Parents' Guide to Barbie: A Touch of Magic

Barbie: A Touch of Magic TV show poster:  Four white girls and a horse stand inside a house.

Common Sense Media Review

Stephanie Morgan By Stephanie Morgan , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 5+

Barbie's Malibu adventures promote being kind, helpful.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 5+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 9+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 7+

Based on 2 kid reviews

What's the Story?

In BARBIE: A TOUCH OF MAGIC, Barbie is a teenager living with her parents and three younger sisters in Malibu. The series begins with her best friend, Brooklyn, moving to town from New York. Together they go on adventures around town, often involving animals and a touch of magic.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 3 ):
Kids say ( 2 ):

A collection of teenage Barbie tales with low-quality CGI but a fresh approach to storytelling. Barbie: A Touch of Magic relies on visual narrative instead of explicit explanations, which encourages young viewers to actively engage with the storyline and to determine motivations for themselves. The bright world of Malibu, sprinkled with a little magic, will appeal to young audiences; parents will appreciate the ongoing themes of teamwork and kindness. Parents and caregivers should be aware, though, episodes frequently conclude with cliff-hangers, a tactic that may leave children eager to continue watching.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Barbie and Brooklyn's approach to life. What do you think they mean when they sing "we can be what we dream" at the beginning of each episode?

  • Talk about mean, hostile behavior and discuss how it would feel in real life even if it seemed funny on the show. How could respond if you experienced or observed such things in real life?

  • Are there any consequences to the unkind way Barbie's neighbors treat her and her friends? Is that realistic?

TV 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

Barbie: A Touch of Magic TV show poster:  Four white girls and a horse stand inside a house.

What to Watch Next

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