Resource

A starter whitelist for YouTube Kids, by age

Approved-content-only mode removes the recommendation engine completely — but almost nobody switches it on, because building the first list is the tedious part. This is that part, done. Search each name inside YouTube Kids and tap approve.

The setup, in one line each

Every step works when nobody is watching. The reasoning behind each one is in the article.

Give the child their own profile — your watch history is what steers those "unwanted" videos.
Turn on approved-content-only in YouTube Kids — this switches the recommendation engine off entirely.
Download a few videos, then airplane mode — no feed, no autoplay, works on any old phone.
Keep the child's device separate from your phone.
Use slots ("this app, this hour"), not a daily total.

The list

Add and remove freely. The point is that you chose it, not a feed.

Ages 3 – 6

Keep this list very short and very slow.

Super Simple SongsCalm, repetitive, predictable — which is what this age actually needs.

Sesame StreetDecades of work on how young children actually learn, not on holding attention.

Peppa Pig (official channel)Slow pacing and short episodes that end, which matters more than the story.

Some enormously popular toddler channels are edited far faster than anything in a child's real life, and many parents notice their child is harder to settle afterwards. If that describes your house, drop the fast-cut channels first.

Ages 6 – 9

Curiosity years — pick things that end with a question.

SciShow KidsShort science answers to the questions children already ask.

National Geographic KidsReal animals and places, and no invented drama to hold attention.

Art for Kids HubThe rare channel that ends with the child holding a pencil instead of asking for another video.

Free SchoolPlain explanations of art, history and nature at a genuinely unhurried pace.

Ages 9 – 12

Long-form and demanding. This is where the good stuff opens up.

Mark RoberEngineering as play. Reliably produces "can we build that" at the dinner table.

TED-EdShort, well-made explanations across almost every school subject.

KurzgesagtBig questions handled seriously, with sources listed under every video.

VeritasiumPhysics and engineering that treat a twelve-year-old as capable of the real answer.

National GeographicThe adult channel works well at this age and has no short-form feed problem.

Several of these run Hindi channels, and there is good Hindi material besides — but quality varies far more widely. Watch two full videos yourself before approving a Hindi channel. The same goes for anything a relative recommends.

Why autoplay, not the phone, is the problem →