YouTube videos for kids have emerged as a source of entertainment and a learning platform worldwide. They contain millions of hours of content, which explains why children spend such prolonged periods of time on this platform. According to a recent survey by Common Sense Media, 53% of parents feel anxious about the content their children view online.
In this article, we’ll give you a few examples of some entertaining YouTube videos for children, and we also give you some tips as parents on how to reduce any excessive screen time that your child engages in. So, continue reading the article if you wish to make your child’s experience on YouTube safer and more dependable.
Benefits and risks of kids watching videos from YouTube
Undoubtedly, YouTube is an excellent platform for learning and exploring things. Nevertheless, it is important to note that, like everything else, YouTube also has its upsides and downsides. Let’s take a look at how watching videos can assist you and any potential risks that come with it!
Benefits of watching YouTube videos for kids
Creativity Boost: YouTube also provides creative videos that can enhance your creativity by providing many ideas. For example, kids can engage in drawing activities, try baking cupcakes, or build something interesting with LEGOs.
Statistics indicate that inspiring content encourages almost 45% of kids to pursue their personal projects. Isn’t that fun? Perhaps you will create your videos in the future!
Changed perceptions of studying: YouTube is great for anyone who hates studying because it is such a great place to make learning fun. This is because rather than worrying about looking at the boring pages of a textbook, children can now more easily learn through interesting videos centered around science experiments, history lessons, or math puzzles.
You have a fascinating teacher at your fingertips! There are so many videos available that you can always learn something new.
Staying Connected: The most unique feature of YouTube is that it lets you see how other kids around the globe spend their time. For instance, you may be impressed by a beautiful dance or cool recipe and show it to your friends. This would definitely expand your horizons and help you understand people and their ideas, patterns, and cultures.
Risks of watching YouTube videos for kids
Inappropriate Content:
I need to caution you that some such videos should not be part of the child’s YouTube viewing experience. Such videos may portray scary pictures or have inappropriate language. According to research, about 27% of kids on YouTube see inappropriate content inadvertently. Hence, it becomes quite essential to have an adult’s help when looking for video content of appropriate nature.
Excessive exposure to screen:
Children are advised to engage in activity for certain periods, and when this limit is exceeded, it means you are putting your child at risk. There can be serious adverse effects on your kids, such as eye muscle strain, anxiety, study apathy, sleep problems, and so on.
Ads and Deception:
People generally hate YouTube advertisements and stop using the watch platform, yet some people return to the platform to watch videos. Some ads on YouTube appear to be real, but you know they will give you the wrong information.
Real-time monitoring and daily screen usage reports
Top 10 educational YouTube videos for kids
Are you searching for the best educational YouTube videos for Kids to make the learning experience enjoyable? If yes! Then, you have come to the right place. YouTube has a treasure of educational videos.
In this section, I will explore 10 amazing YouTube videos you should not overlook. These videos will keep you engaged with science, math, history, and other subjects. Let us take a look at these amazing videos!
1. “The Solar System Song” by KidsTV123
Age group: 4 to 8 years
Main Content: This catchy video teaches you all about the planets in our solar system. It teaches you the names of the planets, their placement, and the distinctive characteristics of each one of them. For example, did you know Saturn has beautiful rings, and Jupiter is the largest planet? The cool facts will help enliven your excitement about space.
YouTube video link: “The Solar System Song” by KidsTV123
Reason for recommendation: Children enjoy music, and 70% of children retain information better when it is sung, according to the analysis of studies. This is how science becomes entertaining and easy to learn.
2. “The Alphabet Song” by Super Simple Songs
Age group: 1 -5 years old kids
Main Content: Incorporating the video “The Alphabet Song” from Super Simple Songs greatly aids toddlers in learning the alphabet songs. This is because it has bright animations and appealing sounds that pre-schoolers would greatly enjoy and memorize easily.
