Finding YouTube videos for kids to watch that are fun, educational, and don't drive you crazy can be a challenge. And it's one I know well — my kids love YouTube, so "Baby Shark" is always in rotation at my house, along with the rest of my kids' playlist, which should be titled "Songs My Mom Never Wants to Hear Again."
While I know the old standbys aren't going anywhere, it's nice to have some alternatives for the days when I will lose it if I have to listen to the kid from "Johny Johny Yes Papa" lie to his dad about eating sugar one more time. YouTube is the internet's most popular video sharing platform, and because kids are more tech-savvy [1] than ever, there's a good chance they are accessing the site on a regular basis. In fact, young people are watching less and less cable TV [2] and instead turning to platforms like YouTube. But YouTube has a channel for just about everything, so it can be tough to narrow down videos that are kid-friendly, educational, and entertaining. Luckily, we're here to help. This list of YouTube channels covers everything from nursery rhymes to STEM learning and will make sure your kiddo's screen time counts.
Sesame Street
It's Elmo's world, and we're all just living in it. Sesame Street [3], the show that paved the way for preschool-age television programming, has its own YouTube channel [4]. All the characters we know and love make appearances in the various entertaining and educational videos. Murray Monster has his own series of videos that shows kids participating in fun science experiments, and Elmo and Cookie Monster star in "Monster Fixers," a series about fixing everything from Little Bo-Peep's broken fence to Humpty Dumpty's broken shell.
Smithsonian Channel
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is a must-see if you happen to be in the Washington DC area. But if you can't get there in person, check out their YouTube channel [5] for fun and educational videos that tackle a wide variety of topics, from archaeology to astronomy. Besides, you might just enjoy it, too — because nothing is cuter than this baby orangutan trying to open a coconut. Nothing.
The Brain Scoop
Hosted by Emily, the chief curiosity correspondent of the Chicago Field Museum, The Brain Scoop [6] engages children with videos that cover everything from scientific dissection to tours of museums and science labs. Note: content here is geared toward kids with an interest in natural sciences.
WordWorld
PBS has proven to be a reliable source for quality children's programming, serving as home to Curious George, Thomas & Friends, and Daniel Tiger's Neighbourhood. WordWorld provides videos that help children build their vocabularies [7] using rhymes, colourful characters, and catchy music. In the "Build Words With Duck" series, for example, Duck guides children through a series of words, sounding out the letters as he goes.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed [8], run by the same nonprofit that brings us TED Talks, is building their library of educational content by producing animated shorts that challenge young viewers to use their brainpower and think outside the box. A lot of the content on this channel is better suited for older kids because some of the topics (like the ones in the series "Questions No One Knows the Answer To") are a little too abstract for younger kids. Personally, we love the videos that ask viewers to solve riddles. Now, in all fairness, I couldn't solve the one titled "Can You Solve the Bridge Riddle?" [9], but my son and I had a blast trying to figure it out.
Little Baby Bum
Little Baby Bum is a British YouTube channel [10] that features bright 3D animation, catchy original songs, and classic nursery rhymes. They post new content weekly, so there's always something fresh to check out.
ChuChu TV
ChuChu TV provides educational entertainment [11] with colourful animations, fun songs, and nursery rhymes. With almost 30 million subscribers, ChuChu TV is now one of the most popular [12] kids channels on YouTube, with almost 400 videos. The characters are inclusive, the music is catchy, and they add new content several times a week.
Cosmic Kids Yoga
Cosmic Kids Yoga features videos that teach mindfulness and relaxation [13], geared toward kids ages 3 and up. The channel also offers interactive adventures where the instructor guides viewers on a make-believe trek through a forest or into outer space. The exercises help build strength and balance and encourage kids to use their imaginations. Chaturanga to upward facing dog with a dragon in a magical forest? Yes, please.
Netflix Jr.
The Netflix Jr. YouTube channel [15] features characters from popular Netflix shows [16], like StoryBots and Super Monsters, in fun singalongs with bright, engageing content. I'm a fan of the "ABC Jamboree" videos, where they take each letter of the alphabet and set it to original music performed by the StoryBots. The content here is usually under five minutes per video (perfect for waiting in line) and new content is added weekly.
Super Simple Songs
This channel provides videos of colourful animated characters singing [17] popular songs and nursery rhymes. The "Noodle & Pals!" playlist has songs that encourage kids to stand up, stomp, clap, and sing along to songs like "The Wheels on the Bus" and "One Little Finger." Super Simple Songs also has a kid-friendly app for iOS [18], where you can watch all the content from the YouTube channel without having to worry about the kiddos accidentally clicking on ads or other content.
Dave and Ava
The bright, engageing, and animated Dave and Ava are your hosts on this channel [19]. They cover all the bases, from nursery rhymes, number and colour songs, original tunes, and everything in between. You'll also find Spanish-language content for kids on the channel, as well as videos that are an hour or longer — so you don't have to keep clicking to new links every time a song ends.
Mother Goose Club
Mother Goose Club [20] is a fun and entertaining channel featuring kids and adults in colourful costumes. They sing songs, act out nursery rhymes, and host a mix of live-action and animated content.
Houston Zoo
Kids will be enthralled by the behind-the-scenes content featured on the Houston Zoo channel [21]. The educational videos showing the inner workings of the zoo and offering behind-the-scenes access to furry and feathered friends are a must-see for young animal-lovers. In fact, there's an entire playlist called "Houston Zoo Babies" that visits each of the zoo's baby animals. Perfect for when you want your heart melted and your eardrums pierced by the excited squeals of your kids.
Crash Course Kids
Crash Course Kids [22] is a weekly show that focuses on grade-school science. Host Sabrina Cruz covers exciting subjects like Earth, space, and chemical reactions.
Free School
Keep kids engaged while exploring history, classical music, and literature with fun and informative videos from Free School [23]. The "American History for Children" playlist covers everything from the drafting of the Constitution to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There are biographies of notable historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Vincent van Gogh, and a series of "60 Second Science Questions," like "What causes thunder and lightning?"
