Navigating The World of Kid’s Content: A Parent’s Guide To Some of The Best YouTube Channels For Children & Toddlers Part 2 (2023)
Welcome to Part 2! If you haven’t read the first part of this two-part blog post, go back and read the first part here. Let’s keep going!
ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy
ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy is a great digital learning resource for children ages 2–8. Developed by education experts, their curriculum includes thousands of learning activities and hundreds of complete lessons for K-3 and Elementary including reading and language arts, math, science, social studies, health, art, and music. Their mission is to help children everywhere build a strong foundation for academic success and a lifelong love of learning.
Cosmic Kids Yoga
Cosmic Kids Yoga provides yoga, mindfulness, and relaxation videos designed specifically for kids. Perfect for ages 3-8, the content is designed to be fun and interactive for young kids while promoting physical activity. The channel makes exercise fun and builds focus and strength in a kid-friendly way. Parents might also appreciate the episodes that offer guided relaxation, which can be great for winding down before naps or bedtime.
The Learning Station
The Learning Station provides educational songs and dances to get kids engaged, moving and learning. Children can learn a variety of subjects, primarily through music and movement, including math, language, and physical skills. The channel is geared toward babies, toddlers, preschoolers and elementary-age children. Parents should know that the channel encourages active participation so be ready to get on your feet and lead by example!
Kid's Learning Tube
Get ready for some earworms! Kid's Learning Tube offers educational songs about a wide range of topics including geography, science, math, biology, history, space and more. Ideal for ages 4-10, as the content suits preschool to middle elementary school children. The songs are catchy, making it fun for kids to learn complex topics. Some of the songs can be fast-paced, so parents might need to replay them for kids to fully grasp the content.
Rock 'N Learn
Rock ‘N Learn has entertaining, educational videos for toddlers and kids up through fifth grade and older. They have videos for baby’s first words, preschool, nursery rhymes, favourite kids’ songs, and videos for learning languages. Parents will also find videos for reading, math, and science. The channel also offers content for special needs education and ESL learners.
Blue's Clues & You!
Maybe a channel that needs no introduction: Blue's Clues & You. Perfect for ages 3-7, kids can join their favourite preschool pup, Blue, in new adventures seen only on YouTube. Play Blue's Clues, enjoy nursery rhyme sing-along songs, read mail and much more. New videos include storytime adventures, music playlists, how-to-draw and counting games. This is a reboot of the original series and parents who watched 'Blue's Clues' as children may enjoy sharing this show with their kids.
PBS Kids
PBS KIDS believes the world is full of possibilities, and so is every child. As the number one educational media brand for kids, PBS KIDS helps children ages 2-8 learn lessons that last a lifetime. Through television, digital media, and community-based programs, PBS KIDS wants children to see themselves uniquely reflected and celebrated in lovable, diverse characters who serve as positive role models, and to explore their feelings and discover new adventures along the way.
Alphablocks
The Alphablocks are 26 living letters who discover that whenever they hold hands and make a word, something magical happens. With adventures, songs and silliness, it’s tons of fun with words – all built on a firm foundation of key phonics skills. Alphablocks is the hit CBeebies TV show that’s helped hundreds of thousands of children to learn to read and will bring phonics to life for anyone wishing to learn how to spell in English.
Curious George
This is a classic that many parents will already know: Curious George! For over 80 years, the adventures of George and his friend The Man With the Yellow Hat have been delighting children with their playfulness and fun. The TV show reveals how curiosity is a building block of learning, as it introduces simple science, technology, engineering and math concepts to the youngest viewers. Parents should note that some of George's antics, while entertaining, require adult supervision in real life.
Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel
Jack’s music is research-based and teacher-approved to focus on helping children learn important educational and early childhood standards. All of Jack’s songs and videos engage children with not only great content but with fun movement and cool beats. Perfect for ages 3-8, kids can learn a variety of subjects, including math, reading, and social-emotional skills. Parents can also find Jack's songs on Spotify here.
Ms. Rachel Songs for Littles
Ms Rachel uses techniques recommended by speech therapists and early childhood experts to help children learn important milestones and preschool skills; ideal for ages 1-4. You can trust Ms. Rachel to provide interactive, high-quality screen time to get kids moving through fun nursery rhymes & kid’s songs videos. Her videos for toddlers are informed by research and are full of learning standards that will help preschoolers thrive.
