Hi Cool Mom Tech! A few months back you recommended an app where parents could save or store specific videos. This was to ensure kids using iPads wouldn’t stumble onto questionable material on YouTube. I feel like “Tube” was the last part of the app name, but I can’t find it anywhere. Any ideas? -Heidi
While we adults get a kick out of YouTube, it’s just way too easy for kids to inadvertently view some unsavory stuff, even when all they want to watch are cat videos or clips of laughing babies. So we’ve got plenty of suggestions for how to keep their video viewing age-appropriate.
DuckyTube may be what you’re thinking of. It’s a mom-created app that allows parents to add videos straight from YouTube to a kid-friendly interface. It’s self-contained–kids can’t get to video content outside the app–and only parents can add or delete videos. (iOS, $1.99)
On Gube (photo at top), other parents have already curated the videos for you; just search for what your kids want to watch and star their favorites. A couple drawbacks of Gube: Kids can star and unstar videos themselves (even accidentally), and if YouTube takes down a video, the thumbnail will still show up in your starred list. In either case, you may end up with a kid who can’t find his favorite video. (iOS, $3.99)
Finally, Playrific is a hybrid of DuckyTube and Gube. The app includes pre-loaded parent-approved videos, and Playrific customizes results based on your child’s age and preferences. You can also add favorite videos directly from YouTube, or even family photos and videos from your own computer, which is a big point in favor of Playrific. (iOS and Android, free)
If your kids are anything like ours, the only thing better than a video of a laughing baby is a video of themselves laughing. -Julie
