Parents' Guide to

Barney: Let's Go to the Zoo

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 2+

Purple dino and friends sing, dance, and visit animals.

Movie NR 2003 50 minutes
Barney: Let's Go to the Zoo Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 6+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Lebron12James3
Lebron12James3 Parent
May 8, 2022
age 6+

Scary, violent, inappropriate

I agree with many of the other reviews here, and am disappointed that I couldn't rely on the Common Sense overview - which I have come to trust! Why no mention of the big scary purple monster? A full screen of fangs and roaring is definitely too much for younger or sensitive viewers - I would have expected a heads up from this site.
1 person found this helpful.
Richard W Polk Jr
Richard W Polk Jr Adult
February 4, 2020
age 6+

Barney Let's Go to the Zoo an excellent movie

I loved this movie when I was a child I first got it on vcr tape when it was first released and it came with a Barney doll this movie Barney takes Baby Bop & BJ to a real Zoo and they see and learn about lot's of different animal's along with seeing the school science teacher who appeared 2 other Barney Home Videos her name was Ms. Keppler I loved this movie it had many of my favorite Barney songs such as Have a Snack The Tiger Song Jungle Adventure and of course I Love You this movie is a must see for all Barney fans & animal fans parents you will not be disappointed I promise I'm 27 years old and I still love Barney

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

The well-known "Yankee Doodle" theme song plays as Barney and his friends Baby Bop and BJ visit the zoo. There isn't much of a plot but rather a list of animals that kids love to see, including flamingos, kangaroos, a koala, a lion, a tiger, a variety of apes and monkeys, a hippopotamus, a giraffe, an elephant, a buffalo, and a warthog. Some animals inspire Barney and his crew to burst into song. The lyrics aren't exactly complex. For example: "The tiger is an animal who walks around like a great big beautiful cat / He is orange and black with beautiful stripes / Now what do you think of that?" Edited into the action are sequences of toddlers happily roaring like lions, trumpeting like elephants, and opening their mouths wide like hippos.

Is It Any Good?

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

Preschoolers are likely to enjoy this DVD even if parents find it irritating; it could be useful viewing before a family trip to the zoo. Some parents and children love Barney, and others find him one-dimensional and sugary. In contrast, even Elmo and Big Bird, who seem to exist in a far more complex environment, have occasional bad days. But Barney is always unfailingly tee-riffic, optimistic, and super-dee-duper. As in most Barney tales, there are few, if any, references to unpleasant realities that children may face or how to deal with them. And that may be exactly what so many children and parents find so comforting about the big purple dinosaur.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how many pounds of food a hippopotamus would eat every day. Would a hippo make a good pet? Why, or why not?

  • Why do you think tigers have stripes? How do kangaroos get around?

  • Have you ever been to the zoo? What was it like? If you haven't, would you like to go?

Movie Details

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