You can find some educational gems on YouTube Kids, which launched a month ago, as well as entertaining distractions for airports, long drives or tooth-brushing time. But there’s also a lot of mind-numbing content you won’t want your toddler spending too much time on.
Here are some suggestions for navigating the app and finding the best it has to offer.
1. The app can be divided into five categories with picture-based icons: Recommended, Shows, Music, Learning and Explore. “Learning” is the surest bet for quality content, but some will be too sophisticated for toddlers. “Recommended” seems based on what you’ve already watched, which is not so great if your child is prone to watching the same terrible program over and over. “Shows” is a mix of pleasant fare such as “Peppa Pig” and crass, toy-inspired content that will mesmerize but not enrich young minds.
2. There’s a great TED-Ed channel for older kids (find it through the Learning icon) that features beautifully illustrated discussions examining the math behind Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and why honeybees are vanishing.
3. There’s also a search function on the app that’s great for finding specific videos, be it on how to brush your teeth, how a certain kind of animal moves, or cooking videos that are kid-safe but not kid-centric. You can disable this function if you don’t want kids searching for random stuff, but if they can do that they’re probably too old for this app anyway. And age-inappropriate searches are already blocked.
4. Use the timer or be your own timer. The app lets parents set a time limit, apparently to reduce the crying and conflict that arise when parents use their own willpower. When time’s up, the app cheerily says so before turning off. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of screen time, and none for children younger than two, because kids learn from doing, not watching.
5. You can’t avoid the ads, but you can skip them after five seconds.
