Parents' Guide to

Kidobi

By Erin Brereton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Safe YouTube alternative where parents pick video playlists.

Website http://www.kidobi.com/
Kidobi Poster Image

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Kids say (2):

KIDOBI offers kids who love to linger on YouTube a safer option for watching videos online. Parents create an account and handpick which videos their child can see; the videos are educationally based, centering on topics like counting and simple science questions. They're also very kid-appropriate -- so there's little chance your child will stumble across any adult content. Once parents have created a playlist, kids can watch a full screen version of the videos in a slideshow-type succession.

The only snag: The site, which is still in beta, clearly has a few kinks to work out. There's no language filter for the site comment fields, which could lead to problems; and although you're asked to request an invitation to the site by entering your email address on its homepage, doing so doesn't complete the registration. To log in and create a parental account, you really need to select the site's "login with Facebook" option -- which could be an issue for parents who don't use the social networking site.

Online interaction: There's a comment field for parents to post thoughts about the videos; comments appear instantly.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how much time you should spend looking at websites with videos, games, and other activities. How much time is too much time? How can you have fun online but still get outside to get exercise and fresh air? Read our tips for setting screen limits.

  • This site lets parents customize what kinds of videos their kids will watch. What kind of videos do you like to watch? What kind of things did you learn from the videos on the site?

  • Some sites don't have parental controls, and you can just click and watch any video you want -- which means you can see some things meant for older viewers. Which kinds of videos are appropriate for kids your age? Which are not? How can you tell if a site has safe stuff to watch or if it is meant for older people?

Website Details

  • Genre: Video Sites
  • Pricing structure: Free
  • Last updated: November 5, 2015

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