For a long time, I assumed YouTube was just a place for kids to watch unboxing videos or replay Baby Shark over and over. My thoughts on YouTube changed after I spent the night in the hospital with my oldest who had appendicitis and we needed something to distract him from his post-surgery pain. We turned on Dude Perfect and watched approximately 1 billion episodes (jk!) over the next few days while he was recovering. I was hooked!
I have been pleasantly surprised that there are a few other YouTube Channels I have been enjoying with my kids. Yes, I said it. I enjoy watching YouTube with my kids! (I have a teen and a preteen.) Most of the time we watch via the YouTube App on our TV but we also watch on our phones/tablets too.
5 Best YouTube Channels for Pre-Teens
Here are the Channels we follow and regularly look forward to their new releases!
Dude Perfect
Dude Perfect is a group of five guys from college who got famous doing doing “trick shots” with basketballs, footballs, etc. They have turned their show into a fun, variety-type show and every new release brings us new laughs! This is definitely family-friendly for all ages. The five men are very “wholesome” and I never worry about the ads. Bonus–they have a line of toys and products which make excellent gifts!
Mark Rober
Mark Rober – YouTube got famous from his YouTube hit “Glitter Bomb” but I became a fan from watching an episode featuring “Phat Gus“. Mark is a great combination of science and humor. My boys love the science of entertaining experiments. I think his humor and explanations are really enjoyable too.
Hacksmith
Hacksmith is another science channel that features the genius work of James Hobson. He makes movie scenes come to life with actual working lightsabers, Captain America’s shield, and other amazing things from movies. I liked the shoes from Back to the Future!
Daily Dose of Internet
Daily Dose of Internet is purely a fun YouTube Channel to follow. A guy narrates various video clips shared on social media. He features funny animals, amazing landscapes, different parts of the world, in a 2 1/2 minute video montage.
Zach King
Zach King guy is all about the special effects in videos! We love to see the behind-the-scenes for things like people walking on ceilings and shrinking rooms.
I know the goal is to limit screen time for kids. I also know I am always looking for ways I can bond with my kids, especially now that they are teens/preteens. The YouTube videos are short videos we can watch after dinner, on a Saturday morning, or while traveling for sports/music events.
