Parents' Guide to

Small Potatoes

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Sweet spuds, happy lessons have cross-generational "a-peel."

TV Disney Channel Kids' Animation 2011
Small Potatoes 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 6+

Based on 6 parent reviews

Natepotato
Natepotato Adult
October 8, 2021
age 4+

Eww go away ruby Nate is better

I will be bringing my kids up watching small potatoes. I have an unhealthy addiction to the songs but they are just way better than the ones Emma wiggle sings. The only point I have is that ironically I have beef with the main character named ruby. Her singing sucks and she is always the centre of attention. This is lying to my kids about the real world and how if you are a women you will constantly be the only one noticed even when all the other people around you are men. Also it encourages animal cruelty since they put a snail on steroids to enlarge it compared to the other snails and put an eye glass thing to make the snail look wise. I’m obsessed with this show because it makes me feel like in one of the hit small potatoes songs “you can be what you want to be”. Definitely show it to your kids but I wouldn’t suggest showing them the small potatoes rock song because one of the potatoes named Nate is cool as (love him) but I feel he is a bit too old to be on a kids show. It sounds as though the other potatoes have baby voices and his voice has broke and become more manly.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
Chipthepotato
Chipthepotato Adult
October 8, 2021
age 4+

It’s good but…

I Brought my kids up watching the small potato’s and can I say it’s the bomb! But there is one problem… RUBY!! Ruby is so annoying that I nearly throw my TV out the window because of it. Ruby is an attention seeker and such a bad singer. She is in the show about 24/7. Unlike Nate he’s such a cool character, I love him so much! My kids have been acting a lot more like Ruby lately and it’s getting out of hand. I wish they started to grow up and act more like Nate or Chip. They are such little cute beans that you would want to protect. I recommend letting your kids watch this as they will start to fall in love with Nate. He’s a pretty cool guy. Hopefully other families won’t hate Ruby as much as I did.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

SMALL POTATOES is a short-form series about four friendly spuds who sing songs about the world they love to explore. The song styles range from punk rock to reggae, and the lyrics are inspired by kids' impressions of everything from school to imagination to playing dress-up. Nate, Olaf, Chip, and Ruby share their feelings about each episode's theme, and the show incorporates the Potatoes into live-action sequences and familiar venues like famous paintings and scenes of a farm.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (2 ):

If you handed your preschooler a microphone and asked her specific questions about her world, the answer would be something like the lyrical adventures of these delightful little tubers. Their unscripted observations about places, hobbies, and nature -- which inspire the songs that they sing -- are a treasure of insight into tiny minds, and with some help from you, they'll encourage your own tots to think critically about their world. What's more, the fact that the show incorporates touches of other cultures through musical styles and costumes will expand their awareness of diversity.

Small Potatoes is a fun find for preschoolers, and parents will find that they enjoy the cute little spuds as much as their kids do. In fact, since its British debut, the show has been such a hit with older viewers that it's developed a devoted fan base among teens and adults, who frequent the Potatoes' Facebook page for personalized potato likenesses of their own "Photatoes." This viral tie-in won't affect your kids as they watch the show, but you may be compelled to check out the online component yourself.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the Potatoes' songs. In what musical styles do the Potatoes sing? Which songs are your favorites? Do they use instruments in their music?

  • Kids: What do you learn from the Potatoes' adventures? Were some of the places they visited new to you? What did their costumes tell you about those places and the people there?

  • Parents can use this show to expose their preschoolers to new concepts and then follow up with field trips, books, and music that complements the theme. Kids: Of all of the places featured on this show, which would you most like to see in person?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

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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