Parents' Guide to

My Dolphin Show

By Amanda Bindel, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Erratic controls, animal exploitation mar lovely graphics.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire Paid Kids' Games
My Dolphin Show Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • My Dolphin Show App: Screenshot #1
  • My Dolphin Show App: Screenshot #2
  • My Dolphin Show App: Screenshot #3
  • My Dolphin Show App: Screenshot #4
  • My Dolphin Show App: Screenshot #5

Community Reviews

See all
age 7+

Based on 1 parent review

tsteele93
tsteele93 Parent of 7 and 9-year-old
August 11, 2016
age 7+

Constant money grabbing!

Personally I don't have any problem with all the crazy stuff that some people worry about the dolphins in captivity, shows, and blah blah blah. My kids are 8 and 9 and that doesn't even register in their world. They just like making the Dolphins jump, and more importantly, getting people to come to their show (it is terrible if people are getting up and leaving) and getting 100 people to watch. What bugs me is that it constantly tries to get $2.99 for a mermaid that will help them have 110% hang time or other boosts. Or $3.99 for four mermaids (my kids at least learned that is a better deal, even though they don't realize all of them are a bad deal!) I wouldn't mind paying $3.99 if that was all I was going to have to pay, but knowing that tomorrow they are going to probably need another $3.99 for something else makes me think the best approach is to just say no to ANY purchases. Making money is fine, being greedy is not. As far as the game, I give it 99% on appropriate for kids. It is pure and innocent. The money grab turns me off though. I am fortunate, my kids came with the piggy bank wanting to use their own money to pay for it, and when I told them, "No, it isn't a good enough deal," they accepted it and just kept playing. It would not be fun if they weren't good kids. I just was looking at the game, and the kids showed me another oddity. You can also purchase a giant pooh (Not the bear) to swim with instead of a Dolphin. I'm not one to worry about poop humor, but it is a bit in your face and some parents might not like it. One last issue, there is a way to earn extra prizes by watching short videos. Some of these are hugely inappropriate for the audience of this app. Zombie bloody video game trailers are included in the videos that the kids have to watch to get free coins and other prizes. Not good at all...

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much consumerism
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

In MY DOLPHIN SHOW dolphins jump through hoops, knock over bowling pins, and splash guests for the applause of the audience and fish rewards from a trainer. In the game, kids control the dolphin, guiding it through the obstacles according to the trainer's signals. If the dolphin completes the challenges and keeps the audience seats filled, kids earn more stars and coins. Stars unlock additional levels and show venues, and coins can purchase costumes and other types of animals.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

The graphics are well-done -- beautiful coral fills the training pool -- and the dolphins are impressive to watch as they jump, flip, and kiss the trainers. But even overlooking a premise that some will find controversial, the controls are too erratic and difficult to master for kids to feel like they're actually controlling the dolphin's moves. Add to that the barrage of in-app purchases to unlock other levels and a request for a five-star rating, and this just-for-fun game may not be the best choice for most kids.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the conditions that the dolphins and whales in these kinds of shows live in and how they're trained. What do they already know? What do they want to learn?

  • Discuss ocean mammal behaviors in the wild. What do dolphins eat? How do they play? Is it similar to or different from what the dolphin does in the game?

App Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended app lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate