15 best educational YouTube channels for kids
A useful channel list should answer more than “is it educational?” These picks are organized by what a child can learn, the format they learn through, and the kind of follow-up a parent can do afterward.
Educational YouTube channels at a glance
| Channel | Best for | Format | Often works well for | Try this after watching |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numberblocks | Early math | Animation | Preschool / early elementary | Build the number with blocks |
| Alphablocks | Phonics | Animation | Beginning readers | Make words with letter cards |
| SciShow Kids | Science questions | Presenter + visuals | Early elementary | Explain one “why” answer |
| National Geographic Kids | Animals and nature | Real footage + explainers | Curious young learners | Draw or research one animal |
| Art for Kids Hub | Drawing | Follow-along lessons | Elementary | Finish the drawing offline |
| Storyline Online | Stories and vocabulary | Read-aloud | Early / middle elementary | Retell the story in 3 parts |
| Sesame Street | Early learning and feelings | Characters, songs and stories | Preschool / kindergarten | Talk about the skill or feeling |
| Super Simple Songs | Language and routines | Songs and animation | Younger children | Sing and move along |
| Cosmic Kids Yoga | Movement | Story-led activity | Younger / elementary | Do the movement, not just watch |
| Kids Learning Tube | Geography and science facts | Animated songs | Elementary | Label a map or diagram |
| Homeschool Pop | Elementary subjects | Direct explainers | Elementary | Say three remembered facts |
| FreeSchool | Broad curriculum | Mixed visuals | Elementary | Connect the topic to a book |
| Crash Course Kids | Science | Presenter + graphics | Upper elementary | Use as a topic introduction |
| TED-Ed | Big questions and broad academics | Animated lessons | Older elementary and up | Discuss the central question |
| Mark Rober | Engineering inspiration | Large experiments and builds | Older kids / family co-viewing | Sketch how the build works |
Our 15 picks, with the learning job each one does best
This is not a ranking by subscriber count. We prefer a channel with a clear use in a child’s learning library over one that is merely popular.
Numberblocks — early math
Number characters make quantity, composition and simple arithmetic visible. The strongest use is to recreate the idea with blocks, toys, fingers or drawings after the episode.
Alphablocks — phonics and beginning reading
Animated letters combine into words, providing a visual model for sound-letter relationships and blending.
SciShow Kids — science curiosity
Approachable answers to questions about animals, weather, plants, space and everyday science. Good for children whose learning starts with “why?”
National Geographic Kids — animals and the real world
Real footage and fact-driven videos can turn a child’s interest in animals or wild places into reading, drawing and geography exploration.
Art for Kids Hub — creativity through doing
Step-by-step drawing lessons are valuable because the child is making something while watching. Keep supplies ready before pressing play.
Storyline Online — read-alouds and vocabulary
Read-aloud stories can support listening comprehension and interest in books. Ask the child to retell the beginning, middle and end afterward.
Sesame Street — broad early learning
Letters, numbers, songs, routines and social-emotional topics make the catalog broad. Curate specific playlists or videos because not every child needs every topic.
Super Simple Songs — language, music and routines
Repetition works best when children sing, gesture and move along. This is a participation channel, not just background video.
Cosmic Kids Yoga — movement-led screen time
Story-based yoga is useful when the screen prompts physical activity. The goal is the movement session rather than maximizing videos watched.
Kids Learning Tube — memorable fact songs
Animated songs cover geography, anatomy and science facts. Choose topics the child can actually understand rather than using memorization as the only measure of learning.
Homeschool Pop — direct elementary explainers
A broad school-subject catalog spanning science, social studies and other elementary topics. Useful when you want a video to introduce or review a specific lesson topic.
FreeSchool — broad learning library
Nature, biographies, art, literature, music and science make this a wide catalog. Select by topic rather than assuming the whole channel fits one age.
Crash Course Kids — upper-elementary science
Fast, structured explanations work well as a topic introduction for children ready for denser language and more school-like science concepts.
TED-Ed — animated lessons for bigger questions
Science, history, language, puzzles and philosophy are presented through short animated lessons. Topic selection and pacing make this better for older learners than preschoolers.
Mark Rober — engineering inspiration
Large builds and experiments can make engineering feel exciting for older children and family co-viewing. Treat it as inspiration and problem-solving conversation rather than a structured curriculum.
Best educational YouTube channels by age
Keep concepts concrete
Numberblocks, Alphablocks, Sesame Street and Super Simple Songs are strong starting points when the child is learning through repetition, characters, music and visible examples.
Add science, stories and making
SciShow Kids, Art for Kids Hub, Storyline Online and National Geographic Kids can widen the library around school-ready interests.
Move into deeper subject content
Homeschool Pop, FreeSchool, Crash Course Kids and selected Kids Learning Tube topics can support more direct learning.
Use big questions and projects
TED-Ed and Mark Rober can work well for children ready for faster explanations, abstract ideas and engineering inspiration.
Best channels by subject
| Subject | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Math | Numberblocks | Turns quantity and operations into visual characters and stories |
| Reading / phonics | Alphablocks, Storyline Online | Combines decoding practice with richer read-aloud language |
| Science | SciShow Kids, Crash Course Kids | Two levels of question-led science for younger and older elementary learners |
| Nature / animals | National Geographic Kids | Real-world footage can lead into books, drawing and geography |
| Art | Art for Kids Hub | Watching directly produces an offline creative action |
| Movement | Cosmic Kids Yoga | Screen prompts physical participation |
| Broad curiosity | TED-Ed | Animated lessons span many academic questions for older learners |
How we chose these channels
No channel paid to appear. We do not treat subscriber counts as a learning metric and we do not certify an entire YouTube channel as universally safe.
A good channel does not solve the whole YouTube problem
Parents also need to decide how the child finds the next video. YouTube Kids currently provides age-based content settings, search controls, autoplay controls and an “Approved content only” mode. You can also use a separate parent-approved environment if your goal is to expose a child only to selected YouTube channels.
Turn this list into a child-specific approved library
WonderKid TV lets parents approve channels for each child, configure daily limits and short-video permissions, add learning goals and quizzes, and review watch activity in a reduced-distraction child experience.
Disclosure: WonderKid TV is our product. A channel appearing on this page is an editorial recommendation to consider, not a WonderKid TV safety certification.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best educational YouTube channels for kids?
Numberblocks, Alphablocks, SciShow Kids, National Geographic Kids, Art for Kids Hub and Storyline Online are strong starting points because each fills a distinct learning job. Older children may benefit from channels such as Crash Course Kids and TED-Ed.
What is the best educational YouTube channel for a 5-year-old?
There is no single best choice. Numberblocks for early math, Alphablocks for phonics, SciShow Kids for science and Art for Kids Hub for creativity form a useful four-channel starter library.
Should I approve an entire YouTube channel?
Only after reviewing the current catalog and deciding it fits your child. Channel ownership, topics and uploads can change, so parent approval should be revisited over time.