Whether you like it or not, kids are going to watch YouTube. The site is filled with a seemingly endless selection of videos from which to choose. With older kids, you don’t want them watching content that’s not appropriate, or stuff that will “rot their brain.” With younger kids, while you might not want to plop them in front of a screen for hours on end, there are helpful, educational videos worth watching with them for short spurts of time.
We have scoured YouTube to bring you this list of the best YouTube videos for kids. There are options for kids of all ages, each with an educational component that’s also fun and engaging. For older kids, there are videos that will help them with their homework, presented in a style they’ll appreciate. There are even inspirational ones to give them a little pick-me-up when they need it.
Baby’s First Words – Colors, Clothes, Toys & More | When will my toddler speak?
Rock ‘N Learn
Best for Ages 1-3
The sooner you can introduce your babies and toddlers to letters, numbers, words, and colors, the better. Even though it might not seem like it’s sinking in, it might very well be. This adorable video begins with cartoon kids scuttling into a room one by one, showing a card with the image of a specific item on it, like a couch, table, door, and more. The word appears underneath, along with close-up images of lips annunciating these words to help toddlers imitate them.
What’s great is that two images are shown for each item so kids don’t think every truck has to look like a big red one or every ball is bright blue. The video progresses to show different colors in a similar fashion as well. You can play it with your toddler daily for a short 12-minute learning session. With the repetition, your toddlers will pick up things eventually and be saying and identifying everything from cars to blocks and shoes in no time.
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood | Bathtime Bubbles
PBS Kids
Best for Ages 1-3
Bathtime is a fun time for toddlers, but sometimes they don’t want to get into that sudsy water and wash up. This adorable video, which runs just over three minutes long, helps get kids prepped for bathtime, reminding them how fun it can be. It begins with the toddlers being all sticky from the outside. They head indoors for mom to give them a wash. Their excitement is for the bubbles.
It’s the type of video you can play with toddlers before every bath that will encourage them to go in. There’s also a short lesson about enjoying “the wow that’s happening now” when kids get caught up in other distractions. It’s an adorable video in the extensive selection featuring the popular character.
‘5 Monkeys’ by The Snack Town All-Stars
The Snack Town All-Stars
Best for Ages 1-5
The song Five Monkeys is an all-time classic and this version presents it with an animated image of the quintet of monkeys in a child’s bedroom. As they jump and play, the song plays and the lyrics appear at the top of the screen. While younger kids won’t be able to read them just yet, it will help with word and letter recognition. The colorful images, meanwhile, will hold a toddler’s attention.
It’s great for sing-a-long time with little ones. This popular song is just one of many featured on the The Snack Town All-Stars YouTube channel. A tip while watching this one: pause the video and ask the child to identify different items, like books, balls, a lamp, a toy car, building blocks, a basket, and more.
Baby Shark Dance | 3babyshark Most Viewed Video | Animal Songs | PINKFONG Songs for Children
Pinkfong
Best for Ages 0-4
We all know the song. Maybe it has been played over and over again in your home. But it might also be the only thing to keep your baby or toddler soothed when they need something to distract and entertain them. The catchy tune has been viewed and heard on YouTube more than 14 billion times. Watch kids sing about mommy, daddy, and grandma shark (doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo) as they dance amid animated fish.
It’s just the right level of repetitiveness that, as little ones learn their words and sounds, they can replicate the tune with ease. Hearing the words over and over again will help with memory retention, and it’ll instantly put your kids in a good mood. Don’t forget to sing along, too!
Bingo
Super Simple Songs
Best for Ages 1-3
Repetitive songs are the name of the game when it comes to babies and toddlers. Repeating lyrics, words, and tunes help kids learn and follow along, expanding their vocabulary from just a few words to many. Bingo is one of those classic kids’ songs, and with 432 million views, this video is a wonderful integration of both the song and visuals, as well as elements of interactivity as kids get older.
Along with a soothing male voice singing the tune are colorful images of the farmer and his dog, Bingo. The letters are highlighted on-screen as they are slowly sung. Kids are also encouraged to do things like pat their tummy or head in sync with the sounds. The video is under three minutes long and it repeats the sequence over and over with different actions each time. Kids will be singing along in no time and asking for the video to be played over and over again.
