These 21 YouTube Channels Will Change How Your Kids Learn

Does time exist? Why do cities need trees? Why isn’t the world covered in poop? TED-Ed answers these and many more burning questions that only a child can ask. The videos are well-produced, engaging, and beautifully animated, and you’ll find yourself sitting along with your child and absorbing the fascinating information.

Along with videos that address a single topic, the TED-Ed playlists group videos according to subjects, such as How to Build Character and A Philosophical Inquiry. TED-Ed also has multi-episode series, such as There’s a Poem for That and Think Like a Coder.

While most preteens will love this channel, many of the videos are appropriate for younger kids, as well. 

Crash Course began as a way to teach kids history and biology but soon grew to include chemistry, literature, psychology, physics, media literacy, and more. The hosts are knowledgeable and engaging, explaining complex topics in simple terms but never talking down to their audience.

Learning playlists for older students include a series of videos in partnership with Arizona State University to teach both the subtle and specific elements of being a good writer.

Artificial intelligence, navigating digital information, and engineering are a few topics students can dive into with this excellent learning resource.

Kids Learning Tube is a treasure trove of educational videos, each of which focuses on a single topic. From Earth Day to vegetables to anxiety, Kids Learning Tube educates children through original sing-along songs and animation, creating a fun and unique approach to learning.

Kids Learning Tube currently has hundreds of videos in its library and more than 2 million subscribers. Select the Playlists tab to find groups of curated videos according to categories such as Earth Science, Famous Inventors, Motivational Songs for Kids, and much more.

With praise from parents and teachers alike, Kids Learning Tube is a must-stop channel and an amazing resource for families.

Free School calls itself a safe, friendly place to introduce children to famous art, classical music, children’s literature, and natural science in an engaging, accessible way.

Browse through biography, history, geology, oceanography, and mythology videos, or check out playlists grouped by subjects like Presidents of Mt. Rushmore, Learn About the Moon, Solar System Tour, and much more.

Free School’s excellent, engaging videos are geared toward children in grades three through six, but both older and younger kids can find content that appeals to them.

Geared toward elementary-aged students, Homeschool Pop’s animated videos expertly cover a wide range of topics, including Christopher Columbus, Elephants, Facts About the Human Nose, U.S. States, and more.

Videos are organized by subject and grade, making it easy to find a topic you want to learn about, and playlists are a helpful tool for in-depth learning on a subject.

Whether you homeschool or not, Homeschool Pop videos are an excellent and entertaining resource.

These videos are great for kids from kindergarten to about fourth grade, but younger kids with keen curiosity will love these too.

Netflix Jr. offers a variety of videos featuring the channel’s favorite characters, including the StoryBots and the Super Monsters.

Join the StoryBots as they guide you through how a cold virus spreads, or follow along with Dottie Culpepper as she shows students how to become a ranger. There’s even a seven-minute workout video that will keep the kids entertained while Mom exercises.

Netflix Jr. is a great channel for kids from Pre-K to second grade. Some of these videos might also appeal to third- and fourth-graders.

​​Khan Academy provides a nice overview of subjects beyond what’s in grade-level books, helping to break down difficult topics in mathematics and science, including cellular respiration, energy and enzymes, and more. There’s also SAT prep and videos on the arts and humanities.

While there are some videos dedicated to younger kids, Khan Academy is best for middle school and high school students.

National Geographic Kids wants to help children explore the world through its fun, often wacky, videos. Whether your child wants to learn about venomous animals or try an experiment involving baking soda, you’ll find excellent, engaging material.

Investigate oceans, the desert, and outer space with the Explorer Academy series, or join Barbie’s adventures as she encourages imagination, expression, and discovery through play. 

National Geographic Kids is best for kindergarten through fifth-grade students, though some older and younger kids will also enjoy many of these videos.

Founded by artist Amy Poehler and producer Meredith Walker, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls organization is dedicated to helping young people cultivate their authentic selves, with an emphasis on intelligence and imagination over fitting in.

