Beyond You Tube: Other sources for video content appropriate for young children

In the previous two posts, I have discussed how to maximize the educational value of using videos with young children and how to make You Tube more child friendly. This post is dedicated to moving beyond You Tube in search of other video content that might be appropriate for young children.

Other places on the web to find video content for young children: Start bookmarking!!
Kideo:  Videos for kids.  Some of the content on this site comes from You Tube. When you create an account you can check a box that will make sure your child stays within the Kideo site at all times by disabling links to You Tube.  Commonsense media has provided a review of this site.
PBS kids:  There is a video section at PBS kids.  
National Geographic Little Kids Videos:  Science related videos.  Here are some samples,  a wood duck video and a woodpecker video.
Nickjr videos:  Clips from Nickjr. shows.  
Kidyos:  Prescreened videos and games for kids.  Create an account so you can create playlists.  Can also set a time limit.
Kidobi:  Prescreened videos.  Create an account and a profile for up to 3 children.  Commonsense media review.
Mr. Rogers Neighborhood videos:  Clips and full episodes are available.
Sesame Street videos:  You can search by subject and age level.  This site offers tips for parents for viewing and learning together.  
Peep and the Big Wide World:  Collection of science videos. 
Fred Rogers Early Learning Environment:  Videos for kids and parents.  If you create an account, you can create a playlist.  

iTUNES Video Podcasts
iTunes provides another alternative to You Tube.  You can find great educational content on iTunes via video podcasts.  Many video podcasts are free and can be downloaded to a mobile device for offline viewing or can be watched within iTunes.  You can subscribe to your favorites.  Here are a few links to get you started.  

Sesame Street:  Sesame street characters and celebrity guests explain meanings of new words.  A great way to build vocabulary.
NickJr:  Clips from Nickjr shows.
Two Kids Cooking:  Family time in the kitchen.  
Sea World Busch Gardens Animals
Australian Zoo TV:  Animal Diaries
Sky Guy:  Answering kid's questions about space and astronomy

Any other suggestions for finding appropriate video content for young children?  

You Tube: Increasing safe use with young children

In the previous post I discussed strategies for maximizing the educational benefit of videos with young children. The most important strategy, participating in viewing videos with a child, also is the most effective strategy in making sure a child is safe during online experiences. An adult needs to guide and monitor a child's use of You Tube. If an adult plans to allow the child some independent exploration of videos, I recommend using an alternative site or mobile app that connects to You Tube as discussed in this post, or an alternative site for content which I will discuss in my next post.

You Tube:  You Tube is the number one source of video content on the internet.  You Tube is not an age appropriate site for young children for several reasons.
*  The safety features of You Tube are not foolproof.  
*  Searches can lead to inappropriate content.
*  Even if an appropriate video is found and viewed, the related videos may not be appropriate.
*  The comments underneath a video are often the source of the most inappropriate material.

For these reasons I recommend using other, more child friendly sites, for video content.  But, if you choose to use You Tube, there are some strategies that will increase the safety and appropriateness for young children.  

Create an account, create playlists, teach and monitor.  Creating an account on You Tube allows you to create playlists.  Previewed and approved videos can be organized in playlists.  Once you create playlists you will need to teach your child where to find these approved videos and avoid unapproved videos in the related video section.  Monitor your child closely as she uses You Tube.  Here is a link to a document I have started with some of my favorite videos.

Learn to set the safety features on You Tube such as Safe Search.  Learn more about You Tube on Common Sense Media and in the Parent Resources section of You Tube.

Try web based sites that will enhance safety.  
You Tube for Children  is a site that is in beta (test version) that removes related videos and comments when a child is watching a video.  To locate a video you need to search for it by name.  The down side is that each video has to searched individually.  Using a tab based web browser such as Chrome would allow a parent to search for several videos and open them for a child in separate tabs.  Related videos appear in the viewing window when a video is done.  Children will need to be taught to hit the replay button rather than go to a new, unscreened video.

Safe Share TV:  This site removes related videos and comments.  A user needs to cut and paste the link from You Tube into the search box on the Safe Share TV site.  The site will generate a new link.  Click on “take me to the safe view” and a new window will open.  Using Chrome, several videos could be opened using different tabs.    

Symbaloo:  Symbaloo is a site where you can create custom webmixes consisting of tiles that link to You Tube videos.  Parents can create an account and create a web mix for a child suing videos that are approved.  When creating a tile, choosing “embed” will result in the video opening within the same window, keeping the related videos and comments away.  Related videos appear at the end of the video, if a child clicks on the video it plays within the site.  Another option is to use a combination of the site SafeShare TV and Symbaloo.  SafeShare TV strips all of the comments and related videos and gives you a link to copy and paste when you create the tile in Symbaloo.  You can not embed this type of link, so the video will open in a new window.  


Use a mobile app to enhance safety.  There are some apps for Android and iOS that can increase safety when using You Tube.   There are new apps released on a regular basis so before deciding on an app you may want to do an updated search to see what is available.  If there is a choice of allowing a child to use a computer or a mobile device for viewing You Tube videos, I would choose the mobile device with one of these apps.  