Classical Music for Toddlers — Symphony of Fun
Baby Einstein
Best for Ages 1-3
As a parent or grandparent, you might be so tired of hearing the same nursery rhymes and cartoons over and over again. Plus, what parent doesn’t want their child to be intelligent and cultured? This video is fairly simplistic in nature but it will give adults a much needed break without forcing you to put in earplugs to get back some sanity. But most important, it will keep toddlers curious and engaged.
Alongside the classical music that plays throughout the video is a selection of images to stimulate kids. These range from other kids playing instruments, to toys, colorful motion images like mosaics, and puppet animals generally acting silly. The video is just over six minutes, just enough time for you to empty the dishwasher. It features three timeless classical tunes that’ll help you de-stress, too. Combining calming music with visual sensory images, your toddler won’t be able to avert their eyes for the entire time, and you’ll enjoy the quick daily interlude, too.
Humpty Dumpty Grocery Store — CoComelon Nursery Rhymes and Kids Songs
CoComelon
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 and frequently one of Netflix’s 10 most popular shows. 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 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.
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, bathing, 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.
Ryan Pretend Play and Learn Colors with Giant Crayon Egg Surprise Toys!
Ryan’s World
Best for Ages 3-5
With 38.1 million subscribers, Ryan from Ryan’s World is a favorite of young kids. Your preschoolers and kindergarteners will relate to him and his engaging and casual style. In this video, he runs through his house looking for oversized crayons. As he discovers each one, he says the color and then uses it on an egg that magically turns into an oversized plastic egg of the same color.
Ryan continues to match the colored crayons with the corresponding eggs, something kids can do along with him using their own crayons and items in their home. Maybe they don’t have magic eggs, but they will have something like a red sweater or a yellow banana. The video moves on to chalk colors, surprise toys, and more, and ends with some family silliness.
Minecraft | A Cosmic Kids Yoga Adventure
Cosmic Kids Yoga
Best for Ages 4-8
What’s the best way to get overactive grade schoolers to relax and center themselves? Yoga, of course. But regular yoga programs are boring for young ones. Add something like Minecraft into the mix, and all of a sudden, they might pay attention. The host guides the kid with various poses and breathing techniques, all while situated within a Minecraft world to keep their attention fixed on the screen. They’ll get a giggle when her body transforms into a Minecraft character that is doing yoga poses.
There are other yoga adventures on the channel if your kid isn’t into Minecraft, ranging from Frozen to Trolls, Animal Crossing to The Little Mermaid. There are more generic ones, too, like desert, sea, and forest. It’s a great way to encourage your little ones to exercise, stretch, and enjoy a moment of calm. They might actually sit through the entire 20-minute session, and you might enjoy doing it with them, too.
Banana Banana Meatball Song | Songs For Kids | Dance Along | GoNoodle
Go Noodle | Get Moving
Best For Ages 4-8
Kids who love to dance will appreciate this catchy tune, presented with three men dancing along and doing some killer moves in the process. Kids can not only sing along about bananas and meatballs, both typically kid-favorite foods, but they can also copy the moves. Play the video again and again until they replicate the moves just right. Or let them do their own silly dancing along with the song because, why not?
The video is not only entertaining. It’s also designed to, as GoNoodle notes, encourage kids to get moving and engage in physical activity. The video also focuses on helping kids learn patterns and identify them. This is a video even older kids might enjoy, if for no other reason than inspiration for their next TikTok dance.
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. You can also opt to display subtitles along with the audio reading and illustrations from the book pages. With these visual and audible options, kids can follow along in the way that’s most comfortable for them.
Very First Piano Lesson (2010) — Free Piano Lessons for Kids
Hoffman Academy
Best for Ages 4+
If you’re considering enrolling your child in lessons to learn how to play a musical instrument like piano, you might want to get a feel for how they like it before committing. There are tons of free online lessons, and this just under 8-minute video is perfect. Kids can follow along with the easy instruction provided by Joseph Hoffman. While the video quality is pretty rudimentary, it has the feel of having the teacher in your home with you. Prop the phone, tablet, or computer atop the piano and the child can follow along with his guidance.
He talks about patterns and groupings of keys, and then goes through reading basic sheet music and how to properly place your hands and fingers on the key sbefore starting with a simple tune, Hot Cross Buns. By the end, the child will feel accomplished and potentially ready to learn more. The YouTube channel has tons of other instructional videos, including some on how to play specific songs and even sight reading challenges to learn more about musical notes.
