2 words hate it!
Dora the Explorer
(Rated TV-Y, Children, cartoons, & animation, Starring Kathleen Herles, Harrison Chad, Marc Weiner, Caitlin Sanchez, Where to watch: Nickelodeon, DVD, Online)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Preschoolers will love Dora's ongoing adventures.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 3 and Up
The good stuff
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Educational value:
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Role models:
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Dora the Explorer was written by Joly Herman
Parents need to know that Dora is a bilingual communicator who can speak with all of the critters and humans in her vicinity. Some of the language lessons may rub off on kids -- but other viewers might get bored. Since phrases are constantly repeated, parents may want to consider whether they want their kids to be repeating the same episodes all day. The series offers good exposure to language, culture, and creativity.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the program's repetition -- is it a good learning tool, or does it make the program seem like virtual brainwashing?
- What do kids think about the show's lessons about language and culture?
- Is Dora a good role model?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on Dora the Explorer
What’s the Story?
DORA THE EXPLORER is about a young girl and her companion, a monkey named Boots, who are always on the go. They travel over rivers and mountains to reach whatever goal has been set for a particular episode. Dora gets help from her trusty talking backpack full of necessary items and her map, which illustrates the obstacles between Dora and her goal. When Dora reaches her destination, she and Boots break out in song and dance, exclaiming "We did it, we did it!"
Is It Any Good?
On one hand, Dora is an admirable character with a can-do attitude. On the other hand, the show can seem simplistic -- even for young viewers. Challenges are often similar, which may get a bit monotonous.
Still, the bilingual and cultural aspects of the show are right on target, featuring music, holidays, and plants and animals relevant to Central and South American culture. And Dora often decides to "stop and think" about a problem when she can't immediately solve it, proving her to be a thoughtful, patient heroine.
Our Members Say
See all 122 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
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I rate this title off for age 3 and give it
Only good for about 2 months
Dora is extremely repetitve, I think the song "Backpack" is just the word backpack yelled 16 times. Many people talk about the benefits of learning Spanish but they don't use enough words. They go to completely made up places that make no sense - Cupcake Mountain is nothing but a giant cupcake. When my daughter was 2 it was good for her learning words like under, on, through, etc. By 3 I could tell she was beyond it, but she wanted to watch it all the time. I banned it.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Lame.
Borin'. I loved this show while I was YOUNGER. Also when I was 4, a 2 year old ran up to me becuase she thought I WAS DORA.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
uhhhhhhhhhhh this show is soooooooo LAME!!
only preschoolers will love this horrible show! Which doesent surprise me because this show is sooooooooooooo boring!!!
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
Uh..
Uh.. it's ok for kiddies, loved to play the games.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 50% | of parents say it's educational |
| 50% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
| 33% | of parents say there are good role models |
Have you seen it?
For Your Family
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