This month, in our last installment about kids’ shows available in French in the US, we’re talking about kids’ Youtube channels in French.
6 tips to let your child safely enjoy kids’ YouTube channels in French
Before we start, let’s talk a little bit about YouTube.
I have a love-hate relationship with YouTube. You can find so many things there (really everything, it feels like), and learn about everything (YouTube University)!
But, unless you have the paid version, which I don’t, you have to deal with commercials, lots and lots of commercials. It gets annoying fast!
And if you’re using it for your little one, it can be very challenging to keep them on one video, when there are 10 other videos suggested at the bottom of the page or on the side.
So here are a few tips to minimize the annoyance on YouTube and help your little one have a better and safer experience while watching content on the platform.
- Download the YouTube for kids app if your little one watches YouTube on a tablet or a phone. It has way fewer commercials and it will limit the amount of inappropriate content your kid may be exposed to.
- Or use restricted mode, if your little learner watches content on the computer or on the regular YouTube app. It will block mature content from your profile.
- Create different profiles for different languages. If you’re teaching your kid more than one language, create a profile for each language you’re teaching. Then curate the content so each profile shows videos in the chosen language. On our tablet, I created a profile for content in French and another for English/ French.
- Make the algorithm work for you. To curate the content you want your kid to see, block or skip videos you don’t want. The more you do it, the more the algorithm will learn what type of videos your kid watches. For example, in the French profile, I always make sure to block recommended videos in English. I only allow content in French. As a result, our recommended videos are mostly in French.
- Lock your screen. Use guided access on iPad or iPhone to lock the screen. This was the best discovery ever for me! It’s a function that allows you to lock your screen, so that those little fingers can not just click on random videos.
- Subscribe to content in French. If your little one watches YouTube content on the computer, make sure you subscribe to content in French (or whichever language you’re teaching them). Again, this teaches the algorithm that’s the type of content you want.
Now let’s dive into the topic of the day!
Comptines d’Afrique, a YouTube channel perfect for multicultural kids
Synopsis
Comptines d’Afrique is a kids YouTube channel in French showcasing African lullabies. Songs are also in various African languages, Creole, and English.
There are lullabies from all over Africa, from Côte d’Ivoire to South Africa and Madagascar, from Congo to Cape Verde. There are also lullabies from the Caribbean.
The animations are gorgeous, unique, and fun to watch. They showcase the richness and diversity of the Afro culture, not in a cliché way.
The videos are a great visual tool if you’re raising a multicultural kid.
It shows modern Africa with kids using their cell phones but also paddling a pirogue, or houses powered by solar energy, with the mother pounding the fufu next to it. The songs are diverse and entertaining. Each song usually has a little dance that goes with it, which will have your little one dancing like it’s nobody’s business! I know mine does!
What I like about it
I love how diverse the lullabies are. They really showcase the culture from all around Africa. I love the animations. They have black characters with different skin complexions. In addition to French, your little one will be exposed to different African languages, and might just learn a lullaby from your home country!
Tchoupi
Synopsis
Tchoupi is a French cartoon that’s inspired by a book series of the same name, from the 90s.
It follows the adventures of a little penguin, his teddy bear Doudou and his friends. The show is set at Tchoupi’s school with his friends and his teachers but also at home and with his grandparents.
What I like about it
It’s a funny show. In some episodes, Tchoupi interacts with his little viewers and asks them to repeat some sentences. So it’s a good practice if you can get the little one to repeat (mine doesn’t).
My only issue with the show is that it’s a little insensitive at times. For example, in one episode, Tchoupi pretends to dance like a Native American, and it’s a little bit cringing to watch.
The show comes in small episodes of 7 to 8 minutes and it’s really at the level of preschoolers. It’s great to increase your little one’s vocabulary in French. I also like that the animation is simple. Not too much stimulation for little ones.
Little baby bum in French
Synopsis
If you have a little one and you don’t know Little baby bum, first of all: lucky you, what is your secret?! Second: which planet are you living on?
Little baby bum is a very (VERY) popular nursery/ kids’ songs YouTube channel with classic lullabies like the Wheels on the Bus or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It also has its original songs about basically everything from eating vegetables to not talking to strangers. For a while “Everybody’s got a name” (a song about… you guessed it…names!) was a musical staple in my house.
