TOY STORY 5 gives parents a familiar, family-friendly way to talk with children about screens, friendship and the gift of real play.
“Bonnie’s peers don’t seem interested in toys anymore and prefer to spend their free time glued to their screens,” Pixar said of the movie’s central tension. That is not just a plot point. It is a conversation many parents recognize when a child is physically present but mentally elsewhere.
In the new movie, Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the gang face Lilypad, a tablet that arrives with “disruptive ideas” about what is best for Bonnie. Pixar describes Bonnie as an 8-year-old who struggles to connect with friends and begins to wonder whether she has outgrown playtime.
That setup makes TOY STORY 5 a useful family conversation starter. The answer is not to pretend technology has no place in a child’s life, but to ask whether it serves connection or replaces it.
Movieguide®’s review of the movie praises its themes of friendship, good parenting, repentance, making amends and helping others. It also warns parents about allowing children to become overly absorbed in tech devices and screens.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says children average seven hours a day on entertainment media. Its media guidance for families encourages parents to make a plan around each child’s health, education and entertainment needs, then revisit that plan together.
Parents can begin with one small, concrete habit. Choose a recurring screen-free play window each week, and have a parent or older sibling join for the first 10 or 15 minutes. The point is not to create another rule children resent; it is to show that imagination, conversation and friendship are worth an adult’s time.
After watching TOY STORY 5, families can ask a simple question: What did Bonnie really need from Lilypad? The answer may involve more than entertainment. Children may be looking for belonging, courage in a new social setting or help starting a friendship.
Another useful question is what the toys do for Bonnie that a device cannot. They invite presence. They create shared stories. They make room for patience, creativity, laughter and the awkward but necessary work of learning to care for another person.
Parents should also know the practical content notes. The MPA listing reported by The Numbers gives the movie a PG rating for some thematic elements and rude humor. Its Rotten Tomatoes page collects current audience and critic reactions, but parents should still make their own decision based on a child’s maturity.
Technology itself is not the enemy. A video call can connect a child to a grandparent. A calendar can help plan a playdate. A family can use a device to create something together.
But a screen should never become the easiest substitute for attention, affection or real friendship. TOY STORY 5 gives families a gentle reminder that children grow through relationships, and that loving one’s neighbor starts close to home.
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