big Show! (Italy)
- Bananas in Pajamas (The 2011 CGI revival, EMEA regions)
- Barney & Friends (UK)
- Barney's World (rebooted series)
- Batwheels
- Bea's Block note
- Bing
- Blaze and the Monster Machines (Italy)
- Blippi note
- Blue's Clues & You! (Italy)
- Bugs Bunny Builders (Which has effectively replaced Baby Looney Tunes from the US schedule)
- Caillou note
- Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-lot (UK)
- Blanche (UK)
- Blue's Clues & You! (Italy)
- Cocomelon
- Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (Italy)
- Dino Ranch (Italy/APAC)
- Doraemon (2005) (Italy)
- Dora the Explorer (Italy)
- Dora and Friends: Into the City! (Italy)
- Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz (EMEA)
- Dylan's Playtime Adventures
- Ellen's Acres (UK)
- Esme & Roy
- Firehouse Tales
- Fireman Sam (UK and Italy)
- Fluffy Gardens (UK)
- Gabby’s Dollhouse (Italy)
- Gerald McBoing-Boing (UK/EMEA)
- Grizzly And The Lemmings (Italy/EMEA)
- The Happos Family note
- Hey Duggee (Italy)
- Hi-5 (Both the Australian version and the UK version) (UK)
- Jelly Jamm (UK/EMEA)
- Jessica's Big Little World note
- Kingdom Force (non-North American countries) note
- Justin Time (Italy)
- Kid-E-Kats (Italy)
- Kody Kapow (Italy)
- LazyTown (seasons 3 and 4) (non-North American countries)
- Lellobee City Farm
- Little Ellennote
- Love Monster
- Lu & the Bally Bunch
- Lucas the Spidernote
- MeteoHeroes (Italy)
- Meteor and the Mighty Monster Trucks (UK)
- Mia’s Magic Playground note
- Mighty Express (Italy)
- Mighty Mike (Italy)
- Miss BG (UK)
- Moley (non-North American countries)
- Mr. Bean: The Animated Series (Latin America/EMEA)
- Mush-Mush & the Mushables
- Nella the Princess Knight (Italy)
- Nina's World (Italy)
- Odonote
- Pat the Dog (EMEA)
- PAW Patrol (Italy)
- Pocoyo
- Polly Pocket (Italy)
- Pororo the Little Penguin (UK)
- Power Players (Italy)
- Roobarb and Custard Too (UK)
- Robocar Poli (Italy)
- Robot Trains (UK and Italy)
- Sesame Street note
- Mecha Builders
- The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo note
- Silly Sundays (non-North American countries)
- Simon (Italy)
- Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures (UK)
- Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go (United States, EMEA/APAC regions and Latin America)note
- Taffy (Italy)
- Toad & Friends (non-North American countries)
- Tom & Jerry Kids (UK)
- The Tom and Jerry Show (2014) (Italy/EMEA)
- Totally Spies! (Italy)
- Unlimited Squirrels!
- Vlad & Niki note
- Yeti Tales (Italy)