Best educational YouTube channels for kids, by age and subject

Your child asks for "one more video" and you would happily say yes, if the video taught them something. The trouble is finding it. Search for educational YouTube channels for kids and you get lists that mix toddler songs with physics lectures, and half the channels are re-uploads.

The best educational YouTube channels for kids are official channels from broadcasters, schools and teachers, matched to the child's age. For 3 to 5, start with Sesame Street, Numberblocks and Peep and the Big Wide World. For 6 to 8, Mystery Science, Odd Squad and Wild Kratts. For 9 to 12, TED-Ed, Math Antics and BBC Newsround. The lists below give the reason for each and the age it suits.

If you want your child to see only the channels you picked, with no Shorts, no autoplay and no recommendations in between, Pepelly does that. More at the end.

How we chose these educational channels

Every channel here comes from our own catalogue, which we last checked on 19 October 2026. We list only official channels, run by the studio, broadcaster, school or creator behind the show. Each one also appears on recommendation lists from Common Sense Media, WeAreTeachers, PBS Kids or the BBC.

We gave every channel an age band and a subject, and we noted how often it posts long compilations. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises high-quality programming for young children, from producers such as Sesame Workshop and PBS, and advises avoiding fast-paced shows. Learning value, pace and how easily a video ends did most of the sorting.

Best educational YouTube channels for ages 3 to 5

At this age, learning comes from repetition, songs and a character the child trusts. Short single episodes work best.

Sesame Street (youtube.com/@SesameStreet) is the obvious first choice. Sesame Workshop, a non-profit, posts short songs and sketches about letters, numbers and feelings. It suits 3 to 5. The channel also posts multi-episode blocks, so pick the short clips.

Numberblocks (youtube.com/@Numberblocks) is the BBC and Blue Zoo maths series in which each character is a number. Children see why three plus two makes five, not just that it does. It fits 3 to 6.

Peep and the Big Wide World (youtube.com/@PeepWGBH) is WGBH's preschool science show. Three small friends explore puddles, shadows and sounds, then real children try the same thing. It is gentle and fits 3 to 5.

StorylineOnline (youtube.com/@StorylineOnline) has actors from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation reading picture books aloud, with the illustrations on screen. It is a calm way to build listening and vocabulary, for 3 to 7.

Khan Academy Kids (youtube.com/@KhanAcademyKids) posts short read-alouds and early-learning videos from the non-profit behind the app of the same name. It suits 3 to 5.

Educational channels for ages 6 to 8

Children in the first school years want real answers to real questions. They also start to enjoy humour, as long as the science stays right.

Mystery Science (youtube.com/@MysterySci) answers real questions sent in by children, in calm lessons of a few minutes. It fits 6 to 8 and works well before school.

SciShow Kids (youtube.com/@SciShowKids) has Jessi and her robot rat Squeaks explaining animals, the body and space. It is a good bridge from preschool shows, for 5 to 8.

Odd Squad (youtube.com/@OddSquadForever) is a funny live-action PBS series in which young agents solve strange problems with maths. Children laugh first and notice the maths later. It suits 6 to 9.

Wild Kratts (youtube.com/@WildKratts) is the PBS animal series about how real creatures survive. The facts are solid, but the pace is lively, so it suits daytime more than the hour before bed. Ages 6 to 8.

Operation Ouch (youtube.com/@OperationOuch) has CBBC's doctor twins explaining how the body works and what happens in hospital. There is some gross-out humour, which most 7-year-olds love. Ages 6 to 11.

Educational channels for ages 9 to 12

Older children can follow a longer argument and like being treated as clever. Channels for this band look more like good teachers than TV shows.

TED-Ed (youtube.com/@TEDEd) posts animated lessons of about five minutes on science, history, language and riddles, written by teachers. It suits 9 to 12 and up.

Math Antics (youtube.com/@mathantics) explains maths clearly and without hurry, from place value to fractions and early algebra. It is the channel to open when homework stalls, for 7 to 12.

BBC Newsround (youtube.com/@BBCNewsroundOfficial) is the BBC's news programme for children. It explains current events at a child's level, which helps when a child has heard something worrying at school. Ages 9 to 12.

Horrible Histories (youtube.com/@HorribleHistoriesOfficial) is the official CBBC sketch comedy based on Terry Deary's books. It makes Romans and Tudors funny without getting the facts wrong. Ages 9 to 12.

Journey to the Microcosmos (youtube.com/@journeytomicro) shows slow, beautiful microscope footage of tiny organisms with calm narration. It is one of the quietest science channels we know, and a good evening pick for 9 to 12.

Educational channels by subject

If your child already has a favourite subject, this table shows where to start in each band.

Be Smart is PBS's science show that takes one big question per episode. PBS Eons covers fossils and deep time. Hoffman Academy teaches piano step by step, patiently enough to follow at home. For channels rated by pace rather than subject, see our low-stimulation shows for toddlers and preschoolers.

How to watch educational channels without the rabbit hole

A good channel only helps if the next video is also one you chose. On YouTube, autoplay and recommendations decide that. These steps keep the learning on track.

1. Pick the video together before you start, and say when it ends.
2. Check the length first. On a preschool channel, anything over 20 minutes is usually a compilation.
3. Switch off autoplay. YouTube's help pages explain where the setting sits on each device, and parents of supervised accounts can turn on "Disable autoplay" in Family Center.
4. For under-9s, consider YouTube Kids with "Approve content yourself", so only the channels you allowed appear and search is off.
5. Watch alongside your child when you can, and ask one question afterwards. The AAP notes that children learn more from screens when an adult talks with them about what they saw.

Our guide to YouTube parental controls covers every setting in detail. If the bigger worry is how long, not what, read how to reduce screen time for kids without a daily fight.

Watching only the channels you picked

Pepelly is a player for children from 3 to 12 that shows only the YouTube channels you approved. You can add a starter pack for your child's age with one tap, or add channels one by one. Your child sees the newest video from every channel first and what they have already watched last. There are no Shorts, no autoplay, no recommendations and no comments, and compilations and very long videos are hidden by default.

The free plan covers one child and ten channels, which is enough for a solid learning list. Videos play in the official YouTube player, and Pepelly does not remove YouTube ads. Pepelly is not affiliated with YouTube or Google. See how Pepelly works.