HooplaKidz
One of the most popular YouTube channels for preschoolers featuring the cutest and coolest characters in town. Annie, Ben and Mango sing and dance to popular nursery rhymes and original songs. HooplaKidz offers a world of fun and fantasy for children and parents alike. Ideal for ages 1-4, little ones will start to grasp basic concepts like numbers, letters, and animal sounds. Find their music on Spotify as well!
Mother Goose Club
Mother Goose Club is a very popular channel for early learning and ages 1-4. Preschoolers, parents and teachers love Mother Goose Club's six colourful characters: Jack B. Nimble, Eep the Mouse, Little Bo Peep, Teddy Bear, Mary Quite Contrary and Baa Baa Sheep. Little ones will be introduced to preschool themes through classic nursery rhymes, original songs and colourful videos. Parents are encouraged to dance, clap and sing along!
Netflix Jr.
The Netflix Jr. channel is a place where kids can learn, sing and play with their favourite Netflix characters - from StoryBots to Super Monsters and everyone in between. Perfect for ages 2-8, the content includes a mix of animated and live-action shows for preschool and early elementary kids. The channel is more entertainment driven and learning concepts can vary widely based on the show. Parents should know that not all of the videos featured on Netflix Jr. are educational.
Blippi
A channel that most likely needs no introduction. Kids can explore Blippi's wondrous world with a wide and vast range of educational and entertaining content. How does a recycling truck work? What does a baker do? What is the best playground around? There are tons of exciting things to explore and learn. Ideal for ages 2-6, Blippi loves singing, dancing, playing and exploring. His contagious curiosity engages young viewers in learning adventures that help them both grow and develop. However, some parents have found Blippi's persona to be a bit over-the-top.
TED-Ed
This channel is best suited to children 10 and up. TED-Ed’s mission is to create lessons worth sharing. Parents are welcome to feed and expand their children's curiosity with TED's award-winning animated shorts - published on YouTube and available with supplemental learning materials on ed.ted.com. The content is generally safe for kids, but some topics may be complex and require parental guidance.
Nick Jr.
Nick Jr. is suitable for ages 2-6 and primarily focuses on entertainment versus education. Kids can watch some of the most popular shows such as Paw Patrol, Bubble Guppies, Shimmer and Shine, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Ricky Zoom, Peppa Pig, Team Umizoomi, Dora and Friends, Wallykazam!, and more. However, a lot of the videos on Nick Jr. can offer lessons around problem-solving, social-emotional skills, and basic academic concepts.
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has been reaching and teaching children since 1969. Today, they are an innovative force for change, with a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. They are present in more than 150 countries, serving vulnerable children through a wide range of media, formal education, and philanthropically-funded social impact programs. Sesame Street is completely suitable for children ages 2-8. One of my personal favorites!
Peppa Pig
The official Peppa Pig channel offers full episodes and compilations of the popular animated series. Ideal for ages 2-6, as the content is designed for preschoolers and early school-aged children. Little ones can learn lessons about social skills, family values, and understanding of the world around them. Although primarily for entertainment, Peppa Pig episodes can be a good starting point for conversations about daily life situations.
Super Simple Songs
Super Simple Songs is a trusted resource for parents and teachers around the world. Their library of nursery rhymes, original songs, and animated videos are perfect for children between the ages of 1-6. Each video is carefully crafted to engage young viewers and make learning new concepts such as colours, counting, animals and more both fun and simple.
CoComelon
CoComelon's primary goal is to engage families with entertaining and educational content that makes universally-relatable preschool moments fun. Their 3D animation and toe-tapping songs create a world that centers on the everyday experiences of young children. In addition to learning letters, numbers, animal sounds, colours, and more, the videos impart prosocial life lessons, providing parents with an opportunity to teach and play with their children as they watch together; ideal for ages 1-4.
The world of YouTube offers a rich tapestry of educational content that can help ignite your child's curiosity and passion for learning. The YouTube channels we've explored today offer a range of engaging, high-quality content suited for various age groups and interest areas.
Choosing the right educational resources can significantly contribute to a child's learning journey, helping them understand complex concepts in a fun, accessible way. You can harness these digital tools to supplement school learning and encourage your children's natural quest for knowledge.
Remember, every child's learning preferences and pace are unique, and these resources should be used as tools to complement their individual learning journeys. It is always much more beneficial to watch along with your child and provide guidance by answering any questions they might have.
We hope this guide has made the vast landscape of YouTube's educational content more navigable, and that you've found some new favourite channels for your kids to explore.
Happy learning, and see you on the farm!
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