YouTube video link: “The Alphabet Song” by Super Simple Songs
Reason for recommendation: The alphabet, in conjunction with the images, is quite engaging, and the characters in the video make it even more appealing.
3. How Do Airplanes Fly? by SciShow Kids
Age Group: 6-10 years
Main Content: Kids are always curious about how airplanes can drift over in the sky. Well! The video utilizes animations and a few little experiments that help showcase aerodynamics, thrust, and lift.
YouTube video link: How Do Airplanes Fly? by SciShow Kids
Reason for recommendation: This video captures its audience’s imagination and makes more complicated subjects easier to understand. Science is presented in a more story-like mystery, making life’s wonders even more fascinating.
4. Counting to 20 by Jack Hartmann
Age Group: 3-6 years
Main Content: Get ready to count alongside Jack Hartmann in this super entertaining video which features creative visuals and fun songs that pull in all energies. The video has appealing visuals, making kids more engaged in clapping, moving, and counting from 1 to 20.
YouTube video link: Counting to 20 by Jack Hartmann
Reason for recommendation: Combining information with movement can help retain information quickly. The combination of dancing and singing makes maths classes more enjoyable and easier to learn. I’m sure that you won’t be able to stop counting things after this!
5. Learn Shapes with for Kids Blippi
Age Group: 2 to 5 Years
Main Content: In this video, kids can learn the cutest shapes, like a circle, square, or triangle, through real everyday stuff like food, clothes, and buildings, including pizzas and cars.
YouTube video link: Learn Shapes with for Kids Blippi
Reason for recommendation: This video will get you hooked as Blippi explains things most engagingly, filled with energy and vibrant ideas. These videos help sharpen observation skills, meaning they help identify various objects’ shapes.
6. The Life Cycle of a Butterfly by National Geographic Kids
Age groups: 6-10 Years
Main Content: This stunning video shows you can watch a tiny caterpillar transform into a beautiful butterfly. You will know what happens in each butterfly’s life cycle stage, such as eggs, larva, pupa, and adult butterfly. The breathtaking closeup experience shows you sights of nature.
YouTube video link: The Life Cycle of a Butterfly by National Geographic Kids
Reason for recommendation: Such transformation in real-time turns out to be an unforgettable experience and urges you to recognize nature’s marvels.
7. Learn Fractions with Khan Academy
Age Group: 8-12 years
Main Content: Fractions can be difficult to learn, but not when explained through entertaining examples like dividing a pizza or sharing a chocolate bar. This video adds to the experience by helping a child add, subtract, and compare fractions visually and step-by-step.
YouTube video link: Learn Fractions with Khan Academy
Reason for recommendation: Khan Academy is being used by millions of students across the globe. This is because videos turn complex subjects into a few easy lessons that can be easily comprehended and practically executed.
8. Dr Binocs Show: Why Do We Sleep?
Age Group: 4-8 years old kids
Main Content: The show explains why sleep is essential for our health, focusing on how our bodies and brains recharge while we rest. It also introduces the concept of sleep cycles and why sleep helps us grow, learn, and feel better.
YouTube video link: Dr Binocs Show: Why Do We Sleep?
Reason for recommendation: It encourages curiosity about the human body and promotes good sleep habits through its engaging and colorful animation style. It’s recommended for its simple explanations and interactive approach.
9. “CrashCourse Kids: Ecosystems”
Age Group: 8-12 years
Main Content: This Video helps you learn about ecosystems by showing you how they function. It explains the interrelationships between living and nonliving factors and shows the interdependence of various ecosystems, such as forests, oceans, and ponds, through well-narrated animations.
YouTube video link: CrashCourse Kids: Ecosystems
Reason for recommendation: It’s a good way to learn about the environment and its significance as well as natural conservation techniques. You’ll start to observe how each piece of graphic around you contributes to the sustenance of humanity.
10 “Mindfulness for Kids” by Cosmic Kids Yoga
Age Group: 5-10 years
Main Content: This video explains how to feel relaxed and calm. Have you ever wondered how to achieve such states? Well! It uses breathing techniques and meditation to enhance and manage anxiety, stress, and other difficult feelings. It combines relaxing visuals and instructions to allow for easier instruction.
