Like it or not, your kids are going on YouTube. Older kids might have their own devices with access. Maybe you have restricted them to YouTube Kids, which offers a safer, more contained environment where they can’t access videos that aren’t age-appropriate. Younger kids, meanwhile, are probably watching videos you find that entertain them for a few minutes while you get a quick chore done or chat with friends over morning coffee. Thankfully, if you (or they) choose the right videos, YouTube can be educational, offer good, clean fun and entertainment, and promote positive morals and values.
If you’re looking for good YouTube videos for kids, these are a great place to start. This list includes a mix of videos that would be good for kids as young as one up to toddler/pre-school age, kids in grade school, and middle school up to tween/teen.
Humpty Dumpty Grocery Store | CoComelon Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs
CoComelon – Nursery Rhymes
Best for Ages 1-4
Any parent with a toddler is probably already familiar with CoComelon, one of the most popular YouTube channels with more than 168 million subscribers. The videos are musical, engaging, colorful, and fun. But most important, they are also educational. They’re a great way to keep your toddler occupied for a short period of time if you need to get something done or they’re being extra finicky.
This video, one of many on the channel, features a fun variation on the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty. Nina is chasing down the plastic toy egg she got from the vending machine at the grocery store, but it keeps eluding her. The tune is catchy, and the fact that lyrics appear at the bottom, karaoke style, makes it easy for kids to learn the words and follow along with the cadence. The distinct sound effects as the egg soars through the air, bumps items, and bounces on the ground will have kids giggling as they watch it, likely over and over again.
Celebrate Thankfulness with Daniel Tiger! | Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
PBS Kids
Best for Ages 1-4
This video, an hour-plus-long episode, is about being thankful for people, what you have, and special moments. Kids learn about being helpful, caring for family, and having a positive attitude, even when mistakes happen. The dialogue is mixed in with musical numbers to keep kids entertained the whole way through. Educational moments about shape recognition, measuring, and object identification are interspersed throughout the episode.
Saying Hello And Making New Friends | Read The Book Bonjou! | Circle Time with Khan Academy Kids
Khan Academy Kids
Best for Ages 2-8
Online learning platform Khan Academy has its own YouTube channel filled with great resources for kids and parents. One of the recurring segments is called Circle Time, where kids are encouraged to play with others, learn about new topics, and read. These lessons can be combined with ones offered in the free Khan Academy Kids app.
This video in the series is about helping kids make new friends. The hosts read from the book Bonjou about a boy named Leo. He speaks Creole to a new student in the school, helping him feel welcome. Along with the audio reading and illustrations from the pages of the book, you can also opt to display subtitles. With these visual and audible options, kids can follow along in the way that’s most comfortable for them.
A Bad Case of Stripes read by Sean Astin
StorylineOnline
Best for Ages 5-9
This YouTube account was created by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and was designed to complement the children’s literacy website of the same name. It’s filled with tons of videos of actors reading children’s books combined with illustrations. There’s a wonderful mix of actors, but kids (and their parents) will love this one with Sean Astin. He’s reading about a young girl named Camilla Cream who loves lima beans. But she never eats them because other kids at her school don’t like them.
Each story has a moral lesson and helps kids expand their vocabulary and comprehension. This one is about learning to accept yourself and not worry so much about what others think of you. The video includes a link to an activity guide kids can do afterward.
How to Draw A Cute Cupcake Monster Folding Surprise
Art for Kids Hub
Best for Ages 6-10
Has your child ever Googled “how to draw” something? Plenty of kids are interested in the arts, and if yours falls into this space, the Art for Kids Hub YouTube channel is a great place to start. Not only does it feature step-by-step instructional videos of how to draw all types of objects, animals, and cute creations, but it also features kids themselves doing the work. Rob is a dad of four who walks viewers through the projects alongside his kids, making the channel a great one to promote family values as well.
One of the more popular videos on the channel is this one that involves drawing a cupcake creature and manipulating it to deliver a cool effect once folded. Rob is joined by his daughter as an overhead view shows his work side-by-side with hers. Seeing her draw alongside him shows just how easy the process is for even young kids to follow. In just 15 minutes, your child will be mesmerized at what they just created.
How The Food You Eat Affects Your Brain – Mia Nacamulli
TED-Ed
Best for Ages 8-10
You are probably familiar with TED Talks conference sessions, which feature influential and inspiring people from all types of industries discussing topics about life, career, science, and more. TED-Ed is an extension of that, geared towards kids. The YouTube channel itself has content designed for kids from K-12 with a wide variety of videos designed to inspire curiosity and educate children about things that are valuable to them.
This video, suitable for older kids including teens and tweens, is a great one to inform kids about how their food impacts them. Kids who love sugar and junk food will learn why good nutrition is important. It will hit differently when it isn’t mom and dad telling them to eat their veggies, but it’s coming from a trusted, scientific perspective. Sure, younger kids might get bored after a minute or two (the video is under five minutes long). But for older kids, this video could be a game-changer. Maybe they’ll even ask for another helping of vegetables at dinner (they’ll probably still want that cookie after, too, though!)
Sesame Street: Elmo’s Bedtime Story
Best for Ages 1-3
Sure, giving your kids screen time right before bed is not recommended. But this video is an exception. Toddlers might not be excited about tucking in for the night. But with the help of Elmo in this short, under two-minute video, the cuddly Sesame Street character can help get them in the right frame of mind.
Elmo runs through everything he does as part of his bedtime routine, including having dinner, having a bath, putting on his pajamas, brushing his teeth, and singing a lullaby. He sings the song and kids and parents can join in. He’s yawning and getting sleepy by the end, hopefully having toddlers feeling just the same.
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