Everyone has a celebrity they admire. For me, it’s the poets—I love their unrestrained creativity and ability to turn mundane moments into something meaningful. Others admire songwriters, politicians, or movie stars. If you ask kids, however, you’ll find that they admire few celebrities more than YouTubers.
Did you know that 81% of parents with kids age 11 or younger regularly let their kids watch YouTube? Seeing this stat, it’s no surprise that many kiddos want to start their own YouTube channels. Creating and sharing YouTube videos is a method of self-expression and creative experimentation, and while there are legitimate concerns about privacy on the Internet, making videos with your kids doesn’t have to be scary. Creating short videos gets those creative juices flowing, and thanks to the ability to make videos private, it can actually be pretty fun!
Without further ado, here are Troomi’s top ten tips for kids starting a YouTube channel.
Ten Tips for Kids Starting A YouTube Channel
- Encourage your kids to take the lead. Your kids may be shy or nervous about creating their own YouTube channel. Encourage them to take the lead and make the content they want to make. The world of possibilities is endless, and their vision should be too! Remember that you’re there to support your kid’s creativity, not take hold of the reins yourself.
- Get the whole family involved. Though your child is the mastermind behind their YouTube channel, they don’t have to be the only face on camera. Get the whole family together and create some fun videos. In a world full of technology that heightens feelings of loneliness, working together to film videos as a family is a great way to spend quality time with each other and make lasting memories.
- Brainstorm potential content. One of the hardest parts of building a YouTube channel is knowing what kind of content to make. YouTube features videos about any topic you can think of. Help your child decide what content they want to create before they begin. If they’re having trouble thinking of ideas, scroll down to the end of this article for a few kid youtube channel ideas.
- Learn how to upload YouTube videos. Uploading a video to YouTube is a pretty simple process, and most older kids will be able to do it themselves. The tech language and computer know-how might be a bit much for some kiddos, however. Do some research and figure out how to upload YouTube videos yourself; if your kids are younger, you’ll likely be their go-to production manager.
- Decide what editing software to use. You may not think it by watching how seamless popular YouTube videos are, but Internet videos require some basic editing chops to keep viewers engaged. If your child gets serious about video editing, you may want to invest in a high-quality editing software. Until then, though, there are a ton of free video editor options out there to explore and try out.
- Decide what camera and hardware you’re going to use. One of the most important parts of creating videos is the camera—without a camera to record, you won’t have a video to post! You can use a fancy video camera, but your smartphone camera works just as well. If your kids don’t have a smartphone yet, check out Troomi. Phones from Troomi Wireless are made with your child’s safety in mind and feature a high-quality camera that will give their videos that professional sheen. Click here to learn a bit more!
- Talk to your child about cyberbullying. Cyberbullying runs rampant on the Internet, and the YouTube comments section is no exception. Have a conversation with your kids about the possibility of receiving negative comments, or else screen the comments and delete anything harsh or unproductive before your kids read them.
- Make sure to designate your child’s videos as “made for kids.” Whenever anyone posts a video on YouTube, the website asks them if the video is “made for kids.” YouTube does this so it can better filter out inappropriate media for younger audiences. Since your child is the one making the video, make sure to select this option.
- Use YouTube Kids when your children are browsing. Watching occasional YouTube videos is one of the best ways for kids to get their own creative inspiration. When your child is watching videos, make sure they’re watching on YouTube Kids. As the website notes, YouTube Kids “provides a more contained environment for kids to explore YouTube and makes it easier for parents and caregivers to guide their journey.” Content may slip through the cracks, though, so keep a close eye on your younger kids while they’re on the Internet.
- Have fun with it! This one’s self explanatory—just get out there and have fun creating some zany videos with your kids!
How Can I Make Videos Private?
As with all social media, YouTube is a public forum. When a video is posted publicly, anyone who clicks on it can watch. Kinda scary to think about, right? Well, I have good news: it’s easy to make your YouTube content completely private, meaning that only those friends and family members with a link provided by you will be able to watch your child’s videos. Here’s how you do it:
- First, sign in to YouTube Studio.
- Select the Content tab from the left menu. This will take you to a list of your videos.
- Beside each video, you’ll see a box with the video’s visibility status. Click on the small arrow next to Visibility and select Private.
- To get the link, click on the Options button next to your video (it looks like three vertical dots), then click Get shareable link. The link will automatically be copied to your computer’s clipboard.
Voila! Sounds pretty simple, right? Making your child’s videos private is the best way to encourage their creativity while simultaneously keeping them safe on the Internet.
What Should My Child Start A YouTube Channel About?
YouTube is a pretty large website, and the variety of content is pretty astounding. From computer game streaming to video essays about Norse mythology to travel vlogs around rural Mongolia, there are videos on YouTube for everyone. The same goes for the variety of things your child can make videos about. Here are just a few kid youtube channel ideas:
- Video game streaming
- Cooking for kids
- How-to arts and crafts
- Painting videos
- Drawing videos
- Sketchbook tours
- Explaining homework to kids their own age
- Makeup challenges and looks
- Drawing videos
- Toy and game reviews
- Reaction videos (kids watching and reacting to movies, tv shows, songs, or even meals)
- Magic tricks
- Vlogs about something fun they did that day
- Science experiments
- Family garden updates
- Movie reviews
- Story read-alouds
- Hiking tours
If you can’t think of anything to make a channel about, do some research by watching other kids’ YouTube videos. Your child will be inspired by watching creations from people their own age, and will develop a wealth of ideas that are sure to get their minds moving and creative blood pumping.
