YouTube is a website that has become increasingly popular since it was created in 2005, and is now one of the main sources of entertainment for many people. However, this social media giant is not just for watching music videos, random video blogs (vlogs), or beauty tutorials. Many content creators on the popular site have dedicated their channels to educational videos, which can be very useful for people of all ages and interests.
Maybe your child needs some extra help understanding a biology concept, like the digestive system. Or, maybe your child is a bit bored and wants to get ahead with their understanding of school subjects. If there is a specific concept that interested them in one of their classes, but their class didn’t go into detail with it, they can learn even more about it on YouTube.
There are many excellent educational YouTube resources for enhancing your child’s understanding of a subject, or even teaching them a complete lesson. Educational resources in video format are also great if your child is a visual learner. Here are just a few examples of some great YouTube channels to check out, for kinds of different subjects!
Math YouTube videos
ViHart: This is a great channel for a visual learner who wants to learn more about math. Vi Hart takes a fun, creative approach to math, mostly through applying complex math concepts to doodles or music.
Mathademics: This is the perfect example of where you can go to get a simple, yet complete lesson on a certain math concept. They have everything from fractions and decimals, to algebra or geometry. This is just one of many math tutorial channels. If your child is having trouble with a specific math concept, search it up on YouTube and you will find many more tutorials!
Science YouTube resources
Veritasium: This popular YouTube channel is completely dedicated to science, (mostly to physics), and features everything from experiments, to interviews and video blogs (vlogs). Its creator has an educational background in explaining complicated topics to people through various methods.
The Spangler Effect: Here, Steve Spangler dedicates each video to a specific science topic and performs an entertaining demonstration. These videos are perfect if you do not have the materials for an experiment on hand, but still want your child to have the learning experience of one.
SciShow and SciShow Space: These two channels feature a person answering interesting questions science explains in a fascinating way. From why beaver butts smell like vanilla to how ‘ginger’ kids are formed, this channel entertains all ages with facts you can use at parties over and over again.
Minute Physics and Minute Earth: This is an animated drawn series that explains several scientific questions.
ASAP Science: This channel is similar in style to Minute Physics and Minute Earth, except the target here is to explain complicated matters in a broken-down, simple way. The creators choose topics that teens are likely to ask, or that affect teens. For example, they’re not afraid to explain the science of what a certain drug will do to the brain. They’ll face topics related to sex education, and do it in a way that makes it entertaining and easy to digest, while remaining as factual as possible.
DNews: Made by the Discovery Channel, this is a daily show that focuses on news-related items to do with science. They talk about new science discoveries and answer questions such as why you get angry when you’re hungry, as well as other ‘why’ questions that boggle our mind. For parents concerned about age appropriate material, watch out since this show can sometimes explore more ‘grown up’ topics.
Educational YouTube resources: technology
Kipkay: If your child loves to create and build things, and is interested in technology, then they will love Kipkay’s channel. Amongst various prank and hack videos, this educational YouTube resource has how-to videos demonstrating how to make unique and creative items from everyday things.
YouTube channels with mixed topics
CrashCourse: This is the ultimate tutorial channel, as it has crash courses on eight different subjects, and is extremely entertaining and engaging. John and Hank Green, also known as the vlogbrothers on YouTube, delve into both science and humanities courses geared mostly towards high schoolers. These concise lessons are perfect for previewing a subject before you learn it in school, or for review before a big test.
Mental Floss: This is a show that lists facts on various topics. At the end of each video they also answer interesting questions that we rarely think of and also rarely find answers to. For example, did the colour orange come first, or did the fruit precede it? Note: Mental Floss is also a magazine you can read.
CGP Grey: This is a channel full of animated videos that explain several topics in humanity. It is made by a teacher who explores complicated topics we never thought were that complicated. For example, did you know that there are many bizarre borders in the world, and the number of continents there are is actually hard to define? Also, if voting systems confuse you, or you question the cost of the British monarchy, CGP Grey delves into these topics from various angles to get you thinking in new light.
Good Mythical Morning: This family-orientated channel is made by Rhett and Link, who are popular for their other sort of quirky and funny music videos on YouTube. However, they started this channel to talk about unique news items that are not about Justin Beiber or the ‘big’ and also depressing things. They originally aimed to cover interesting items we often miss in the news. Lately they’ve been getting more topical and not so time-sensitive with their shows, but still fun to watch them to explore things like the weirdest jobs in the world.
Ted: This channel may not have tutorials on specific subjects, but there are many Ted Talks that will get you and your child thinking. There are also quite a few on the topic of education that are very eye opening.
No matter what subject your child is interested in, try searching it up on YouTube and see what comes up. Aside from these channels that are full of educational content, there are many people that have posted one-time videos that can be very helpful. For example, there are plenty of music videos on YouTube, made by teachers and students alike, that take a fun, creative approach on a variety of subjects. If your child is feeling inspired, they can even try making their own educational video.
Have fun exploring the educational side of this entertainment hub!
