the learnIng curve ALISON BOGLE Bogle is an Austin-based freelance writer and mom of three.
Making YouTube Child-Friendly As any adult who has ever gone on
These YouTube channels excel at making
learning experiences. What child wouldn’t
YouTube knows, it can be the Wild West
learning exciting and fun:
want to make a rocket out of a squeeze
of content. When you’re not able to be
bottle? You can do that and so much more
fully present with your children as they
1. Crash Course Kids
watch, it can be ill-advised to turn them
This bi-weekly show is all about science.
loose on YouTube. However, there is some
Earth, habitats, space, chemical reactions,
4. PBS EONS
really good educational content out there,
engineering, and more are covered in
EONS explores the history of life on Earth,
so choosing to fully ban YouTube would
new videos uploaded every Tuesday and
from the “Age of the Dinosaurs,” up to the
mean missing out on some great learning
Thursday. Delivered in an entertaining
end of the most recent Ice Age. Kids and
opportunities.
and engaging style, budding scientists will
adults alike will be astonished by humans’
devour these interesting lessons.
fascinating collective history.
watch YouTube, consider checking out
2. TED-Ed
5. Houston Zoo
YouTube Kids. Launched by Google in
Created by the nonprofit responsible for
If you have an animal lover, this is the
2015, YouTube Kids was developed to limit
TED Talks, the TED-Ed video library offers
perfect YouTube channel for you! Kids are
content to family-friendly videos, channels,
a wide range of educational videos, each
taken on a behind-the-scenes tour of the
and educational clips. YouTube Kids also
typically around five minutes long. With a
animals and can meet the keepers that
offers parental controls that allow you to
mission of “spreading great ideas,” many of
care for them. Whether it’s learning what
customize your child’s experience. Parents
TED-Ed’s videos represent collaborations
bats eat for breakfast, or watching how a
can limit screen time, block certain videos,
between talented educators and animators
rhino gets her bath, kids will love seeing
and more.
that were nominated through TED-Ed’s
the Houston Zoo animals in action!
with the Spangler Effect channel!
If you have a younger child who wants to
website. 6. Smart Girls
Whether you choose YouTube or YouTube Kids to explore with your child, activate the
3. The Spangler Effect
Created by Amy Poehler, the Smart
parental controls on your child’s device,
Steve Spangler finds creative ways to
Girls YouTube channel declares, “We
make a plan to watch together, or at least
make science fun by turning ordinary
emphasize intelligence and imagination
check in on your child from time to time,
household objects into science
over ‘fitting in.’ We celebrate curiosity over
and then let the learning begin!
experiments, resulting in unforgettable
gossip. We want you to truly be your weird
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July 2020 austinfamily.com
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