10 Interesting Insects — Insects for Kids — Bugs for Kids
Socratica Kids
Best for Ages 4-8
Have a child who is obsessed with bugs and other insects? This short, seven-minute video will walk them through all types, from butterflies to creepy crawling spiders. Along with the enchanting video, the narrator provides interesting facts about each insect so kids learn more about them in the process. Younger kids will love acquiring all this knowledge about these common insects and then heading to the backyard to see which ones they can find and examine for themselves.
The video has a timeline underneath that guides you if you want to skip ahead to the proper time for each of the 10 bugs covered. This is ideal if your kids only want to know about ants, for example, or caterpillars. Or, they can watch all the way through, learning about each bug one at a time. This is the kind of video you can return to again and again to study all the key facts worth knowing. The video encourages outdoor exploration and might even help kids afraid of insects overcome their fear when they see how fascinating bugs can be.
‘Arnie the Doughnut’ read by Chris O’Dowd
StorylineOnline
Best for Ages 3-6
Part of a series of videos provided by SAG-AFTRA Foundation that feature actors reading kids’ stories, this one from Chris O’Dowd is the most popular one to date. Of course, little kids won’t know O’Dowd from projects like The IT Crowd and Bridesmaids. But they might recognize from Gulliver’s Travels and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. In the 15-minute video, he reads the story Arnie the Doughnut in his Irish accent, even doing funny voices to accompany the illustrations of different characters as they appear on screen.
Kids will giggle as the cakey, iced and sprinkled sweet treat explores his surroundings and meets all the doughnuts nearby. Just like in a store, each one has its own unique look, from the cinnamon twist to the powdered doughnuts and even the tiny doughnut holes. Just be prepared that the next time you take the kids to the local doughnut shop, they’ll be eyeing everything behind the window and conjuring up their own stories as they make the difficult decision of which treat to devour.
Bill Nye the Science Guy on Outer Space Distances
Bill Nye
Best for Ages 6+
If your kids are fascinated with space exploration, this short video, which runs just over two minutes, provides useful visual context to help them understand just how expansive space really is. It’s presented by popular and quirky scientist Bill Nye, who has entertained kids for generations with his useful scientific facts presented in an easily digestible way. He uses miniature items to illustrate how far the planets are from one another, and how far the next star is. He does so in a way that will really bring the reality home to kids, and maybe inspire ideas of their own for the next school project.
It’s a simple video but one that uses humor, sped-up running, and even an extra-long car ride to help kids gain an understanding of the vastness of space in a way they can easily grasp and enjoy.
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 how easy the process is for even young kids to follow. In just 15 minutes, your child will be mesmerized by what they just created.
Personal Hygiene
BrainPOP
Best for Ages 8+
It’s advisable to continue to help young kids, or at least monitor them, while they engage in personal hygiene tasks like brushing their teeth. But it’s also crucial for kids to understand the importance of personal hygiene, setting them up for their independence in this respect. This goes for not only teeth but also skin and hair, too. This short five-minute video incorporates something all kids love — robots — to help get its point across.
A young man helps the robots learn why keeping your body clean and maintaining a tidy appearance relates to your overall health, and is just as important as proper nutrition, sleep, and exercise. Viruses, bacteria, and germs are also discussed, giving kids all the tools and knowledge they need to stop skipping that hand-wash session after going to the bathroom or moaning and groaning when they’re told to hop in the shower. This quick refresher video and its educational material might just help your child avoid the dreaded cavity at the next dentist’s appointment, too.
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 great 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!)
The Nervous System, Part 1: Crash Course Anatomy & Physiology #8
CrashCourse
Best for Ages 10+
Follow along with this crash course on anatomy and the nervous system with Hank, whose voice bears a striking similarity to comedian John Mulaney. It feels like kids are sitting in science class, but they’ll be more engaged thanks to the video component. Users have the ability to pause, rewind, and re-watch as needed.
Running just over 10 minutes long, Hank outlines the fundamentals of the nervous system and how our bodies operate, including sensory input, integration, and motor output. Kids can pause, take notes, and supplement their education to help with upcoming school projects and tests. Offering relatable analogies with text and visuals on screen throughout, it’s like having a favorite teacher at home.