YouTube video link: Mindfulness for Kids
Reason for recommendation: Nowadays, where everything is fast-paced, yoga is a super skill. You can train your mind to enhance your performance, lower your anxiety, and increase your general contentment.
If you think these videos are pointless, think again – the goal is to bust the myths about acquiring knowledge effectively! A poll indicates that nearly 80% of parents agree that children watch educational YouTube videos, making the school syllabus more comprehensible.
Strategies to safeguard your kids on YouTube
YouTube has great potential for entertaining and educating your children, but you should do something to minimize the risk associated with your children’s experience on the platform. Here are some ideas that would come in useful.
Monitor Their Screen Time: Exercising control over the period is crucial as it promises that you do not get unduly fatigued and, more significantly, guarantees good sleep. Specialists have opined that children should spend no more than 2 hours a week in front of a screen.
Engage in Active Outdoor Family Bonding: I recommend organizing outdoor family bonding activities with your children. Eventually, if you encourage your children to participate in outdoor sports such as cricket and football, they will naturally reduce their screen time and become more active.
Talk About What’s Safe to Watch: You should know how to select the videos that are safe to view. Some videos seem really fun, but they have some aspects that could be inappropriate for some audiences. Tell your parents which videos you want to see, which can help them choose ones you can safely watch.
Parental control tools for YouTube you should know
YouTube protects you by offering parental controls, allowing parents and students to ensure that children are not exposed to materials they should not be exposed to. Here is how your parents can limit your exposure to inappropriate content on YouTube to enhance your enjoyment.
Turn on restricted mode
Restricted mode assists in restricting adults and harmful material on the videos. Parents can do this by following this procedure:
Step 1: First, open YouTube on your device and then click on the profile picture in the upper right.
Step 2: Here, you will see a restricted mode switch that can be toggled on.
Google claims that many videos that are deemed inappropriate are visible on Google, which can be resolved by the targeted aid called Restricted Mode. In this way, YouTube is much more kid-friendly!
Make use of the YouTube Kids App
YouTube Kids is an app that caters to kids. It displays kid-friendly videos and allows parents to moderate their use of them.
Step 1: First, get YouTube Kids from the App Store or even get it from the Google Play Store.
Step 2: Now, you will be asked to create your profile. You must select an age category to filter content to your preferences.
Step 3: Enable certain videos and disable others using the parental controls.
The majority, 90%, of parents prefer the YouTube Kids app as it provides children with a safer option providing intensive entrainment and education in one package!
Block specific channels
Sometimes, a particular channel may not suit your kids; you may block it so you do not access those videos again. This is how:
Step 1. The first step is to go for a channel you want to block.
Step 2. From the video or channel name, click on the three dots located near it.
Step 3. Here, you need to click on Block and confirm your decision.
This surely helps parents customize their video preferences to suit more of your liking.
Use the FlashGet Kids App
FlashGet Kids is a third-party software especially for kids to ensure a safe and healthy digital environment. You can fully trust this app; I’m saying this with my experience. Well! Let’s see how it would prove helpful in blocking inappropriate content on YouTube videos for kids.
- Content filtering: It enables you to block age-inappropriate content from YouTube or other platforms, thus guaranteeing a safe digital environment.
- Keyword detection: FlashGet Kids enables you to set keywords related to inappropriate content. Thus, no content usually appears if your kids try to browse such content.
Endnotes
In a nutshell, I can say that YouTube videos for kids are the best source for enhancing the learning experience while sitting at home. Moreover, I have also recommended your top 10 YouTube videos, which are both educational and entertaining.
However, as a parent, you must be cautious every time as the Internet can also prone your kids to explicit content. That’s why make sure to use FlashGet Kids, as it enables parents to be carefree, and your children can explore wonders without danger.
