Our Family’s 5 Favorite YouTube Shows

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YouTube ShowsWe cut the cord from our satellite provider shortly before our second kiddo was born. We were worried we’d miss the shows and channels our satellite provider had, but we decided to give it a try to save some money. Our oldest kiddo was a big fan of Peppa Pig at the time, so we quickly turned to YouTube to find episodes of his favorite show.

YouTube Channels for Kids

Over time we expanded our watchlist and discovered a lot of fun, educational, and entertaining channels for our kids. I feel like YouTube is often criticized for some of its content, but it has been our family’s go-to when it’s time for screen time. We watch it more than Netflix or Amazon Prime. Here are five of our favorite YouTube Channels for kids:

Blippi

We discovered Blippi while looking for videos on construction vehicles (excavators!) and quickly fell in love with his fun, educational videos. Blippi is a guy whose signature colors are blue and orange. His silly attitude and signature dance moves are highly entertaining for the younger crowd. I consider him a Jack of all trades because his videos show him doing everything from flying a plane or operating an excavator to dancing and playing his way through a children’s museum.

He’s based in the Seattle area, so a lot of his videos feature museums and locations near there. He’s got some catchy songs (excavator, tractor, firetruck) and some bedtime songs too (like brushing your teeth, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Baa Baa Black Sheep). Blippi knows how to connect with kids, and always spells his name at the end of his videos so kids/parents will know how to watch more videos or connect with him on social media. I’m embarrassed to admit both my kids could spell BLIPPI before their own names.

Steve & Maggie

This British show by Wow English TV aims to introduce English to young learners through fun, interactive videos starring Steve and his bird, Maggie. These educational videos teach kids about everything from types of vehicles to holidays and parts of your body. Maggie (the bird) has “Maggie magic,” which she uses to transport/transform Steve throughout their adventures, whether he’s going from riding a motorcycle to riding a plane or becoming small enough to ride in a toy monster truck. They have fun banter and their British accents are entertaining.

Let’s Play

This British show by ZeeKay Junior, features Sid and Rebecca, a pair of friends who take turns being selected for a dress-up adventure. Only one of them gets to “dress up” in each video, but the other one has a chance to shine in the adventure as lots of supporting characters. I love that their videos challenge gender roles (Rebecca gets to dress up like a firefighter and save the day, and Sid dresses up as a ballerina to do the same), and my kiddos love watching them learn and explore no matter what character they are. The firefighter video is on regular rotation in our house.

Cocomelon

These animated videos feature a baby and his two older siblings, plus his parents, and a cast of animals. The channel has a range of classic kids songs like The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Wheels on the Bus, and Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. Cocomelon (formerly ABCkidTV) is definitely for a younger audience, but the songs can be catchy for older kids too. There’s a few about everyday chores or tasks that are helpful (like brushing your teeth or taking a bath). Our family especially loves the “Are We There Yet” song, which we’ve sung in our own car more than a few times on long road trips.

Dr. Binocs

My oldest, Jack, attended the Science Center for preschool this year, and he asks a lot of questions about the way things work. We discovered Dr. Binocs by Peekaboo Kidz when he wanted to learn more about volcanoes. These short educational videos feature a scientist character called Dr. Binocs, who explains everything from weather phenomena like tornadoes and floods to everyday things like why we get old and why we stop growing. The videos answer his “why” questions a lot better than I could, and I typically learn something too, which is great.

A few other YouTube channels to check out:

Ryan’s Toy Reviews: Little kid playing with the world’s biggest toy collection, along with his family.

Mister Maker: British guy who makes/crafts something in under a minute.

SciShow Kids: Science/education videos that answer the questions that make us say “why.”

Daily Bumps: Everyday life of a California family with two little boys.

What are your favorite YouTube shows for kids? 

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Kimberly Isburg
Kimberly is a Northwest Iowa native, a Drake University graduate, and a fan of all things Des Moines. She is a girly girl who grew up and became a boy mom, and is now an expert on all types of construction equipment and big machines. She shares her Des Moines home with hubby Sam (2006) and sons Jack (March 2014) and Henry (December 2016). Kimberly studied magazine journalism in college, spent 10 years working for a newspaper, and recently became a postpartum doula. In her abundant (and almost nonexistent) free time she enjoys writing about mom life, drinking coffee, documenting time with family and friends, starting Shutterfly projects she rarely finishes, doing Crossfit, and daydreaming about future decorating and crafting projects.

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