Ten Educational YouTube Channels for Parents and Kids

As the holidays approach and people are making their way to the stores to buy the latest and greatest technology there is an overwhelming need to fill those gadgets with content. Whether you are looking for product reviews for cameras, catching up on your quantum mechanics, or just want to spark some curiosity in your youngster’s mind there is a YouTube channel that can fulfill that need.

1. Philip Bloom is a professional filmmaker from Britain and his channel is filled with helpful information for anyone interested in the video production field. Not limited to just the reviews of current cameras and gadgets, Philip will sometimes give advice on what it means to get into the business. How challenging it is, how much work it will take, and how the industry is constantly changing.  So, pretty much like any job these days. He has created some beautiful short documentaries and music videos.  The life of an Amish carpenter is the most recent film.

2. PBS is always a strong choice for anything history or science related. The next obvious choice is the PBS NOVA channel on YouTube.  For math, however, PBS has created another channel called PBS Math Club.

3. Crash Course is certainly for a more mature audience because the pacing and general humor of the content. Anything from World War I to Nuclear Chemistry and beyond is covered. They are quick lessons with provocative insights to human nature. John Green and Hank Green, of Vlogbrothers, along with several contributors have created these short lessons for easy consumption.

4. For the younger audience there is the YouTube channel Make Me Genius. Though a bit odd and whimsical, the lessons are easy to watch and provide a different voice. The creators of some of the videos are from other countries, which will expose your children to different dialects and perspectives necessary for igniting their curiosity.

5. Fun science lab activities and lessons can be found on Steve Spangler’s YouTube channel. Steve will set-up and show the process on the YouTube channel but to find out why the experiment works the way it does, you’ll have to click over to his sight and read about the experiments.

6. Khan Academy has been gaining recognition from its many philanthropic efforts in education. The Khan YouTube channel has excellent lessons from their teachers often focusing on mathematics.

7. The British Film Institute (BFI) has an amazing library of classic films and cartoons.  Perfect for any cinephile or film enthusiast you are able to gain an understanding of how far film has come from the turn of the 20^th century. The channel also includes interviews of prominent filmmakers, actors and producers including this one where Martin Scorsese talks about Hitchcock’s Vertigo.

8. I feel that no YouTube education list is complete without a few mentions of some Universities. Stanford University’s YouTube page is a vast wealth of information. These are actual classes filmed at Stanford and uploaded for people to watch for free. If you ever wanted to know why algebra was so important, have a look at one of the quantum mechanics lectures. However, some of the lectures have an even greater purpose. I think every Millennial is familiar with Walt Disney’s Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land, especially the part about the Golden Ratio.  However, Keith Devlin takes issue with some of statements so watch this Stanford University mathematics professor confirm and debunk some of the Golden Ratio myths.

9. When it comes to big ideas on the west coast there is generally one school that comes instantly to my mind. Cal Tech has a number of lectures available on their YouTube Channel. Christof Koch, who I had the privilege of editing on the series Closer To Truth, talks about the architecture of the brain. Why is this important you might ask, or are these ideas so complex that no one can possibly grasp the context of these lectures without a neuroscience doctorate? The simple answer is, of course, no. All of these big brain thinkers had to start somewhere. And often it is the spark of curiosity that drives a student to learn more than is asked.

10. Of course the TED Education channel makes the list.  When it comes to innovation, big ideas, linking of concepts or practices, or just beautiful art and speeches TED talks are among the best-of-the-best.  Here is an animated talk about what goes on inside your computer.

Be sure to share your favorite educational YouTube channel in the comments!

Check out some more educational YouTube channels from this year’s VidCon