Common Sense Media Review
By Ashley Moulton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Iconic dino returns with positive social-emotional lessons.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 2+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Barney's World
What's the Story?
In BARNEY'S WORLD, Barney is an imaginary purple dinosaur conjured by preschoolers David, Vivie, and Mel when they want to play. The kids stand on a special dinosaur footprint in the park, yell "Hey, Barney!," and then get a visit from their silly and sweet dino friend. He helps them through everyday preschooler problems like not wanting to leave the playground, being afraid of the dark, and disagreeing with friends. Barney helps David, Vivie, and Mel practice coping techniques like taking deep breaths and brainstorming solutions to the problem. They end each day's adventure by singing "I love you, I love me too, I love being friends with you."
Is It Any Good?
Nineties kids were obsessed with Barney & Friends, but Barney's goofy performance was less appreciated by their parents. Fortunately, Barney's World has a much less grating version of Barney, and since he's animated instead of a costumed human, he's much less creepy. Barney's World focuses on social-emotional skills important to today's parents, and teaches the skills through preschooler-relatable problems. Young kids will enjoy the sweet stories and fantasy imagination sequences. Barney's World is a solid reboot that doesn't just rest on nostalgia, but it's hard to imagine that today's preschoolers will be quite as smitten as their millennial parents.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about solving problems. How do Barney and the kids help solve each episode's problem? Could we try the same thing when you have a problem?
Barney and his friends are really great at communication. They tell each other how they're feeling. Can you think of a time when someone communicated their feelings in this story?
Barney and his friends have a lot of empathy, which means that they can understand another person's feelings. How did they understand a friend's feelings in this story? How did they help a friend who was having a tough feeling?
TV Details
- Premiere date : October 14, 2024
- Cast : Diana Tsoy , Jonathan Langdon , Jayd Deroché , Ella Paciocco
- Network : Max
- Genre : Educational
- Topics : Animals ( Dinosaurs ) , Fantasy ( Magic ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Communication , Empathy
- TV rating :
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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