Parents' Guide to

Out of the Box

By Tara Swords, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Like a day at summer camp; preschoolers OK.

TV Disney Channel Educational 1998
Out of the Box Poster Image

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

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age 3+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Halindsay
Halindsay Adult
September 10, 2020
age 4+

Great for preschool to first grade

In each episode they discuss a topic and how it relates directly to the children's lives, have a craft idea with simple and often recycled supplies, sing a song based on the topic and act out a play! It's educational but also fun! With some "out of the box" ideas!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
jamie27s
jamie27s Adult
December 21, 2019
age 2+

Fun for all ages

Tony and Vivian take care of the kids in their neighborhood. They sing, make crafts, and use their imaginations. This is a very positive show and engaging, short episodes for all ages. On Disney+ and highly recommended!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Aimed at kids ages 3 to 6, OUT OF THE BOX is like a 30-minute kindergarten class that's divided into segments: music time, craft time, and story time. Hosts Tony James and Vivian Bayabuy lead the kids through activities based on the day's theme and constantly direct their attention toward the camera, encouraging viewers to take part. For example, in an episode focused on the concept of flight, the "music time" segment included simple songs about flying with easy-to-follow choreography; during "craft time," Tony and Vivian taught the kids to make "purple parachute people" out of Dixie cups, tissues, yarn, and tape; and during "story time," Tony and Vivian told a creative version of Peter Pan while the kids acted out parts of the story.

Is It Any Good?

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

There are plenty of opportunities here for kids to play along and be creative -- though kids will certainly need supervision and help finding materials during the "craft time" segment. Parents might also find Tony and Vivian's over-the-top bubbliness a little too much to handle.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the different activities that the series takes viewers through. Kids might be interested in creating the craft they saw on an episode. What types of lessons do the hosts help their viewers learn?

TV Details

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