High-octane racing show has positive messaging, products.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Products & Purchases
a lot
The Hot Wheels brand presence is significant. Specific cars and tracks featured might inspire viewers to want those toys, blending entertainment with product promotion.
Violence & Scariness
some
While the show features high-speed races and obstacles like a giant robotic cobra, these challenges are more thrilling than scary, with only brief moments of tension. Some characters, such as Axel, can be unkind without immediate consequences.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
The series promotes self-belief, perseverance ("Challenge Accepted"), the power of teamwork, and the importance of apologizing and learning from mistakes. It emphasizes that making a mistake isn't the end but a step toward growth and improvement.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Dash Wheeler, the head of the camp, is an accomplished female role model for leadership and racing expertise. The main character and his friends regularly display integrity, courage, and a willingness to help others, demonstrating how collaboration leads to success.
Diverse Representations
a lot
The cast is notably diverse, with characters of various ethnic backgrounds, including the main character and the camp leader who are both people of color. This diversity extends to both male and female racers.
Parents need to know that Hot Wheels: Let's Race is a CGI animated series set in a vibrant and technology-rich Hot Wheels city, where kids attend a special camp to become Hot Wheels racers. It intertwines lessons about teamwork, integrity, and problem-solving. While the Hot Wheels branding is unmistakable, the show goes beyond mere product placement, inspiring viewers to think inventively and appreciate the value of working together toward common goals. Parents may want to discuss the portrayal of the antagonist, Axel, whose behavior provides talking points about sportsmanship and dealing with difficult personalities.
The show has good production values, it's very colourful and entertaining. The characters are diverse, my 5 year old loves it too. It's not particularly deep or educational but it's not offensive either.
What's the Story?
HOT WHEELS: LETS RACE revolves around a group of kids attending the ultimate Hot Wheels racing camp, where selecting cars with special powers and competing in various challenges teaches them much more than just racing skills.
Here's a show that's a clever mix of entertainment, education, and positive values. Hot Wheels: Lets Race focuses on track engineering and creative problem-solving while showcasing diverse and positive role models. The series balances the excitement of racing with meaningful lessons, making it a captivating watch that might even inspire the next generation of engineers, designers, and team players. While the commercial aspect is evident, the show's strengths in storytelling and character development ensure that it's more than just an extended advertisement, providing genuine enjoyment and learning opportunities for young viewers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about teamwork and collaboration. Discuss with how teamwork played a role in the racers' challenges. Ask kids about times they've had to work with others to achieve a goal and what they learned from the experience.
The racers face various obstacles on the track. Talk about the importance of perseverance and believing in oneself when faced with difficulties. How can these lessons apply to real-life situations, like schoolwork or sports?
While the show is full of fun and adventure, it also includes moments where characters have to own up to their mistakes. Why is it important to take responsibility for one's actions? What's the power of apologizing and making amends?
The show's emphasis on track building and car features can inspire discussions about engineering and creativity. How would you design your own tracks or solve problems using imaginative solutions?
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 Stephanie Morgan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
