Last weekend I was invited to London Zoo by YouTube Kids. It was perfect timing as I was down for Mumsnet Blogfest the day before, so I was already in the area. Sadly my children couldn't make it down from Yorkshire to join me, so I went alone!
My children love YouTube but ever since my son (aged two) discovered THAT swearing Thomas the Tank Engine video, I have ensured he is always supervised on YouTube. Thankfully we haven't had a repeat of that incident, although my daughter is slightly obsessed with watching 'animals in the womb' videos and I have learnt not to let her watch them with the sound on. I'm not ready for those conversations yet, she's only four!
The joy of the YouTube Kids app is that it is possible to turn the search function off. Yes this does restrict your child a bit, but it also ensures that they don't find anything dodgy. If they somehow manage to stumble upon a less than desirable video then you can flag a video to ensure that YouTube can check and remove the video if needed.
The app is designed with small children in mind. There are larger images and bold icons, perfect for those little fingers to navigate. There is a voice search too, which means that if your child can't type or spell, they can still find videos of things which interest them.
If you're worried about the amount of screen time your children have, then the app has an inbuilt timer which means you can limit how much screen time your children can have. There are also sound options, enabling parents to turn off any background music and sound effects. Perfect for those moments when you're in a car or somewhere where you don't want to hear what they're watching. You also have the ability to set a parental passcode to give you access to settings and other information in the app.
Thank you so much to YouTube kids for a fabulous event at the zoo. The food was fantastic and the activities were amazing. I really enjoyed making my own Shaun the sheep, although I think it might be Timmy as he was quite small! It brought back memories of making my son's Timmy Time cake and sculpting all the characters out of icing.
My children have absolutely loved trying out the app. It's one of the first apps they choose now when they pick up my phone! I am happy that I know they are browsing safely.
You can now also watch YouTube Kids as a family on your big screen using Chromecast, Apple TV, game consoles or a smart TV.
YouTube Kids is available to download free from on Android and iPhone.
YouTube Kids is available to download free from on Android and iPhone.
