 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Zoboomafoo
- PBS
- Genre: Educational
Common Sense Media says
Preschoolers will go wild for this animal show.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this entertaining, colorful program makes learning about animals lots of fun. Kids will be exposed to vocabulary ranging from "slow" and "fast" to "grazing," "nursing," and all of the names of the featured animals and their habitats. The only confusing point is that Zoboo transforms from a real-life lemur to a puppet when he eats a snack. This transition is pretty seamless, because the puppet looks almost exactly like a real lemur, so the youngest viewers might come away thinking that lemurs can actually speak (parrots do, right?).
What's the story?
ZOBOOMAFOO is a PBS show that introduces preschoolers to the animal world. The action takes place in stars Martin and Chris Kratt's Animal Junction, where animals of every shape, size, and color visit the brothers to play and explore.
Is it any good?
Zoboomafoo is easy to love, because it's so full of good stuff. Not only are Martin and Chris enthusiastic and playful, but they also seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves. This enthusiasm is contagious, and children are bound to respond to it. Along with their friend Zoboo the lemur, the Kratt brothers make learning about animals lots of fun. Often encouraging kids to "run like cheetahs," or to "chew like a horse," Martin and Chris make the interactive aspect of the show very engaging. Likewise, by prompting kids to learn about animals and their habitat, the Kratt brothers have created a truly educational program; especially when the hosts can bring the animals on to the set. Meanwhile, the manner in which Martin and Chris relate to animals is extremely respectful. They never antagonize or aggravate the animals, clearly setting a positive precedent for young viewers.
One segment of the show includes a fantasy element, wherein Zoboo tells a far-out story which is played out in claymation. It works, if simply because Zoboo is very childlike, saying things like, "I can't believe my mind," when hearing something incredible. The jumpy nature of these segments can be a bit odd, but it generally serves to enrich the program with an artistic element. PBS has done it again -- providing young viewers with compelling viewing. Zoboomafoo is a fun, educational show for preschoolers.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the different animals featured on the show. What noises do they make? How do they eat? Which ones are most fun to act like?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Fun for all ages
This is one of the only shows that my 8 year old daughter, my 3 year old son and I will all sit down and watch. Most shows are age specific for one of the kids but the botht hink show is utterly fantastic.
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AGE
Straightforward fun
I love this show. It has nothing to do with how cute the Kratt brothers are. (No, really!) My two year old enjoys it on the occasions I let her watch, she learns a lot, enjoys the animals, and moves along with what they're doing. The segments are short and hold her attention.
I also appreciate it because it's not full of ham-handed moralizing, like a lot of children's shows. It's just fun and informative.
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AGE
Great guy energy, perfect little kid wavelength
My 3 year old son and I love this show. The Kratt brothers have silly antics like falling in the mud every show, very athletic/energetic backdrop activities (swinging, kayaking, hiking, biking, surfing, jumping etc.) they casually incorporate into the show. They have gadgets that appeal, like the food machine and the occasional project like dinosaur building are oh-so-great for my boy. They just exude fun and love for the animals at all times, as well as respect. Every animal one introduces, the other brother says, "X-animal, I love X-animals!!" I think they have a great understanding of how little kids process and what appeals. Zoboo, the lemur, has great sayings and his Zobooland imaginings are really great because he always applies whatever concept or animal attributes to his play with a set of claymation characters that are his friends. This is another show that I think does a great job of teaching and teaching lessons without hitting us over the head with them, but demonstrating them and showing with lighthearted examples.
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AGE
I'm not afraid to admit it... I love this
In all my years, I have never really been that into straight-up educational shows. Wildlife shows and the like: never really interested me except for Meerkat Manor. That was pretty cool. This show teaches about a number of interesting animals and Zaboo himself is a very fun character to watch. The human characters are also fun in their own right and, well, this is just a really fun show. Like another reviewer said, the only parts I wasn't a big fan of were those claymation shorts. They were just kind of pointless. Still, it's not enough for me to take off points. I highly recommend this show.
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AGE
Presents factual info in a fun way
Even tho I picked the 2-4 age group, I don't know if it would appeal to 2 yos. 3s and up - definately! I like how they give kids the facts abt different animals in an appealing way. The hosts are a bit too goofy for my taste but my 4 yo loves them.
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AGE
Boring!
I love seeing the animals, but the show is for younger viewers. The animals are not worth it.
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AGE
Setting a good example
Zoboomafoo is a wonderful show to educate children on the wonders of many animals. The one thing I wonder about is where the animals are kept and how they feel about being paraded inside Zoboo's 'hut'.
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AGE
My 2-yr-old twins love this show as does my 6-yr-old. It is not often that I can find shows that will satisfy all of them. The younger ones love to see the animals and get very excited about Zoboomafoo and my older son will tell me all about what he learned from Chris and Martin. They all love Chris and Martin's antics. I do not let my kids watch much TV (frequently none at all during a day) and this is one that I quite comfortably let them all enjoy when they need a little down time.
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| Topics: | science and nature, wild animals |
| TV rating: | TV-Y |
| Network: | PBS |
| Genre: | Educational |
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