7 Ways to Use YouTube in Your Homeschool

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I have a love/hate relationship with technology.

As much as I would love to time travel back to the pioneer days, I also love the fact that we have so much information right at our fingertips.

Take YouTube for example.

Although, admittedly, this social media platform is filled with more than its share of dumbed down and downright inappropriate videos, with a bit of pre-screening and supervision, this website can be one of the most valuable resources you’ll ever use in your homeschool.

And it’s free.

As a mom of 11, homeschooling frugally is a must for me, and I know I’m not alone, so today, I’m going to share with you… 

7 Ways to Use YouTube in Your Homeschool

1. Science/Nature Videos

One of my children’s favorite pastimes is watching animal videos on YouTube. With family-friendly channels like Brave Wilderness and The Spangler Effect, keeping science interesting will never be a problem!

2. History Videos

When I was growing up, history was one of my least favorite subjects because it was presented in school in the most tedious manner possible – watered-down textbooks.

Thanks to homeschooling, history has come alive for our family in a way I never thought possible due to our use of living books and fantastic channels such as Liberty’s Kids.

Unfortunately, I do need to add a disclaimer here to be especially careful of some channels, like Crash Course. While I have found many of their videos to be very informative, lately I have been noticing not only a very real bias in the way they present things, but I also had to stop one video right in the middle of my kids viewing it because it made some rather graphic references to Kim Kardashian.

Um, no thank you.

3. Fitness Videos for Kids

While I have never personally had to use fitness videos with my own children because they are literally bouncing off the walls all the time, I know several homeschooling families who love to use this option to fulfill their physical education requirements.

4. Art Videos

As the mom of a bunch of very artistic children, I was thrilled to come across Art for Kids Hub, a family-made YouTube channel that offers step-by-step drawing tutorials of the cutest things you’ve ever seen.

Homeschooling teens? Never fear! My oldest daughter learned her best watercolor techniques from YouTube. Additionally, there are several channels dedicated to art history and specific art movements.

Gotta love that search bar.

5. Music Tutorials

Believe me, I know how expensive music lessons can be. Thanks to YouTube, beginners can get a head start for free.

Last Christmas, my then-10-year-old son received a guitar. He immediately grabbed his phone and learned how to play several chords in a single day from several music tutorials he came across.

Moral of the story? Never pay for things you can get for free.

6. DIY Videos

Out of all the YouTube channels my kids watch, DIY videos are their absolute favorites.

From ingenious life hacks from creators like Sarah’s Beauty Corner to delicious baking tips from How to Cake It, your children will be inspired to create after gaining valuable insight from people who truly are the best at what they do.

7. Foreign Language Lessons

A couple years ago, my children and I were searching around for a frugal way to learn German. After searching YouTube, I was blown away by all the foreign language tutorials offering everything from Latin to Irish to everything in between (including German!).

While I’ll always be the first to point out that you do need to be careful with YouTube, it really is a resource that has too many gems to pass up.

Do you use YouTube in your homeschool? What do you use it for?

Homeschooling and education are my passion. It is my fervent hope to one day devote more time to creating content for you. If you’re interested in helping to make this a reality, consider supporting me on Patreon.
Thank you so much. I appreciate each and every one of you!