TinyTube:  This app connects to your You Tube account and pulls in the videos from you Favorites list.  You child only has access to videos you previewed and saved to your favorites.  There are no related videos or favorites shown while you child is viewing the video but related videos do appear at the end.  You will need to teach your child to locate the replay button or use the favorites button to leave the finished video page rather than selecting a related video that you have not previewed.

iTube List:  This app connects to your You Tube account and pulls in video from your playlists.  Free version has ads, for .99 you can get rid of the ads.  Related videos that have been screened by the app developer, are shown during viewing of the selected video, but comments do not show.  When the video ends, a play button appears instead of related videos.  

Apps with pre-selected content.  These apps do not connect with your playlists.  Instead the apps curate content deemed appropriate and allow your child to play the videos in a safe, contained environment.  

Weet Woo:  A collection of curated You Tube videos for young children provided in a safe, user friendly environment.  Here is a link to a review on Common Sense Media.  

Gube:  Another collection of curated You Tube videos for young children.  The interface is similar to You Tube.  

Kid Tube:  Android version of this type of app.

In the next post, I will provide some links to other sources for video content.

Presentation for parents: Using Video with Young Children

In my previous post, I discussed the responsibility early educators and parent educators have to help prepare parents of young children to navigate the digital world.  I also referred to an assignment I was completing for my technology class.  I finished the assignment and I thought I would share it as an example of the types of materials we could be creating for parents. I completed a lesson plan that is intended for use with parents, but the presentation could easily be adapted for use with early education professionals.  Using a Google presentation as a guide, this lesson leads parents through information about using video with young children.  The presentation includes links to articles, videos and activities.  This lesson could be used with parents in a group situation such as an Early Childhood Family Education parent session or could be used with an individual parent on a homevisit.  Here is a link to the lesson plan template that acts as a facilitator guide.  This lesson could also be used by the parent independently, without a facilitator.

I am not as familiar with Google documents as I would like to be, I am still learning, so this presentation is a little rough around the edges.  It is not professional looking by any means but it provides a solid starting point for content.  I plan to develop more of these and hope to increase my skills with technology so that they look a little more polished.

Making You Tube more child friendly on the iPad

There are many reasons for using video with young children.  Video can enhance learning and provide visual representations the children may not otherwise be able to experience.  Video is very engaging and motivating to young learners.  The built in You Tube app on the iPad has made accessing You Tube very easy.   Early childhood teachers and parents are sometimes hesitant to use You Tube because there are very few safety features and it seems that everyone has horror stories related to searches gone terribly wrong or inappropriate related videos being displayed.  Even the comments related to each video can be offensive. To address these very valid concerns, I have been working on finding strategies that may lessen a teacher or parent's apprehension in using You Tube.        

Parents and teachers  have the option of disabling You Tube under the Restrictions section of Settings, so that the app can not be used on the iPad.  Here are a few alternatives to restricting the app.   Here are some less drastic alternatives that may make hesitant teachers and parents more comfortable.  To make You Tube more child friendly, parents and teachers should consider creating an account and playlists.  Having an account allows you to subscribe to child friendly channels such as Seasame Street, Yo Gabba Gabba, and the Houston Zoo.  By creating playlists, you are screening and collecting appropriate content for your child or students.  Once you create playlists, they can be accessed through the "favorites" tab on the bottom of the app home screen.  All of your playlists will be listed on the left hand side of the screen after you have selected the "playlists" tab at the top of the screen.  I think the app is more child friendly than the website because when you watch a video on the app, the comments do not appear unless you select the "comment" tab.  The comments are often guilty of being inappropriate.

You Tube playlists on iPad

I have been using the built in You Tube app, but was very excited when I heard about an app that makes You Tube much more child friendly.  The app, iTube List, imports your playlists and when the video is playing there are no comments or related videos.  Children can only see and play videos you have approved.  There is also a feature that can be accessed through the settings which allows an adult to set an alert that acts as a timer, warning a child that his or her time on the app is done.  The app has been "buggy" at times and has quit suddenly.  There are ads in the bottom corner of the play screen if you don't change it to full screen.  At the time of this posting, the app was being offered at no cost. 

iTube list home screen

Weet Woo is another popular You Tube related app.  This app does not allow you to import your playlists.  Instead, the makers of the app, collect kid friendly content.  You can choose an age range in order to access the most appropriate videos.  I often use this app to get ideas for appropriate videos to add to my playlists.   

Our department has also started a collaborative Google Doc.  The purpose of the document is to collect and share early childhood friendly videos that can be added to playlists.  We add videos as hyperlinks so that the person viewing the document can click on the link and be taken directly to the video.  We organize the videos by theme, and other categories such as books, songs, parent education, child development, and flashcards.  

These tips and suggestions are helpful in making You Tube something that parents and teachers are comfortable letting young children access.  Please share any of your helpful tips.