In the modern digital age, YouTube is revolutionising the way that people consume video media. 3.25 billion hours of YouTube are watched each month, you may have noticed young people in your care contributing to this figure on their own devices!

YouTube is an ever-growing community where visionary creators can produce imaginative, original content for their audience. However, the open source nature of YouTube can lead to some potential risks for the young people in your care. For example, they may be exposed to content that is potentially inappropriate their age, including bad language or sexual references. Due to the monetised nature of the platform, some creators or “YouTubers” have been known to aggressively market products such as merchandise or downloadable apps to their subscribers.

YouTube is one of the most popular platforms out there and it’s important to take an interest in the content your children and young people are watching. Not only so you can make sure they’re not being exposed to inappropriate content but also so you can talk to them about it.

Whether they are into Art, Science, Sports or Gaming, there is something for everyone on YouTube.

Here are 10 channels that we recommend for children and young people of all ages:

For Fanatical Footballers: F2 Freestylers

“The F2” are a pair of freestyle footballers named Jeremy Lynch and Billy Windgrove. The content their channel centres around football. Trick shot videos where they demonstrate their freestyle abilities are their speciality and they also attempt to recreate famous goals. They frequently collaborate with professional sportspeople such as Gareth Bale, Neymar Jr and Lionel Messi.

The F2 have a massive following of 10.6+ million subscribers and have competed in the televised Soccer Aid charity exhibition match on multiple occasion. They have worked with the NSPCC to promote safety on YouTube. If the child in your care is fond of this type of video, they may also enjoy Dude Perfect and German Channel Freekickerz.

For Art Aficionados: Jazza, bill wurtz

Jazza formally known as Draw with Jazza is an art channel which gives tutorials in many medias including drawing, sculpting and even fire art. His videos have a comedic quality as well as being educational. His chirpy Aussie personality really shines through in his work. If the child in your care has a passion for creativity, then they will surely love Jazza.

Another creative channel we recommend is Bill Wurtz. Bill creates fantastically zany jazzy musical tracks accompanied by wonderfully surreal music videos. His videos have a dreamlike quality to them which artists will surely appreciate.

For Earnest Engineers: Tested

Tested is an engineering channel hosted by Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame. From prop making to robotics, cutting edge technologies to unconventional design, Tested celebrates all forms of engineering and showcases the art of building. One of the channel’s most compelling series is “Adam savages one day builds” in which Adam attempts to create functioning replicas of culturally significant items such as Starlord’s Walkman from Guardians of the Galaxy. Future Engineers will enjoy learning from and following along with the entire creation process.

For Mad Scientists: Sci Show

There is a bunch of channels on YouTube dedicated to expanding the knowledge of science in young people, depending on their interests. We recommend SciShow as the best of these.

This channel creates videos covering a variety of scientific topics. They aim to highlight unresolved scientific questions and also discuss fascinating idiosyncrasies of nature. Both you and the child in your care could learn a lot of interesting facts from these videos.

For Driven Dancers: Lindsey Sterling

There are many dance channels on YouTube for young people, however there are none more original than Lindsey Sterling. Lindsey combines her love of dance, music and fantasy to create awe inspiring music videos. Ingeniously choreographed dance numbers are a staple of these videos with the quirk being that Lindsey dances almost exclusively whilst playing violin. Dancers will be mesmerised by the inventive dance moves that she implements into her routines. To top it all off, the music is great too!

For Techies to be: Marques Brownlee

If the child in your care loves to learn about the latest advances in technology, then Marques Brownlee’s channel is the best choice. Formally known as MKBHD, Marques demos all of the latest gadgets on his channel. Hopefully by engaging with Marques’ intriguing videos, your young person will not feel the need to put all of the latest gadgets on their Christmas list, although they may have the opposite effect!

For Future Filmmakers: D4Darious

If your young person has aspirations of becoming the next Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick or Christopher Nolan, then they should check out D4Darious. This channel is a fantastic resource for budding filmmakers as it demonstrates just how to create high quality short films on a strict budget. From filming to editing, lighting to audio, Darious gives advice on all aspects of the craft of filmmaking.

For Beginner Bakers: How To Cake it

If you or the child in your care loves to bake, then you will love How to Cake It. The show is hosted by Yolanda who firmly believes that you can make anything into a cake. From piggy bank cakes to lasagne cakes, nothing is off limits for Yolanda. It’s incredibly satisfying to watch these her fantastic creations come to fruition. If they like this channel, then they should also check out MyCupcakeAddiction and Tasty.

For Gifted Gamers: TierZoo

If by chance the child in your care has an interest in both gaming and zoology, then TierZoo is the perfect fit them. This channel very cleverly uses gaming terminology to describe the real-world behaviours of animals. In doing so, the presenter creates an interesting juxtaposition of game theory and evolutionary theory. For example, he likens the extinction of the dinosaurs to a “nerf” or an action taken by video game developers to re-balance their competitive game.

The videos are presented in a tier-list format in which the presenter ranks animals within certain classes based on how well they are adapted to their environment. Gamers will appreciate all of the small details and obscure references which enhance their understanding of the topic.