NatGeo drops a new video every week on YouTube, and is one of 10 channels that you can feel good about your kids watching.Youtube
There’s only a few weeks left in summer vacation, and if your house is anything like mine at the moment, you’re ready to let the kids have at their screens so you can have some peace. However, how much Ryan’s World, Cocomelon, Mr. Beast, Mikey and JJ or Jordan Matter can a person take?
Letting your kids watch YouTube can be tricky. While kids love the bright colours, quick scenes and short episodes, experts caution that a lot of the content contains hidden and disturbing images that are inappropriate for kids. Recommendations include limiting screen time, encouraging other activities and curating content.
If you’re at the point where you’re ready to give your kids a little extra screen time but want to avoid brain-rot content, here are 10 channels that you can feel good about your kids browsing while you take a breather.
Cosmic Kids Yoga
Mindfulness and YouTube don’t sound complementary, but Jaime Amor makes it possible with her channel. On it, the registered children’s yoga teacher combines her love of movement and storytelling into story-based kids yoga. In each episode she sports a blue onesie and presents an adventure with poses that kids can easily mimic. Some of the stories are geared at younger kids, but Amor also targets older grade schoolers with characters from Nintendo, Disney, Trolls and more.
National Geographic Kids
Whether your kid is into sharks, bugs, baby animals, space or weird but true facts, they can find it all on this popular channel. NatGeo drops a new video every week and often leverages its parent company to bring in Disney guest stars. Magic tricks, Greek mythology, popular travel destinations and a look at how everyday objects work are also all on the menu, making for a diverse but fun learning channel for kids of all ages.
Art For Kids Hub
Anyone can be an artist when you follow Rob Jensen’s easy tutorials. Art For Kids Hub is a one-stop shop for anyone who wants to create realistic sketches of popular characters, items and animals, whether you’re into video games or Disney. These simple drawing lessons encourage kids to be creative and make their drawings their own. The best part is that Jensen and his guest drawers give kids the confidence to draw and colour recognizable pictures and cards, proving that anyone can be an artist.
TheDadLab
Have you ever invested in a science kit for the kids only to realize the box is full of half-baked experiments that require a ton of adult supervision and extra materials? Save your money and check out TheDadLab instead. Sergei Urban’s YouTube Channel is full of easy but fun experiments kids will love, such as frozen dinosaur eggs, balloon experiments and a gravity-explaining paint pendulum. These DIY science activities are all easy to do at home and engaging for youngsters.
TED-Ed
Do your kids love learning weird but random things? The animated shorts at TED-Ed are bound to grab their attention. Each short tackles a single topic, such as what your poop says about your health or the history of popcorn. The lessons promote learning whether your child is into bugs, science, riddles, history or video games. There’s also a vault of everyday originals for older kids who want to learn more about topics such as anxiety, giving a presentation or equality. In short, it’s a rabbit hole of shorts you don’t mind your kids actually falling into.
Brave Wilderness
Many kids are obsessed with exotic, dangerous or wild animals, which makes this wilderness channel the ultimate YouTube destination. Hosts Coyote Peterson and Mark Vins lead viewers on adventures across the world to explore venomous creatures, cool critters and furry friends. The duo often get up close with their subjects, and brands the videos with attention-grabbing titles kids love, including “Pinched by a lobster,” “Wolverine face-off” and “Stung by the meanest scorpion in Thailand.”
PBS Kids
If you have younger kids at home you’re probably over watching Blippi and Super Simple Songs on repeat. So, try PBS Kids instead, where educational videos are designed to help kids aged 2 to 8 learn various diverse life lessons. The YouTube channel is an extension of the children’s programming featured on the network, and includes diverse characters and positive role models that reflect kids in a real but wholesome way.
Mark Rober
This former NASA engineer makes extreme science look cool with his 20-minute videos that also prompt creativity, learning and problem-solving. Some of his personal favourites include the time he built a roller coaster in his lab, faced off against the world’s smartest crow and tested what happens if you actually jump on a moving train. The scenarios are extreme enough to pique kids’ interest, and buzzy enough that they’ll want to share with their friends.
AntsCanada
Mikey Bustos’s YouTube channel is certainly one of the most niche on this list, but it’s fascinating and fun for kids (and kids-at-heart) who love insects and want to learn more about their tiny habitats. The videos explore the microworlds around us, different species of ants, things that threaten them and how they respond to various other species. Some of the more popular videos include fire ants taste-testing different flavours and one where ants and maggots square off.
Mathantics
At a certain age, most kids become obsessed with numbers and what they actually mean. Instead of giving them more math, gamify the situation with this YouTube channel created by Rob Cozzens. The videos explain a variety of concepts such as Roman numerals, percentages and geometry by delivering ideas in quick snippets with easy-to-understand language and fun graphics. The videos span all ages depending on what you watch, and even serve as a good refresher for some parents out there who are bracing themselves to help with homework come fall.
