9 Best YouTube Channels for Preschoolers

Do you find yourself handing that tablet or turning on the TV for your preschooler while you get some work done? Well, no judgment here. Staying locked at home without school or friends is tough for the little ones as well.

And if you are a work-from-home parent, it is obvious that you’ll need to sit tight and work. Despite many activities you’ve planned for your kids, they will eventually want to run about and want you to join them in the play. But sadly, you can’t. And screen time comes calling. I’ve resorted to giving my two children below 10, a 30 minute screen time every day. Audiobooks are the next option for us.

With some precautions and controls in place, I think it’s ok to let kids watch, have fun and learn from age-appropriate videos.

• Install Youtube kids for safer browsing, which is downloadable on any Smart TV. The YouTube kids interface is designed specifically for kids that do not show any unsuitable content for young audiences, and that is one primary filter I’d recommend. It’s worth it.
• Set a timer. You have an option to set a timer in Youtube Kids that’s convenient to get them to stop watching when the timer goes off. It just cuts internet connectivity to the App.
• Turn subtitles on. Recent research says subtitles can help kids pick up the nuances of word sounds, thereby enhance faster language learning capability. It can also aid children with delayed speech, hear words, and feel encouraged to speak. Videos with subtitles support reading skills in children, especially if English is not your first language says yet another study.

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Peppa Pig

With the playful voices of a 4-year-old Peppa and her friends coupled with a brilliant narrative, the scenes play out realistically; you’ll almost forget they’re animal cartoons. Young kids connect to the simple and easy-to-follow stories at an emotional level.

Peppa pig goes to a preschool with her toddler brother George and stories are weaved around Peppa’s family and friends. Her dad goes to the office while her mom works from home.

Like any awesome series, Peppa Pig videos are often abused by many fakes, and parody videos of Peppa pig get made every day. So if you’re not already watching it, I’ve linked the official Peppa Pig Youtube channel, so you can add it to your kid’s watch list.

It’s KidsSafe+ Coppa certified, which means it has certain Parental notice and consent procedures, Parental access to a child’s personal information, and other safety regulations.

Max and Ruby

Max(3) and Ruby(7) are a bubbly brother-sister bunny duo who go off on adventures with their grandma or Ruby’s friends. The animated show is taken from an illustrated book series by Rosemary Wells, a Newyorker who’s written several books for kids.

I don’t know the bunnys’ parents’ whereabouts, but we see Ruby take care of her little brother Max, which is a nice way to show sibling affection and hope your kids can pick it up. It is a slightly old series, but it sure is a ton of fun and engaging with a bit of learning.

Here’s the link to Max ad Ruby’s official youtube channel if you’d like to check it out.

Timothy Goes to School

This series is an underrated series originally also created by Rosemary Wells.

Timothy is a sweet raccoon (5-year-old) who goes to school and makes new friends. Unlike playful Peppa Pig videos, the “Timothy goes to school” series addresses delicate issues preschool kids undergo. A bit of stage fear, facing a bully, staying your true self, and many more.

I found it very real-life like too. It sure has lessons, but in totally non-preachy subtle ways that even kids can get it.

Here’s the link to the official “Timothy goes to school” youtube channel.

Charlie and Lola

Created by English writer Lauren Child, Charlie(7) and Lola(4) is an adorable brother-sister duo. Charlie being the big brother, cares for his little sister Lola who often irritates him. It’s very much like a real-sibling day-to-day talk. If you have an elder son and a younger daughter, you can see them saying — That’s me! That’s us!

Make sure to check them out.

Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom

This one is a must-watch for fans of elves and fairies. Ben is a little elf, and Holly is a little fairy princess, and there are giant humans occasionally. There is magic in the air as elves and fairies go around their day.

If your children love fairytales, then this will send them on a joy ride to fairyland. This show, like Peppa Pig, is KidsSafe+ Coppa certified.

Tayo, the little bus

“Tayo, the little bus” is a South Korean animated video series, and the four buses (Tayo, Lani, Rogi, and Gani) are the actual colors of the buses in Seoul. Boys and girls will love a ride with Tayo and her friends and their intelligent and friendly mechanic, Hana.

The race, get dirty, go broke, get lost, break the rules, and everything in between. Did I say the title track “Tayo, Tayo... Tayo, Tayo… He’s a friendly little bus… Speeding up… “ is so hummable. :)

Blippi

Blippi is an edutainment series where Blippi, the funny man-boy in an orange-blue cap and matching suit, takes kids to fun places. A farm, popsicle factory, carwash, different cities worldwide, as he explores interesting things to do there. Preschoolers(especially boys) love his silly yet funny demeanors.

Curious George

The original series was written by the husband-and-wife team of Hans Augusto (H. A.) Rey and Margret Rey.

George is a curious monkey who lives with “The man with the yellow hat,” and they’re best friends. George lands himself in trouble as he is a clever monkey exploring the things around him. He eventually figures a way out of the mess himself.

Go to town with this cute little monkey and see your kids have fun.

Miss Booksy

The “Cool School” team does a fantastic job of brilliant storytelling, bringing together a mix of real and animated worlds. Miss Booksy is an entertainer who brings life to fairy tales and stories from near and far by acting them out.

As the name says, Crafty Carol(another character) teaches making bookmarks, a magical Unicorn, a scrapbook, and many more useful things, using items around the house.

There are even many channels you’ll come across on YouTube, like Barney and friends, Helper Cars, Teletubbies, Doc Mcstuffins, Dora, the explorer, Mickey Mouse Club House, and many more which you’d have explored. Most of these videos are books by themselves or come in coloring and puzzle books, which you can pick up at your local bookstore as another idea.

My elder one literally grew up watching these shows. Though I am guilty of giving my elder one a lot of screen time when she was a toddler, I saw a few positives as well.

• Better vocabulary — It amazed us initially how grammatically correct she was by the time she was five.

• Good Behavior — She learned pretty early to say sorry, clean up her toys after play, be helpful, share her toys, and learn some crafts herself.

• Confidence — She was more conversational and social with her friends than us(me and my husband) introverts.

Am I guilty of giving kids screentime? Yes, but I have control over it now.

Do these free some time for me? Yes, of course.

Do the videos have good content and make for some entertainment and values for my kids? You bet!

Some parents turn on the screen all the time, and in some households, screen time is banned for preschoolers. Every parent is different, and I respect their choices. Even as adults, many of us find it hard to cut screen time. Kids, being kids, copy us. I’m in no way advocating or encouraging screentime, but just sharing my thoughts. It’s impossible to keep kids away from screens and can make them rebellious, but with some mindful watching habits, we can all live in peace.

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Originally published link. Canonocal Link: https://medium.com/modern-parent/9-best-youtube-channels-for-preschoolers-young-kids-cf1319549102