Parents' Guide to

American Ninja Warrior Junior

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Young athletes take on notorious obstacles in fun contest.

TV Universal Kids Game Shows 2018
American Ninja Warrior Junior Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • American Ninja Warrior Junior TV Series: Scene #1
  • American Ninja Warrior Junior TV Series: Scene #2
  • American Ninja Warrior Junior TV Series: Scene #3

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Will the Dad
Will the Dad Adult
March 27, 2020
age 5+

Over produced & girls are under-represented on the podium

This show is not about athletic ability, it's about the story, much like the adult version of the show has become. My daughter lost interest during the first season after seeing girls having to compete and more than often lose against the boys. As a competitive ninja herself, she knows the top boys in her age group are physically different than her so she can't compare herself to them. In her competitions, as in most sports, girls compete against girls and boys compete against boys. On the adult version, although it's not Ninja vs. Ninja style, they take the top performing women. If they didn't do that, there would be no or maybe only one woman in the next phase. I think production is clueless about what they're really displaying. There are a lot of real & strong female ninjas on the show. There are also enough girls to compete against eachother. Let's have a show that's equal and fair!
1 person found this helpful.
swampfoxsouth
swampfoxsouth Parent of 10-year-old
August 24, 2022
age 6+
Pretty please, Peacock, don’t take this off!😔
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR JUNIOR is an obstacle course competition series featuring contestants ranging from age nine to 14 and hosted by Matt Iseman, Akbar Gbajabiamila, and Laurie Hernandez. Players compete in pairs, facing off on tests like Tic Toc, Ring Toss, Fly Wheels, Devil Steps, and the Warped Wall, all of which are adjusted from adult versions to compensate for the kids' stature and strength. As contestants progress through tournament-style elimination in three age groups, qualifying rounds end with one semi-finalist in each of the 9-10, 11-12, and 13-14 age categories. These players proceed to a final competition with the three winners taking home $15,000 prizes.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (5):

Like its parent series, this show rewards physical ability and agility, but also mental toughness to overcome the challenges that arise in the course of competition. Players have to be quick and strong enough to maneuver obstacles that test their upper body strength and balance, but they also must keep their wits about them when they fall behind or, as sometimes happens, fall down. What makes it fun to watch is that small stumbles don't always spell disaster, and come-from-behind victories are the most exciting of all.

Because the obstacle course changes with the different age groups, watching contenders race over and over again is not as boring as it otherwise might be. American Ninja Warrior Junior has some value for families watching, as it celebrates fair play, good sportsmanship, and physical fitness. Positive examples of mentoring exist between adult Warriors and these young competitors, and there's a lot of shared excitement among the fans and the hosts as the competition evolves. Fair warning, though; many of these junior competitors were inspired to start training by the original American Ninja Warrior. Seeing kids their age compete might just be the spark that ignites your own kids' interest.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what might drive kids to train for such a challenging competition. Do you think they get a sense of accomplishment simply from being able to maneuver these obstacles, or is winning the main goal? Does American Ninja Warrior Junior make good entertainment? How do you choose a favorite among the competitors?

  • To what degree is the contestants' ability to overcome adversity an important characteristic for this kind of competition? How much of their success is physical as opposed to mental? How can a positive attitude compensate for other shortcomings in competition?

  • In what ways does this show compensate for the abilities of different age groups? What factors cannot be made even among competitors? Which obstacles do you think would be the most challenge for you? How would your strategy be similar to or different from what you see the players use?

  • How do the contestants display perseverance? Why is this an important character strength?

TV Details

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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.

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