Some brief pushing and shoving that is quickly resolved, including some sibling disputes. Some characters express negative feelings toward each other. Scenes where characters show mild sadness or fear.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
No actual advertising for real products but some consumerist behavior is modeled -- like being influenced by a pop up ad on the computer, a commercial for a pretend product at the beginning of each episode, and a teenage character who's a social media influencer.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Kiff is a great role model -- she is smart and kind. She is not perfect, but she is quick to apologize and admit her flaws. The other characters are generally good role models. Best friend Barry's older siblings have some negative teenager qualities but they are generally used as a foil to Kiff and Barry's innocent intentions.
Positive Messages
some
Each episode has a positive theme like not being selfish or helping others. The message is not the overall focus, so kids may easily miss it.
Educational Value
a little
Some social-emotional lessons but they are not the focus of the episode.
Diverse Representations
a little
Some positive gender roles -- main character Kiff is smart, ambitious, and takes the lead. Kiff's mom is also depicted as a driven career woman, though on the negative side Kiff's dad is pretty hapless and dependent on Kiff's mom for basic parenting skills. All characters are animals.
Parents need to know that Kiff is an animated series about a squirrel and bunny best friend duo. While there's not much iffy content, it is intended for an audience more mature than preschoolers. There's some brief pushing and shoving and instances of characters expressing negative feelings toward each other. Other scenes include characters feeling mild sadness or fear. Kiff's best friend Barry's family includes a few teen siblings. Sometimes their negative teenager qualities are used as a foil to the more innocent intentions of Kiff (voiced by Kimiko Glenn) and Barry (Michael Croner). There are infrequent mild innuendo jokes (like laughing that a doctor's office is called a private practice). Otherwise, parents may enjoy watching this silly and quirky comedy alongside their kids.
KIFF follows the everyday adventures of squirrel Kiff and Barry, her best friend bunny. Kiff and Barry are kids in Table Town, a place full of offbeat animals and magical creatures. Kiff is an optimistic overachiever, and her gusto often leads to silly chaos. Barry is much more low-key and completely loyal to Kiff. Their lives revolve around issues that may go unnoticed by adults but that are super important to kids. In one such caper, Kiff is devastated when she has to stay home sick from school on the day she is supposed to have the ceremonial first sip from the school's new water fountain. She then spends the rest of the day trying to trick her gullible dad into letting her go to school. Amongst the silliness, the love between two friends shines through.
Somehow this show about a squirrel and a bunny perfectly captures the inner lives of younger elementary-aged kids. Kiff is a fun show that caters to their fantastical imaginations and doesn't veer into big kid territory like crushes and popularity. Kiff has some Bluey vibes with its simultaneous imagination and real-life truisms. Where Bluey celebrates family bonds, Kiff pays loving tribute to childhood friendships. There's an original song and great backing music in each episode, and the visual style also feels fresh. Grown-ups will enjoy the adult jokes sprinkled throughout (like scenes that mimic 80's movie montages or the 24 series). The whole family can enjoy the quirky characters and the ridiculous situations they find themselves in.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Kiff and Barry's friendship. What are some nice things that Kiff and Barry do for each other? How do you show your friends that you care about them?
Did Kiff make any mistakes in today's stories? What did she do wrong? How did she fix her mistakes?
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.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Ashley Moulton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
