Technology and the internet has made finding information the easiest it has ever been. People can now have direct connections to the billions of other people around the globe and so many of those people want nothing more than to share their knowledge. Information is no longer a coveted commodity that can only be obtained through an expensive university but rather a shareable resource that can easily be found by those who seek it.
YouTube is one of the best platforms for this because not only is it the home to many hilarious cat compilations and wacky pranks but it also contains vast amounts of free lectures, tutorials, insights, and many other forms of educational video content.
Everyone learns differently. Some like to read about a topic, others need to learn it with hands-on projects, and others still like hearing someone tell them all about it. With YouTube videos, you can actually learn in any style you feel most comfortable with. Some channels do projects that encourage you to get the materials and follow along while others will lay a subject out with pictures, animations, voice-overs, and text for you to follow. All you need to do is discover the channels that are discussing what you or your child wants to learn and are providing the information in a style you enjoy.
Here are 20 amazing YouTube channels that are perfect for unschoolers:
Khan Academy
The Khan Academy website is an excellent online learning resource that provides free courses in math, science, computers, arts, and economics. Their YouTube channel is an equally valuable resource for self-directed learners who want to receive a free education with the highest quality materials.
CrashCourse
The CrashCourse channel is made up of a team of people who create 10-15 minute educational videos on various topics. You can learn about sociology, computer science, mythology, physics, philosophy, economics, politics, astronomy, anatomy, world history, biology, literature, chemistry, and psychology. They also have a sister site geared towards younger learners called Crash Course Kids.
It's Okay To Be Smart
Joe Hanson, Ph.D. is the host of It’s Okay To Be Smart and he guides his viewers through tons of wacky different topics. He uses humor, fun videos, and sometimes silly stunts to teach his viewers all kinds of cool information about the world.
Ted-Ed
The TED-Ed team is comprised of fifteen educators and artists working to spread knowledge and opportunities around the world. Their lessons are formatted into entertaining animated videos which definitely help to make learning fun.
SmarterEveryDay
The SmarterEveryDay host, Destin, explores the world using science and he shares his adventures, discoveries, and experiments with his audience. His videos cover such a wide range of neat topics that you might set out to learn about how chameleon tongues work and then find yourself watching videos about manipulation on social media platforms.
Geography Now
For kids who want to learn everything about geography, Geography Now is the perfect YouTube channel to binge on. This channel’s goal is to create a profile for every country, alphabetically. If they haven’t covered a country your child is interested, be sure to check back as they make their way to the end of the alphabet.
Homeschool Pop
Homeschool Pop is a great channel for kids who want to learn about science, animals, history, and even neat facts about various holidays. Their interactive learning videos involve fun animations and cover most elementary school curriculum subjects.
WhizKidScience
WhizKidScience is hosted by Aiden, a 14 year old who started his channel when he was only 8. He conducts science experiments that kids can try for themselves and sometimes his younger brother and sister make an appearance to help him out. Kids learning from other kids is a great way to keep education interesting and relatable.
HooplaKidzLab
HooplaKidzLab demonstrates tons of different science experiments that kids and adults of all ages can try at home. They share neat science tricks and life hacks, as well as science vlogs that set out to answer some of our most pressing questions such as “Can Jurassic Park Happen In Real Life?” and “Do Plants Sleep?”
Sick Science!
Sick Science! is hosted by Steve Spangler, a celebrity teacher, science toy designer, speaker, author, and television personality. He demonstrates science experiments that kids can do at home which will help them learn about chemistry, physics, and biology.
MinutePhysics
Minutephysics teaches us about physics and other branches of science through animated sketches. The videos are always pretty short, usually around 2-6 minutes, making this channel perfect for those who like to absorb a lot of information very quickly. The videos are brief but they cover many interesting ideas and questions quite thoroughly.
MinuteEarth
SciShow
SciShow posts new science videos every day of the week. They provide both long and short form videos which answer quick questions or dive much deeper into a subject. They provide news updates from the science community and will sometimes have unscripted talk shows or quiz shows with a guest.
Periodic Videos
Periodic Videos is the perfect channel for chemistry enthusiasts. They have a video profiling every element on the periodic table as well as plenty of other great videos about molecules, thermal imaging, and radioactive materials.
Vihart
Vihart is a humorous channel that discusses math and science and how it applies to the world around us. The videos are done mainly through animated doodles but occasionally random food items are used to demonstrate mathematical theories and elements.
Sixty Symbols
Sixty Symbols is a channel that focuses on physics and astronomy. They discuss topics such as neutrinos, black holes, multiverses, particle colliders, the big bang, and other mind boggling facts, theories, beliefs, and assumptions about the universe.
Computerphile
For anyone looking to learn about computer science, technology, and the internet, Computerphile is definitely a channel worth checking out. Their videos are about everything computer related, including cryptocurrency, face recognition, online privacy, password protection, malware, and the list goes on.
Numberphile
Numberphile is, quite simply, a channel about numbers and mathematics. This isn’t a channel designed to simply teach math. They discuss numerical sequences, interesting facts about numbers, mathematical theories, and pretty much anything else that’s neat or strange enough to ponder involving numbers.
Socratica
Socratica is fantastic channel to learn about the many branches of math, science, and art. They have full playlists on chemistry, biology, astronomy, geometry, calculus, algebra, computer science, and English grammar. They even have video glossaries about the opera, fashion, and art and well as an interesting section about the greatest minds of the past.
BrainCraft
BrainCraft is hosted by Vanessa Hill, a science educator who now makes videos about the brain, body and human behaviour. Her videos explore psychology, social interaction, self reflection, how the body works, and many other tidbits related to what makes people tick.
These are only a handful of the awesome, educational YouTube channels that you and your kids can learn from. There are so many amazing YouTubers out there that want to share their knowledge and experience with the world.
These passionate and creative people make it possible to learn anything online. Unschooling can be done without the use of YouTube or the internet but having such a limitless resource available definitely makes this time of technology the best era to pursue a self-driven education. Now, more than ever before, it’s possible to give yourself a complete and well-rounded education without ever stepping foot in a classroom.
