Boohbah
Parents say
Kids say
Searching for streaming and purchasing options...
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Get it now on
Searching for streaming and purchasing options...
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this series is designed to involve kids all along, but the right viewing age may be hard to determine. If your child just stares at the screen blankly, s/he might be too young -- simply being mesmerized by the colors isn't the point. But older children who can interact with the program and learn from it may have already moved on to more sophisticated programs. The series is designed to help build active learning skills inlcuding movement, math, problem solving, language, and imagination. The best approach may be to watch together a few times and see if your child responds to it.
Stay up to date on new reviews.
User Reviews
What the H*ll!!!
Pretty creepy.
Tisk. Tisk. Tisk.
ack!
What's the story?
BOOHBAH can, upon the first few viewings, appear so silly and strange that parents might conclude it could very well have a detrimental effect on their kids. But the odd-looking creatures are in fact atoms of energy that live in a glowing ball of light. The content of the show aims to help children develop movement, math, problem-solving, and language skills while also engaging their imaginations. This is achieved through predictable segments that feature the Boohbahs warming up with some dance moves and real children demonstrating different kinds of movement. Each episode also includes a visit to Storyworld, where human characters solve a simple problem, such as how to get a bunch of colored balls into a wheelbarrow.
Is it any good?
Boohbah tries to give kids opportunities to participate in what happens onscreen. As in Blue's Clues, off-screen children help control the action. "Active viewing" is a philosophy prominent among today's children's programming. Shows aim to get children to use their brains and bodies rather than just passively watch a show. It's an admirable goal, but the real test is whether or not the show works with your kid.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about how the characters found solutions to their tasks, reaffirming problem solving. Recreate the segments from the show by having your child dance to his/her favorite song or "actively" help clean up toys.
TV details
- Premiere date: September 26, 2005
- Cast: Alex Poulter, Cal Jaggers, Emma Ainsley
- Network: PBS
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Topics: Numbers and letters
- TV rating: TV-Y
- Available on: DVD, Streaming
Our editors recommend
Top advice and articles
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.