Fixing plumbing. Laying cement. Installing a car engine.
Normally, that’s something your dad would be doing. Not so on the YouTube channel Kid Crew.
No, when the sink starts spraying water or the lawn needs irrigation, the mom and dad behind the channel call upon their young son for help.
He’s happy to help, pulling up in his kid-sized electric car with whatever tools are needed to save the day. With Mom’s narration explaining the process and Dad lending and guiding where needed, this 7-year-old is sure to get the job done. And, when all is said and done, Dad will explain an educational topic related to the original problem, too.
Note: Kid Crew was requested by a reader of Plugged In. Do you have a YouTube channel you’d like us to review? Submit your request by sending it to letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram so we can check it out!
Obviously, Kid Crew doesn’t get too technical with the tasks they assign, so don’t expect a true tutorial on how to replace your toilet or anything. Still, the creators do include a lot of tools, parts and tasks that are required to accomplish such tasks, providing young viewers with a better understanding of them. And at the end of each video, Dad comes along to teach a little bit of the science behind the concept—which does go a little deeper in its educational value. (I, for one, didn’t expect to be taught how to solder copper pipes on a kid’s channel.)
Through the videos, viewers will learn about how various machines, processes and jobs work. For instance, in one video, the family mixes concrete. In another, they simulate the job of a lifeguard on the beach—and teach viewers how to escape rip tides.
According to the channel’s webpage, Kid Crew began as a way for the creators’ son to actively learn about things he had an interest in.
Nothing really, save for the fact that the family owns a lot of large kids’ vehicles and toys that might leave your child begging for one or seven of his or her own. In one episode, Mom dresses up as a witch for Halloween.
Installing a new toilet or using a combine to harvest soybeans isn’t exactly the kind of content I’d expect on a YouTube channel for children. But on Kid Crew, it works well.
Families will appreciate the educational fun displayed on the channel through the various jobs the family completes together—especially for a content-free watch.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He’s also an avid cook. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
