Posted on: 15.07.2016.
YouTube is one of the leading infotainment websites available on the internet today. It has millions of channels, some of which are more appropriate for kids and teenagers than others. Finding informative and appropriate content is not always easy because sorting through all of it can be time-consuming.
There are millions of videos ready for viewing that have never been filtered or rated for child-friendliness. As soon as you think you have landed upon a safe and child-friendly section, an ad pops up and introduces your child to content that is inappropriate.
To help parents and caregivers, Google has set up a new service called YouTube for Kids. This service is completely focused on children and offers a safe online environment. In addition to checking out this service, you could also explore some other YouTube channels that have already been vetted by parents for quality, appropriateness and safety of their content.
These YouTube channels have been designed to meet the various learning styles of kids and make it easy for parents to monitor their child's activity. They offer videos that will help your child to explore his or her creativity, ideas and thinking skills. Try out some of these great channels and watch them with your child to learn some new educational, practical and innovative information.
The Spangler Effect is a science channel that includes funny and exciting demonstrations and experiments. Created by Steve Spangler, an Emmy award-winning television host, this channel offers memorable learning experiences for kids. He is also known for inventing new educational toys and for writing and speaking to audiences of all ages.
Spangler is the science teacher who makes things smoke, pop and burst, which engages kids who learn through interactive events. Spangler's passion is to make learning fun by devising creative presentations that engage with the audience.
Although the methods that he uses are not the usual types that you would find in an elementary or middle school classroom, he is highly effective at turning humdrum science and experiments into something fun and interesting.
If your kids like to get their hands dirty and are into creating things by themselves, then Simple Kids Crafts is a must-see YouTube channel. Your kids can try out crafts for making doll clothes and accessories, gifts, toys, games and greeting cards. There are also more general craft tutorials for projects that your kids can do with a minimum amount of assistance from you.
Most of these projects involve simple instructions and fast steps that use easy to find and inexpensive supplies. Your kids will be able to start the project right away, with no trips to the big box craft store needed.
On Simple Kids Crafts, there are more than 800 videos, each of which lasts for about five minutes. This is just the right length of time to keep the projects simple and the kids interested in the content. The idea of the channel is for kids to make recycled and up-cycled craft projects that are successful and that really work on the first try.
HooplaKidz is a YouTube channel that is ideal for younger kids. It features nursery rhymes from when you and your own parents were children. Your little ones can learn classics such as "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Mary Had a Little Lamb", as well as many others that you may have forgotten about since you grew up. For parents of little kids, this may be the only YouTube channel that you need.
The music is presented along with child-friendly animations of the story. Each of the animations features fun characters, including Annie, Ben, and Mango. These characters sing and dance to the song and story. Kids can also listen to some original rhymes and stories.
After watching these videos, kids may learn new words and skills such as counting. There is also a spelling series and a set of interactive videos for learning about telling right from wrong and being kind to others.
PBS Parents is modeled after PBS kids and features videos that are ideal for the whole family to watch. On PBS Parents, you can enjoy original video content and playlists for activities such as cooking, doing experiments and crafting. The shows are designed for a wide age range and include ideas for spending quality family time together doing simple, affordable and enjoyable things.
The PBS Parents YouTube channel may get you and your kids singing songs, making holiday crafts or creating surprise treats for one another. The channel also has many creative ideas that you can use to boost your child's literacy, math, writing and social skills.
There is even a parenting advice section that you can use for tips on working through tricky situations such as when your child does not want to read. This channel is best for parents with kids ages 6 and younger.
On the Geek Gurl Diaries show, you get to listen to the lively British hostess Carrie Anne Philbin as she delivers tutorials and video blogs about programming and designing computers and related technology. She works to make computers and technology appealing and achievable for girls.
Her how-to guides include introducing different types of computer programming languages and how to build a simple computer. She gives detailed information about the basics of writing computer programs and makes the whole process seem fun. This YouTube channel is best for girls in the preteen to teen years.
Chicago's famed Field Museum of Natural History offers up The Brain Scoop, which is an educational channel that shows sneak peeks behind the scenes of this vast museum. Kids can go on a tour of the lab where the preparation of animals for taxidermy happens. Kids also get to watch demonstrations of earth science and biology.
Each of the episodes is hosted by the likable Chief Curiosity Correspondent Emily Graslie. At the beginning of each segment, there is a disclaimer about the type of topic as well as a “grossometer” so that you and your child can decide together if you would like to watch that particular episode. This channel is best for kids ages 7 to 13.
If you have a budding artist in your home, then Art for Kids Hub may be a great YouTube channel for your family. The host is a dad who enjoys creating art along with his children. Rob and his kids and wife take turns demonstrating ways to include art in the everyday lives of children.
In each of these videos, kids are given some direction and inspiration on how to use their imagination and get their hands dirty to create fun art projects. These projects are designed for you to give them a go as well, and you will have finished pieces that are worthy of a place on your home's walls.
The famous preschool show Yo Gabba Gabba has been released and expanded on YouTube, where your youngsters can sing along with all of the characters. Your child can sing, dance and watch Brobee, Foofa, Muno, Plex and Toodee as well as each segment's special guest. The guests range from singers to celebrities who share an inside scoop about what they do and how they do it. The episodes last for about 15 to 20 minutes and will keep young kids entertained and active.
The National Geographic Kids YouTube channel is geared to children who want to learn everything there is to know about the Earth, nature and the world that surrounds them. Each episode has a different topic that answers a question in an age-appropriate way.
The shows use scientific facts and demonstrations to teach kids about technology, animals, plants, weather and more. Your child may be inspired to learn more about wild animals, plants, and technology after watching these engaging shows. If you are worried about your child coming across inappropriate topics, you can relax with this channel because there are no restricted videos in the National Geographic for Kids playlist.
If your child speaks more than one language or needs to pick up on vocabulary and spelling, the Busy Beaver YouTube channel is a great choice. This educational channel offers a fun and entertaining way for kids to learn English, as well as Spanish.
It is aimed towards toddlers, preschoolers and elementary students and helps them learn grammar, spelling, and other language skills. Each segment uses songs, dances and animation to help kids learn about the English and Spanish languages.
These 10 channels are a perfect example that YouTube is not only a go-to platform for entertainment, but also an excellent choice for interactive learning. From crazy science experiments and virtual museum tours, all the way to crafts, songs and art, your kids are bound to find something they’ll enjoy watching and doing. With this list of engaging YouTube channels for kids, providing appropriate and valuable content for your little ones won’t be hard anymore.
