Playing It Safe

Safety rules are to share with everyone we love, so no one will get hurt. — Barney

Barney & Friends Episode
"Playing It Safe"
Air date	April 8, 1992
Written by	Stephen White
Directed by	Jim Rowley
About
Theme	Safety
Characters	Barney Baby Bop Luci Derek Kathy Min
Episode Guide
Previous	"My Family's Just Right For Me"
Next	"Hop To It!"

"Playing It Safe" is the third episode from the first season of Barney & Friends.

Plot

Stories: "Little Red Riding Hood"

Barney and his friends learn some fun lessons about "playing it safe." The kids create cardboard-box cars to teach the rules about seatbelt use and crossing the street safely. To teach Baby Bop about strangers, a classroom version of Little Red Riding Hood is performed. Great music and special lyrics help reinforce the safety lessons. When Barney stumbles on a toy, the children learn that safety begins at home!

Songs

1. "Barney Theme Song"
2. "Three Little Monkeys"
3. "The Traffic Light Song"
4. "The Barney Bag"
5. "Buckle Up My Seatbelt"
6. "Walk Across the Street"
7. "The Stranger Song"
8. "Clean Up"
9. "I Love You"

Production

This was the third Barney & Friends episode to be filmed. Filming for this episode began occurring on October 29, 1991 in ColorDynamics in Allen, Texas.

Release

Broadcast

On the PBS Pledge Drive version of this episode, the songs, "The Traffic Light Song", "Walk Across the Street" and the reprise of "The Stranger Song" were omitted, due to time constraints, and the "Barney Says" segment is much different than the original version. The scene where Baby Bop fades away and forgetting her blankie after saying goodbye was also edited out.

Adaptations

Hachaverim Shel Barney

• "The Barney Bag" was not sung nor appeared in this version as the cardboard boxes that magically appeared were already made into cars. "Walk Across the Street" was not sung either. However, the season two version of "Clean Up" was sung in this version.
• The game of "Red Light, Green Light" was shortened in this version and during the game, Baby Bop can be seen standing behind Dana before she was supposed to arrive.
• Ran and Dana help Baby Bop recite the safety poem unlike the original version where she was able to recite the poem by herself.
• When Dana had an idea of putting on a play of "Little Red Riding Hood", she, Barney and the kids didn’t huddle and instead, she asked Barney to narrate the story.
• Karen's yellow hair barrette is missing throughout "Clean Up" and "I Love You".
• "I Love You" was a semitone lower in this version.
• The Barney doll winks in this version unlike in the original version where hearts are seen coming out of his bandage.

Home media

This episode was released on VHS by Time Life Video. It was the first Barney & Friends episode to be distributed by them.

VHS release of "Playing It Safe" US Release Time Life Video

Gallery

Scenes

With their hands, the kids show what it means to stop at a red traffic light.

Everyone sings "Buckle Up My Seatbelt" as the children pretend to drive cars.

After everyone's done playing, they decide to clean up.

Everyone holds hands while singing "I Love You".

Stills

Min paints.

Trivia

• This episode marked:
  • The third time the Barney doll does not wink at the end. Instead, hearts are seen coming out of his bandage that Derek put on, similar to those used in Barney in Concert and "Caring Means Sharing".
  • The first time Barney wears something after he turns back into a doll, in this case it's the bandage.
  • The first episode to have three girls and one boy appear.
  • The first time Baby Bop leaves and disappears into magic sparkle dust.
  • The first time Barney and the kids sing "I Love You" in the classroom.
  • The first time Barney sings the first verse of "I Love You" all by himself at the end.
  • The first episode in which Barney says his famous catchphrase, "Super Dee Duper". He says it during the "Barney Says" segment.
  • The sixth time where time-lapse is used.
  • The first episode where the "Barney Says" segment contains a song. In this case, "The Stranger Song" clip plays again.
  • The first time Min appears with Luci, Derek, Kathy, and Baby Bop.
  • The first time Luci and Derek appear without Tina and Michael.
  • The first episode (not counting any of the Backyard Gang videos) where the kids sing a song before Barney comes to life.
  • The only time Min wears long jeans.
  • The only episode where Barney gets hurt.
  • The first time Kathy is not seen with her teddy bear.

• In reruns of the episode with the shorter credits, at the end of the credits, there is a notice that says "Not affiliated with Playing It Safe, Inc."
• When a scene of this episode where Barney slips on a toy ambulance was shown in Barney Safety the close-up shot of his sore tail was cut and the red cross on the toy ambulance were edited out.
• During the "Barney Says" segment on the Time-Life release, the shot of Barney saying his line does not wipe, but cut, to the episode clips. This error is not present on the TV airings.
• Before, during and after the incident where Barney slips on the toy ambulance, we see on the built-in board the drawings of kids' artwork about this episode's topic, in which all or most were used for this episode's end credits.
• Behind-the-scenes footage from this episode was shown in the documentary series, I Love You, You Hate Me.
• Min would later wear the same shirt in "What's That Shadow?"
• Derek would later dress up like a doctor again in "When I Grow Up..."

Goofs

• At the end of this episode, before Baby Bop leaves, the studio lights can be seen reflecting in her eyes. Also, right after Baby Bop fades away, and before she forgets her blankey, if we look really closely, we can still see her.