We love you, YouTube.
YouTube is one of my family’s favorite ways to watch videos. However, the massive amount of content on the app can make it difficult to find channels and videos that are age-appropriate and…well…not weird. (Some of the content out there is like ?!?!?!)
When is comes to finding Taylor Swift music videos or makeup tutorials on YouTube, it’s easy peasy. But when I’m trying to find appropriate sing-a-long videos and learning-based programs for children? Not so easy-peasy. I actually didn’t have a clue on where to begin at first.
With all that in mind, it’s taken me a while to curate a collection of go-to kid’s channels on the app! But I now have a selection of favorites that we have on repeat, and can easily access them through Xfinity X1.
How We Like to Watch YouTube Videos
Before I dive into our favorites, I thought I’d share how my family prefers to watch YouTube videos. From phones to tablets to TVs, there are so many ways you can watch YouTube nowadays!
When it comes to screen time, my husband and I err on the side of viewing as a collective family instead of watching different videos at the same time across multiple devices. My family makes a point of watching one thing on YouTube, together.
Doug and I feel that this is particularly important for a few reasons. While we try to limit our family’s screen time, we do see it as a fun activity to do together — especially when our crew is busting out epic dance moves to music videos that we all enjoy, which is hands down our favorite way to watch YouTube. (Okay, fine, my moves are more embarrassing than epic. But one can dream.)
On that note, I have a fun fact for you. Did you know that you can access all your favorite Netflix shows and movies, YouTube channels, videos, vlogs and more on Xfinity X1? It’s amazing, you guys. We we have dance parties, we search for songs by literally speaking into the X1 Voice Remote, and it pulls up the music video. It’s so easy that Gracie even uses it!
So if you’re like us and rock out to dance parties on the regular, Xifinity 1 is a must. The voice search works for anything you’re searching for, including channels or even other apps. The remote makes the entire viewing experience seamless.
Rock on and keep showing off those epic mom dance moves, my friends. (Don’t worry, I won’t try to demonstrate my “Floss” right now.)
We also love watching YouTube on our tables. I prefer having Grace and Jo go this route when I need a quick few minutes to get ready or answer work emails, because they tend to drop devices. Unlike my phone, which has been cracked multiples times, our tablet is child-proof. That makes it easy and stress-free to grab the tablet, pull up a favorite kid-related channel, and hand it over. Plus, Grace and Jo can also easily watch videos together, and it’s the sweetest when we see them all snuggled up and sharing.
Side note: If you haven’t already, it’s a great idea to set up parental controls for your YouTube accounts! Parental controls have given me great peace of mind when they’re watching YouTube, because after one video is done, another one auto plays. That makes it fairly easy for kids to stumble upon videos that aren’t appropriate for children. If you’d like more information, here’s a great overview on how to set up parental controls!
Our Family’s Favorite YouTube Channels for Young Kids
Alright, enough set-up! I’m so excited to share our tried-and-true favorite YouTube channels for young kids today in partnership with Xfinity! I hope this list can help fellow parents (and their kiddos!) find content and channels that will bring smiles.
If you have others that you’d recommend, I’d love it if you’d leave your suggestions in the comments! We’re always on the lookout for great new content — and I know other parents are, too.
Wizz Learning
Wizz Learning has preschool educational videos that are colorful, cute, and simple! They all teach something, which I love. There are few sub channels such as Numberblocks (videos showcase basic math, such as adding and subtracting, in ways that are easy for kids to understand) and Alphablocks (videos that showcase numbers and help to teach kids to read). This is definitely one of my favorites to put on for the girls because I feel less guilty about screen time while they’re learning something while watching.
Sesame Street
Need I say more?! Elmo is our jam. The girls love this channel — and honestly, so do I. No shame in my love for Cookie Monster and Elmo. Sometimes I find myself singing right along with them. (Any other parents know the “Letter of the Day” song by heart?! Ha!)
Mother Goose Club
A channel filled with nursery rhymes and educational videos. It features characters that sing, dance, and even have original songs. The girls love this channe because they can sing along with the videos. (I have even resorted to singing the “Brush your teeth” song to get them to cooperate while brushing their teeth!)
PBS Kids
Another given! This channel has a lot of cute and varied videos on here that the girls love, and they’re all educational.
Super Why
A preschool show designed to help children aged three to six learn to read through interactive story adventures. The adventures take place in Storybrook Village, a magical three-dimensional world behind the shelves in your library, where fairytale characters live.
Rosanna Pansino
Rosanna hosts a cute baking show called “Nerdy Nummies”, which is basically a cooking show for kids. Gracie loves helping us to cook — especially baking — so this show is right up her alley. She loves seeing what Rosanna bakes up, including cute kid-friendly things like a cake shaped like Kirby.
National Geographic Kids
National Geographic Kids is one of my favorite channels! This channel is geared toward kids that are a bit older than preschool age, but the girls do like watching it. I love that it’s focused on educational content that other channels may not be addressing, like why plastic is bad and animals on safari.
Super Simple Songs
The channel title says it all — simple songs that are fun for the kids to watch and also easy for them to sing along!
Yo Gabba Gabba
This channel has a lot of singing and dancing! We’ll sometimes turn on this channel during our dance parties referenced earlier. The girls love it!
Olive The Ostrich
This TV show tells stories of an adorable ostrich named Olive. Olive is an ostrich with a big imagination, a bigger heart and an even bigger appetite for adventure. She lives with her family in the Outback but is different from the rest of her family because of her imagination. So cute!
What other YouTube channels for kids do you and your kids enjoy? Leave them in the comments below!
Don’t forget to visit Xfinity X1 for more information on great ways to watch YouTube with X1!
PS – Thoughts On Screen Time and How We Manage It + 7 Tips for Productivity While Working From Home
This post was sponsored by Xfinity; however, all opinions are my own. Big thanks to Xfinity for the partnership, and big thanks to you for supporting the brands that help to make Isn’t That Charming possible!
