Parents' Guide to

Dino Dan

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Young paleontologist teaches kids about Jurassic giants.

TV Nick Jr. Educational 2009
Dino Dan Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 3+

Based on 31 parent reviews

Jessalynne W.
Jessalynne W. Parent of 5, 7 and 11-year-old
August 28, 2018
age 5+

Really good show and my 7 year old loves, but dinos are too scary for younger than 5.

My 7 year old loves this TV show. She loves dinosaurs so perfect for her. However the dinosaurs are GIANTS so may be too scary for preschoolers. Great show for elementary students and up though, especially for kids who love dinosaurs like my 7 year old. Amazing, awesome, perfect tv show.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
spider84
spider84 Adult
February 21, 2015
age 5+

Dino Maniac

I have a hard time watching this show. He truly has no real friends and acts like a know it all when anyone makes a dinosaur comment. He has a look on his face that says, "what are you talking about". He thinks he's the smartest kid on earth and has earned some not so glorious nicknames from some of the parents that I have spoken to that think the same thing of his character. On the plus side, since the show is Candain, they occasionally have cameos from the old Kids On The Hall comedians....which is nice.
See all 31 parent reviews

What's the Story?

DINO DAN centers on young Dan Henderson (Jason Spevack), an aspiring paleontologist who discovers that learning how dinosaurs lived is as easy as looking out at his own backyard. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Dan can see dinosaurs roaming the streets, parks, and school grounds amid the unsuspecting people, and by watching them interact, he learns a lot about how they lived so many years ago.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (31):
Kids say (14):

CGI brings to colorful life these replicas of the Jurassic giants, and kids will delight in the chance to see what scientists believed them to look like during their heyday. Their physical appearance, size, and demeanor hold clues for kids to the way they lived, ate, and protected their young. In addition, each new story introduces kids to and defines science-based vocabulary words like "herbivore" in an attempt to increase their vocabulary.

Older kids will find the show a little cheesy and overacted, but younger kids who don't know the difference will enjoy the chance to see these dinosaurs in action. The best news is that compared to other CGI dino tales marketed for kids, this one is completely harmless, since the dinosaurs' interactions are brief and virtually violence-free.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about science. What aspects of science are your favorites? How does studying science help us understand the world around us? Why is it important to learn about extinct species like dinosaurs?

  • Kids: What are your favorite hobbies or interests? What books or other rescources help you learn more about these interests? How do they relate to your home or school life? Do your friends share your interests?

  • What kinds of fossils have been found where you live? What do they tell us about the creatures and people who lived here before us? Where can you go to see some of these items?

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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