Our family loves to do things outdoors, be active, arts and crafts. Sometimes we all need a little bit of a break though, right? These days, that break sometimes comes in the form of ten minutes of screen time with the best science Youtube channels for kids!
When YouTube first came along, I never really saw much use or fun in it. It’s exploded since, and one of the things I’ve loved the most is immersing myself (and the little ones!) in all the great online educational content. Seriously – the people who make these videos are so creative and talented! So here is my list of the best science Youtube channels for kids!
Best Science YouTube Channels for Kids
Today, I want to help you discover a great educational channel to check out. In particular, I will focus on a favorite subject of mine at the moment: science. I’ll include links to the best science Youtube channels below, and I hope you enjoy them as much as we all do.
Crash Course Kids
The engaging host on Crash Course Kids talks about a range of science topics – from physics to space to engineering and other subjects – in an engaging and kid-friendly manner. She uses a lot of animations and pictures to bring her subjects in the science videos to life. This channel definitely earned its place on this list of the best science Youtube channels for upper elementary students and beyond! Check out the fascinating video, ‘Fabulous Food Chains’… it’s a personal favorite of mine.
Peekaboo Kids
I just love Dr. Binocs, the lead character on this Youtube science channel. This is a fun channel where the host teaches your young viewers (and, probably, you!) the answers to a wide range of questions and teaches fascinating facts. You know the questions little ones ask which have you (sometimes) rolling your eyes and scratching your head? Questions like: what happens if you swallow hair? What is the best way to survive an earthquake? Dr. Binocs has the answers. My pre-K daughter loves the videos, and I think all levels of elementary kids will too.
The Dad Lab
Some time ago, a super creative father started sharing the wild and sometimes wacky experiments he’d do with his two boys on Instagram. The popularity was crazy! It led to a hugely successful and popular YouTube channel, which is fast approaching five million subscribers. He will help you learn cool and fun science activities which can be done safely at home. He will also explain the science behind them in a fun and easy-to-follow way. Why not take a look at his video ‘How to Make Dinosaur Ice Eggs’? It’s barely two minutes long, and your little ones may love it!
SciShow Kids
This channel is a spin-off from the original ‘Scishow’, which is aimed at adults. The Youtube videos are perfect for lower elementary students, with short videos (around four minutes), meaning they are sharp and the accurate information is very to-the-point. Many episodes are structured around the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), meaning it comes in handy when looking for engaging videos and activities to incorporate into your lessons. The most useful ones for me have been ‘How a caterpillar becomes a butterfly’, ‘What is sound?’, and ‘Sink or Float’. Science teachers, the last one is one of the best science Youtube channels for leading into to some great fun in the classroom!
National Geographic Kids
National Geo is a real household name, and for good reason! Growing up, I recall spending hours in front of the television watching and learning about all sorts of weird and wonderful topics. Even now, if I had more time (!), I think I’d still be doing it. On YouTube, National Geo Kids does a great job using real life videos to help kids explore the world. I go to this channel by default if I want to find something cool to share about animals or birds. Ever heard of the Giant Pacific Octopus? I hadn’t either, but thanks to this awesome channel, I can tell you it’s the largest species of octopus on the planet, and they have over two-thousand suction cups on their legs! Why not take a look and find out more about why this one made the list of the best science Youtube channels?
Homeschool Pop
Homeschool Pop isn’t just a science channel, but also covers math, social studies, English and more. The videos are beautifully animated, and the narrator speaks with kid-friendly tones and language. They are very engaging and are suitable for elementary school kids of all ages. One of the coolest collections they have is a short video for each of the fifty states. Want your students to know more about Iowa, Florida, California or any of the rest? They’ll give you a great overview. On the science front, their ‘The Sun for Kids’ will provide a lot of cool facts and easy-to-learn things about the sun, and can lead to some great activities in class when incorporated into a lesson.
KLT
To wrap up this list of the best science Youtube channels for kids, let’s talk about KLT. KLT uploads new videos every week, and they are always really enjoyable. They cleverly use music and animation to grab the kids’ attention and cover a wide range of topics. You can find songs about planets, body parts and even nails. My niece enjoyed the song about the Periodic Table the most, but that’s likely for older students in upper elementary school!
I hope you enjoy having a look at some of the best science Youtube channels, and that they provide you with inspiration for activities in the classroom or even at home. These six channels are a mere drop in the ocean in terms of the content out there. If you’re anything like me, exploring a couple of them will lead you to many more. Hours sometimes pass very quickly when I’m enjoying them!
