Youtube for Kids has arrived in Australia

By: Lisa Wolff, ellaslist

My daughter is watching a Frozen song on Youtube. I’m distracted, making dinner. And before I know it, the Ipad screen lights up with a semi-naked lady doing a decidedly ‘R’ rated version of ‘Let it Go’. I’m petrified of Youtube! There is some fabulous child-friendly content on it. But it’s so easy for kids to navigate to unsavoury videos too.

Safer and Easier for Kids

I’m celebrating today. Youtube have just launched their dedicated Kids’ app in Australia. Youtube Kids has been around in the US since February but it’s the first time that it is available on local mobile devices.
The app has already been downloaded more than 10 million times globally! So what makes it so great?

• All content on the app is grouped into four categories, “Shows,” “Music,” “Learning,” and "Explore " so it’s easy to navigate and find videos.
• The app features kid’s favourite shows from ABC Kids, Hi-5 TV, Bounce Patrol and more, mixed up with kid-friendly videos made by YouTube’s own content creators.
• There are heaps of parental controls built into the app. Parents can set a passcode, decide what kind of videos can be viewed, limit how much content can be accessed and can even automatically limit a kid’s screen time with the built-in timer.
• The app was designed with the under-5’s market in mind, with big, bold colours, voice-powered search and large icons.

Ads are still Added

However it’s not all fun and games! There has been public backlash about the number of ads embedded into the viewing experience. However Youtube assures parents that all ads are kid-friendly and do not include click-through links.

Youtube Kids can be downloaded for FREE on Google Play and the Apple App Store.