As screen usage among children and teens continues to increase, YouTube remains one of the most popular sites among the youngest generations. According to a 2022 study by the Pew Research Center, YouTube is used by 95% of teens, making it the most commonly used form of social media. The same study says, “A full 80% of all parents with a child age 11 or younger say their child watches videos on YouTube, with 53% reporting that their child does this daily, including about a third who say this happens several times a day (35%).”
If kids and teens are already spending so much time watching YouTube, can it also be used as an educational resource? A study on the effectiveness of YouTube as an online learning tool by the Journal of Education Technology suggests that YouTube can be a powerful educational tool — if used correctly. As pointed out in the study, “The selection of videos presented on YouTube must be adjusted to the material, age and psychological development of students so that it makes it easier for them to understand the material presented on YouTube.”
Ready to load up on educational YouTube channels that are appropriate for kids? Here is a collection of the most popular educational YouTube channels for kids of all ages, including toddlers, preschoolers, elementary-aged students, tweens and teens.
Educational YouTube channels for toddlers and preschoolers
1. Pinkfong
Handle: @Pinkfong
Subscribers: 68.8 million
Number of videos: 2.8k
Age: 2+
Pinkfong is well-known for their “Baby Shark” songs that kids just can’t seem to get enough of. They also make educational videos using other animated characters to teach toddlers about things like dinosaurs, animals and vehicles.
2. Blippi
Handle: @Blippi
Subscribers: 18.3 million
Number of videos: 719
Age: 4+ (Common Sense Media)
Kids can follow along on Blippi’s adventures while learning about the world around them and developing new vocabulary words. Blippi’s friendly and engaging attitude makes kids excited about learning!
3. Ms. Rachel
Handle: @msrachel
Subscribers: 5.59 million
Number of videos: 105
Age: 2+
Ms. Rachel is a great educational screen-time option for little ones. Aimed at babies and toddlers, Ms. Rachel uses music to encourage language development and teach basic building blocks for preschool, like colors and shapes.
4. Fizzy Fun House
Handle: @FizzyFunHouse
Subscribers: 3.6 million
Number of videos: 428
Age: 2+
This YouTube channel uses puppets to help kids “learn to play and play to learn.” From shapes, colours and ABCs, Fizzy and friends help young children learn through imaginative play. Some videos even feature Paw Patrol characters to help engage kids!
5. Alphablocks
Handle: @officialalphablocks
Subscribers: 2.08 million
Number of videos: 1.3k
Age: 2+ (Common Sense Media)
Alphablocks is a great channel for little ones just beginning to learn how to put letters together into words. Each letter is a character, and when they hold hands, they make a word, creating a fun way of learning important phonics skills at home.
6. Rock ‘N Learn
Handle: @rocknlearn
Subscribers: 1.96 million
Number of videos: 540
Age: 2+
Rock ‘N Learn has a variety of educational videos for kids, covering topics like math, science and reading. They even have a language-learning series where kids can learn basic words and sentences in English and Spanish, promoting development of both languages.
7. ABCmouse
Handle: @ABCmouse
Subscribers: 1.21 million
Number of videos: 164
Age: 2+
ABCmouse.com has a website dedicated to educational games for preschoolers, and their YouTube channel offers great educational videos that use animated characters, songs and rhyming to teach basic preschool skills, like the days of the week.
Educational YouTube channels for elementary students
8. TED-Ed
Handle: @TEDEd
Subscribers: 18.9 million
Number of videos: 2k
Age: 9+
You’ve probably seen a few TED Talks on YouTube, but did you know they have another channel with shorter, animated videos that explore all kinds of interesting educational questions? Topics vary from science to history and random trivia that grown-ups might learn something new from, too.
9. KLT
Handle: @klt
Subscribers: 1.8 million
Number of videos: 601
Age: 9+
KLT, which is short for Kids Learning Tube, makes videos about science, geography and language-learning. KLT keeps their detailed videos interesting by using music and songs to explain complex ideas, like how the lungs work. They have multiple channels under KLT that focus on different subjects, like KLT Anatomy or KLT Geography.
10. SciShow Kids
Handle: @SciShowKids
Subscribers: 1 million
Number of videos: 515
Age: 6+
Do you have a kid who is always asking questions about nature that make you wonder, too? Then SciShow Kids is the perfect channel to help you both learn the science behind the world’s most beautiful natural phenomena.
11. Nat Geo Kids
Handle: @natgeokids
Subscribers: 888k
Number of videos: 850
Age: 3+
National Geographic is known for its fascinating depictions of nature and animals, and Nat Geo Kids lives up to the hype. Videos on the educational YouTube channel give kids a chance to get up close with some of the world’s most interesting creatures, like insects. Their content is appropriate for children 3 and up, but may be more interesting to elementary-aged children.
12. Crash Course Kids
Handle: @crashcoursekids
Subscribers: 761k
Number of videos: 104
Age: 6+
A spinoff of the popular Crash Course channel, Crash Course Kids has tons of videos covering common topics in elementary science, like planets, habitats and basic chemistry and engineering principles.
13. Storyline Online
Handle: @StorylineOnline
Subscribers: 649k
Number of videos: 113
Age: 4+ (Common Sense Media)
Looking to entertain kids and promote literacy at the same time? Storyline Online, created through the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, features professional actors reading children’s books directly to the camera, making kids feel like it’s being read just for them.
14. Khan Academy Kids
Handle: @KhanAcademyKids
Subscribers: 194k
Number of videos: 190
Age: 2+
Another child-aimed spinoff of a popular educational YouTube channel, Khan Academy Kids offers Circle Time videos and many short “sight word” videos that help kids practice reading basic words like “Mom.” They even have videos for parents that explain how to use their videos to best support their child’s development.
Educational YouTube channels for tweens and teens
15. Crash Course
Handle: @crashcourse
Subscribers: 14.8 million
Number of videos: 1.4k
Age: 12+ (Common Sense Media)
Known for giving a detailed yet concise dive into each topic, Crash Course covers an incredibly wide variety of educational subject matters. Some of these include subjects commonly taught in middle and high school, like psychology, politics, economics and statistics, making this channel the perfect study supplement for tweens and teens. Check out their playlists to see all the different subjects you can learn about.
16. Veritasium
Handle: @veritasium
Subscribers: 14 million
Number of videos: 370
Age: 10+
Veritasium is a popular YouTube channel run by engineering physicist Derek Muller that answers engineering-oriented questions for those teens with a natural curiosity for how the world around them works. The “misconceptions” series corrects common misunderstandings about scientific phenomena.
17. Math Antics
Handle: @mathantics
Subscribers: 2.97 million
Number of videos: 87
Age: 10+
If the nightly math homework is starting to go over your head, Math Antics can help you explain those math concepts that you can’t quite remember. From algebra like adding mixed numbers to geometry and exponents, this channel has you covered.
18. Physics Girl
Handle: @physicsgirl
Subscribers: 2.76 million
Number of videos: 236
Age: 12+
Another option for teens fascinated by all things physics, Physics Girl explores all over the world to understand and explain events through the lens of physics. Dianna Cowern, the “physics girl” herself, studied physics at MIT.
19. Mental Floss
Handle: @MentalFloss
Subscribers: 1.33 million
Number of videos: 658
Age: 11+
Mental Floss focuses on “telling untold stories” across history, science and culture through educational fun facts and trivia. Their “food history” series teaches about history through the origins of different popular foods, like mashed potatoes or ramen.