An Experiment in Gratitude | The Science of Happiness
Participant
Best for Ages 10+
Participant is a YouTube channel that focuses on storytelling using real-world themes that can help build awareness about important societal issues. The production company has produced dozens of documentaries and series and earned many Academy Awards for everything from Lincoln and Roma to Food, Inc. and RBG. There are many videos on the channel, but this one is great to watch with teens and tweens as it highlights an experiment about gratitude.
The seven-minute video begins by explaining what one of the biggest driving factors in happiness is, and it just so happens to be gratitude, according to psychologists, says the video. The video then goes on to prove this with a group of random participants asked to do something gracious. It’s a truly heartwarming video you’ll want to watch with your kids, and maybe have a box of tissues handy when you do.
I Gave the MIT Commencement Speech
Mark Rober
Best for Ages 12+
Mark Rober makes cool educational videos about popular science and DIY gadgets, leveraging his knowledge and education. As fans of the YouTuber know, he spent nine years as an engineer at NASA and also previously worked at Apple. He was invited to give the commencement speech at MIT a year ago, and it’s a talk that older kids can really learn a lot from. First, he faces his discomfort with public speaking head on, an instant piece of motivation for kids who feel the same.
Through the almost 20-minute speech, he provides pieces of advice based on his life’s learnings — embrace naïve optimism, follow your curiosity and passion and obsessively study it, and to have faith in yourself and never give up. He uses analogies that kids will understand and relate to, like video games, and even plays music at the end of his speech. He tops it off in a way fitting to his style by attaching his graduation hat to a drone to symbolize the kids making their futures fly.
Not only is this video inspirational for kids who are graduating from college or university but also for high schoolers looking to enter the next phase of their life, or even older grade schoolers who might be having a tough time finding their way. Rober is someone kids can relate to since he’s deeply immersed in the social media culture they know so well. But he’s also a highly intelligent, high-achieving individual that parents can feel comfortable with their kids watching.
How Things Work | Submarines, 3D Printers, Popcorn & MORE | Nat Geo Kids Compilation | @NatGeoKids
Nat Geo Kids
Best for Ages 12+
Curious kids are the best kinds of kids, soaking up knowledge any time they can. For those questions to which you don’t know the answers, Nat Geo Kids is a wonderful resource. There are cool videos about animals, insects, national parks, and more. This particular video is led by the young Kamri Noel, who speaks with four experts to learn how a handful of items work.
Learn how submarines dive and navigate, how and why popcorn kernels pop like they do, how fitness trackers track your movements, and how a 3D printer shapes items it makes. It’s useful information kids can apply to their studies, even provide inspiration for the next science or research project. The information is delivered in a fun, engaging, and easy-to-follow way with simple terminology, succinct explanations, and analogies to help provide clarity.
Math Antics — Long Division with 2-Digit Divisors
Mathantics
Best for Ages 12+
Any kid in school panics at the thought of the dreaded math class that introduces long division. It’s complicated, confusing, and a lot of kids have trouble grasping the concept. This video aims to explain how to do division problems by breaking them up into smaller steps. Before you resort to a tutor or get frustrated trying to help them solve the complex equations themselves, check out this 13-minute video.
The host helps kids work through problems in a simple-to-follow way with easy-to-read graphics. There’s even a downloadable transcript you can print for kids to use as reference while finishing up their homework. With 22 million views and counting along with close to 300,000 likes, it’s clear that parents and kids alike find this video tremendously helpful.
Teen Voices: Oversharing and Your Digital Footprint
Common Sense Education
Best for Ages 12+
Parents of tweens and teens are often faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to let them have their own social media profiles. Technically, most social media sites don’t allow kids to join until they are at least 13. But some parents give permission for kids to set up accounts using their credentials. There is some value in giving trustworthy kids the autonomy to go online. But in the end, they are still kids, and it’s important that they understand the risks along with the benefits, and how best to manage their time online and, most importantly, what they post.
This three-and-a-half-minute informational video helps kids understand the dangers of oversharing by using kids themselves to explain them in a relatable fashion. Kids will learn things they might not realize about how permanent things are on the internet. They’ll be informed about how people can screenshot their photos or even edit them, and how what they post could be forever accessible to anyone. The relatable selection of kids also provide advice about why you shouldn’t overshare, warning about things like false attention. This video should be mandatory viewing for any parent before handing their child a smartphone.
