Parents' Guide to

The Backyardigans

By Christopher Healy, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Fine but somewhat repetitive preschool TV show game.

Game Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi 2009
The Backyardigans Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • The Backyardigans Game: Screenshot #1
  • The Backyardigans Game: Screenshot #2

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Willdaboss
Willdaboss Adult
December 21, 2018
age 18+

TttttrAsh

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Kimmies Mom
Kimmies Mom Parent of 4-year-old
March 21, 2010
age 4+

Great game for pre-schoolers!!

My daugher really likes this game. I like that she is learning while she is having fun, she likes playing the mini games. She LOVES feeling like she is in the show, helping the charaters solve the problem!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

The Backyardigans game, just like the TV series, follows five animal friends who play together in their backyards, which they imagine to be different wild and exotic environments. In this game, the friends act out three different adventures -- pirates on a treasure hunt, superheroes stopping supervillains from stealing a giant key, and space garbagemen hounded by space junk collectors who want to swipe trash from them. As classic as the themes of those first two may be, no one can accuse that third story of being clichéd.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

The Backyardigans is a fine, if unexceptional video game for preschoolers. The characters and stories are cute, and all the right early-learning concepts are called upon during play. But the adventures are over quickly and the same activities -- guiding a vehicle around obstacles, hitting numbers in order to create dance steps, shouting words into the microphone when cued -- are repeated from story to story. Too often, the game actions are unconnected to what's actually going on in the story, like matching shapes in order to hoist a sail. The addition of a freestyle music game helps add an extra fun element. In the end, though, this game is best for fans of the TV show who will enjoy the chance to interact with beloved characters.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the value of imagination. How can the adventures the Backyardigans undertake seem so real to them when the stories only exist in their heads?

  • Parents can also use the game as a jumping off point for reinforcing basic preschool concepts, such as numbers, shapes, and colors.

Game Details

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