Most people are familiar with ParentTV as a source of reliable and engaging advice for parents, but did you know we also have a bunch of great content for kids? A lot of our experts work with children in their professional lives (that’s why we chose ‘em!) so they’re pretty comfy talking to kids without talking down to them, if you get our drift. We don’t know about your kids, but ours will absolutely not tolerate a whiff of condescension from an adult who is trying to communicate with them, nor any adult who has the illusion that they’re ‘cool’. They keep us humble, don’t they?

Anyway, what we look for in our experts for kids are people who spend enough time with children in real life to speak to them in a way they’ll understand, deliver the messages that are relevant to their lives right now, and give them practical, actionable advice and strategies they can implement on their own. They might ask for your assistance as a parent or they might not, but it’s important they have the tools to help themselves, either way.

A lot of our experts make videos for both parents and kids, but we’ve also got a few on board who are not interested in talking to the grown-ups at all! So, if your child is asking some big questions, going through big changes, having some big problems, plonk them down with a device, select ‘Child Topics’ from the menu on the ParentTV website and get them to search for a subject like ‘bullying’ or ‘periods’.

On top of this, we’ve also got a bunch of videos for kids that are more instructional and are designed to guide them through the basics of ballet, yoga and pilates, learning key movements, strengthening techniques, mindfulness and breathwork along the way. Did we mention there’s music? Check it all out below:

Amaze Education

Have you ever wished you could have some sort of helpful illustrative aids when you’re having those conversations with your kids about sex, sexuality, bodies, pornography, gender, puberty, etc.? Amaze Education doesn’t absolve you from talking about the tricky stuff with your kids, but they can certainly help back you up.

With clear, simple (but not dumbed-down) animated videos on a huge range of pertinent topics, Amaze Education have a mission to make it easier for all of us to communicate openly and honestly with kids about sex education, relationships and communication. That way, they have access to the information and support they need to develop healthy sexual identities and behaviours. Here’s where to direct them:

Michelle Mitchell

If you’ve got a tween or teen in your house, the Everyday Resilience series of videos from Michelle Mitchell are essential viewing for them. Michelle pitches her material expertly, speaking directly to the 8-12 year-old audience and delving into the specific problems that this age group are contending with.

These are advice videos that don’t just give theoretical, loose suggestions, but instead offer practical tactics for kids on how to support a friend who’s being bullied, how to respond to gossip at school and how to avoid bringing your problems home. It’s the stuff they deal with (and struggle with) every day, and it’s delivered in smart, incisive videos with enough cute graphics over the top to keep them engaged. Top marks.

Period Talk

You know what’s great about the Period Talk videos? They are delivered by actual, real teenage presenters, both male and female, who give viewers direct and clear information about periods without couching it in a cloak of secrecy. There are definitely no mysterious blue liquids representing menstrual blood in these videos. What you will get are kids sticking tampons up their noses, goofing around with pads and talking frankly about what periods are, what they’re like, what sanitary products are available and the impacts of these on the environment.

There are also excellent explanations of traditions and beliefs around menstruation, hormones and their effect on us, and human rights and periods. We wish this stuff had been around when we were growing up.

Little Moves, Kids Heart Pilates, Flexi Flow

We’ve put these ones together because they’re all about the same purpose: teaching your kids to move their bodies in ways that bring them joy and celebrate what their amazing bodies are capable of. If you’ve got an aspiring ballerina in the house, they’ll delight in the gentle prettiness of Little Moves’ guided ballet videos.

Flexi Flow uses a blend of neuroscience and creative therapies to teach kids breathing techniques and mindfulness through whole body learning (there’s even a video on learning to juggle!). Along with Flexi Flow, Kids Heart Pilates will help your little ones learn some yoga and stretching skills, and will also help them learn to strengthen their bodies through specific exercises. Ugh, the kids will be so centred after all this, we’re kind of jealous.

Hush Little Baby and Allison Davies

Jennifer Teh at Hush Little Baby sings a version of ‘I can sing a rainbow’ that will make your household stop whatever they’re doing to listen. Hush Little Baby offers early childhood music classes for little people, and Jennifer’s content is informed by her own qualifications in early childhood music education and the piles of research that support the positive benefits of music for littlies. Allison Davies can testify to these benefits, too.

As a Neurologic Music Therapist and Brain Care specialist, she’s well-versed (get it?) in using music and rhythm to manage hyperactivity, fulfil proprioceptive and other sensory needs and regulate the nervous system and emotions of kiddos. They’ve got hand actions, they’ve got props and they’ve got neuroscience and it sounds pretty good!

Well, that’s a fairly big list so we’ll stop now, but notable mentions must also go to Teacher Tom and Vanessa Lapointe for their kid content, too! Is there anything else you’d like to see in this section? Drop us a line at info@parenttv.com to let us know.