Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Colors, music, and motion designed for youngest viewers.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 2+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Rainbow Horse
What's the Story?
RAINBOW HORSE is an animated series in which a brightly hued horse moves through scenes adding color to black-and-white images. Each segment progresses in the same manner, with Rainbow Horse bringing color to three categorized objects such as insects, reptiles, or food products, as background music plays. As they're colored, the objects start to move and emit a unique sound, culminating in a screen filled with the moving versions of the three images.
Is It Any Good?
Much as in the Baby Einstein movies, Rainbow Horse is designed for babies and toddlers, precisely the group for whom the American Academy of Pediatrics cautions against screen time. The content isn't worrisome, and it does introduce youngsters to color, motion, and music in a generally appealing manner (for little ones, that is; parents may feel otherwise because of the painfully repetitive progression).
What's more, the show is entirely nonverbal, which could encourage parents to fill in the gaps with interactive commentary of their own ("See the cow? What does a cow say?" or "The ladybug is red"). The bottom line? There's nothing inherently harmful in this show, but there are lots of other ways to introduce youngsters to these kinds of concepts that don't involve watching a screen if that's a concern for you.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about colors. What colors do you see around you right now? What kinds of objects can be multiple colors? What color is your child's favorite?
How does the music complement the pictures on the screen? How do different music tempos (fast and slow) change how songs affect us? What songs do you like?
How were the objects in this show related to each other? What other types of objects would also fit into that same category?
TV Details
- Premiere date : April 8, 2013
- Networks : Hulu , Prime Video
- Genre : Kids' Animation
- Topics : Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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