This YouTube channel houses a host of shows, including Making Math Fun with Danica McKellar and Women We Love. Other subjects include composting, voting, getting involved in your community, and much more.

While this channel is a must for elementary and middle-school girls, boys will also get a lot out of this material.

Part science magazine, part science instruction, this YouTube channel is perfect for tweens and teens who want to know more about diverse topics such as How an Igloo Keeps You Warm and Why Are Babies So Unsmart?

Host Joe Hanson is engaging and entertaining and never condescending as he breaks down complicated information into easily digestible chunks.

Crash Course Kids is an excellent science resource for kids in kindergarten through fourth grade. It’s a great place to start when introducing children to new scientific topics.

Videos tackle the food chain, engineering, success, weather, and many more subjects. No new videos have been added to this channel in a while, but the information there is still valuable.

Peekaboo Kidz videos feature Dr. Binocs, an engaging character who guides kids through science subjects such as vaccines, the immune system, carnivorous plants, and more.

While these videos cater to elementary school kids, the channel also has nursery rhymes and alphabet songs for younger siblings. 

In SciShow Kids, host Jessi and her rat robot companion, Squeaks, explain, experiment, and show kids how to arrive at the answers to burning questions, such as Why Do Planes Leave White Streaks in the Sky? and How Do Temporary Tattoos Work?

These videos are best for children in kindergarten through fourth grade.

The Brain Scoop is a YouTube channel put together by Chicago’s Field Museum. It houses fascinating videos that are great for tweens and older kids. Videos look at subjects as diverse as why King Tut had a flat head and introduce strange critters such as the camel spider.

MinutePhysics is a fantastic YouTube channel focused on teaching kids about physics, explaining topics like antimatter, gravity, the periodic table, and much more.

This channel is best suited for kids who are in third through sixth grade, but younger kids will also enjoy some of the simpler videos.

Mike Wilson uses his rap lyrics to teach kids about science and math in these science-inspired music videos. Enjoy Always Be Coding, How to Find Water Bears, Why You Shouldn’t Wash Your Jeans, and other unbelievably catchy and entertaining music videos.

These videos are geared toward preteens and older students, but anyone who likes a catchy beat will learn from and enjoy this material. 

Mr. DeMaio offers a new, fun, and hilarious way to learn an assortment of subjects ranging from multiplication to the planets in the solar system. Mr. DeMaio and his goofy puppet sidekick present and explain entertaining topics such as Tornado Facts for Kids, Black Holes Explained for Kids, and Carnivorous Plant Facts.

Mr. DeMaio’s educational YouTube channel is best for second through fifth-grade students.

​Mathantics is both a YouTube channel and a supplemental math website that aims to help kids with their mathematics stumbling blocks. Video subjects include fractions, percentages, probabilities, geometry, algebra, statistics, and more.

Mathantics is best for kids starting at about fourth grade and continuing through middle school. 

When kids need help with math and early learning concepts, Math & Learning Videos 4 Kids is a great educational resource with 3-D animated videos that make learning fun. The videos are categorized by grade, making it easy to find the concepts your child wants to work on.

Video topics include time, addition, subtraction, division, counting, and much more.

These videos are geared toward kids in kindergarten through sixth grade.

SoulPancake’s mission is to open minds and hearts by joyfully exploring and celebrating the many ways humans seek connection, love, hope, truth, and purpose. The YouTube channel, founded by Rainn Wilson of The Office, delivers a host of shows that mostly focus on the social sciences, including history, philosophy, and psychology.

The channel explores some topics your child won’t see anywhere else, such as people in recovery sharing how they got sober, what incarcerated women in prison are like, and the experiences of suicide survivors. All the content is delivered in a mature, joyful, and positive way.

This channel is appropriate for third grade and up, but parents should monitor content to make sure they and their children are comfortable with it.