Parents' Guide to

Jack Hanna's Wild Countdown

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Thematic animal adventures are educational fun for kids.

TV ABC Educational 2011
Jack Hanna's Wild Countdown Poster Image

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Hanna's ease in front of a camera and his contagious exuberance for learning about wildlife makes him an excellent onscreen teacher. Unfortunately though, if you do the math, you'll find that dividing a 30-minute time block into 10 segments leaves only a few minutes for each animal encounter, and in the case of the longer attention spans of tweens, this abbreviated format may leave them wanting a little more.

The show is better suited for younger kids, who will get just enough information from the quick trips around the world to visit these animals on their home turf. It might be best to tune in with your kids so you can be ready to answer questions about the circle of life when predators are shown feasting on their kill, as well as explain how and why scientists sedate the animals for check-ups or tracking purposes.

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