There are a lot of channels similar to Little baby bum on YouTube. The cool thing about most of them is that they exist in different languages: English, Spanish, French, etc…
And those songs are (annoyingly) catchy and will stay stuck in your little one’s head! So it’s a great way to expose your little learner to French or whatever language you’re teaching them and support their learning.
What I like about it
The characters are diverse. The main character is a little girl called Mia.
And of course, the songs are pretty catchy. Kids remember songs a lot easier than just words. So your little one will be dancing and singing in French.
Little angel in French
Synopsis
Little Angel en Francais is a kids YouTube channel in French very similar to Little Baby Bum. The main characters here are a family of five: mom, dad, and three kids.
It has more original songs than Little Baby Bum. Songs are about the regular kid-friendly topics, but also more every day topics that will make your child laugh like: hiccups, mosquitoes, farts, and stinky shoes.
Little Angel also has YouTube channels in Spanish, German, Russian, and Portuguese.
What I like about it
I like that the songs aren’t just lullabies. The videos show the family at the supermarket, at the mall, at the park, at the pool…etc. They are a fun support to help little ones learn the vocabulary specific to different environments. Like Little Baby Bum, the characters are pretty diverse, although the main family is a white family.
Hello kids French
Synopsis
This is another nursery channel that exists in different languages besides French, including Spanish, Italian, Russian, German, and Polish.
I don’t know what type of songs the channel offers in other languages, but the French channel has some classic French lullabies, like Ah Les crocodiles, Un elephant qui se balançait (the elephant on the swing), or Mon ane (my donkey).
What I like about it
This kids YouTube channel showcases French songs that I learned as a child and it’s fun to have my daughter sing them too. Because we live in an English-speaking country, she’s not really exposed to those. So that channel is helpful for that.
Le village de Dany, a kids YouTube channel in French to learn about emotions
Synopsis
Are you familiar with the PBS show Daniel Tiger’s neighborhood? Le village de Dany is the French version.
We love the original show in English. It follows the adventures of a little Tiger and his family as he navigates toddlerhood with all its highs and lows. It focuses a lot on teaching young children about their emotions and feelings. You can watch the original English version on Amazon Prime if you have a PBS subscription. I looked everywhere for the French version. If you live in the US, you can only find it on YouTube. It doesn’t have all the episodes, but still, quite a few are compiled by themes in one-hour videos.
What I like about it
I love the topics. They are the regular kids’ show topics but they’re done in a way that respects children’s emotional intelligence. Also, Dany talks a lot directly with his viewer, asks them questions, and waits for their answers. So it can be a very interactive show. The songs are also a regular on our car playlist!
Les Amis de Boubi
Synopsis
Les Amis de Boubi is a kids YouTube channel with popular French nurseries (like A la claire fontaine, ainsi font font font, Alouette…).
Videos show actual people singing the songs (an adult accompanied by children). They recently added nurseries from all over Africa (like Mami Watta, Le 2 Juillet, Makun…). The African nurseries are in French or different African languages.
What I like about it
The videos have actual people in it, usually sitting or standing. So it’s not too stimulating for little ones. The songs are usually accompanied by hand gestures that your little one will enjoy doing. I love that their videos include African lullabies. And at the beginning of the video, Boubi (the little monkey “host”) tells you which country the lullaby is from.
Bonus list of kids’ YouTube channels in French
As I said before, the resources on Youtube are unlimited! So here are other Youtube channels in French, that we haven’t watched in our home but that I’ve seen popping up in our suggestions:
- Bono et Fino Francais (also exists in English, Portuguese, Yoruba, Nederland, and Swahili)
- Little Jules en Francais
- Boutchoo!
- Maison des Titounis
- Super Supremes Francais
- Les patapons
- Comptines et chansons
- Peppa Pig Francais
- Oui-oui Francais
- Ricky Zoom Francais
- Caillou en Francais
- Masha et Michka (my little one like the English version, but she’s never watched it in French)
- Les P’tits z’amis
- Cat family en Francais
- La super patrouille (pour les fans de camions)
- Comptines.net
- Zoe en Francais
- Le petit monde des camions
- Groovy Le Martien
- Sam Le pompier
- Kids Tv Francais
- Trotro
- Bb loulou
- Pinpin et Lili
Let me know if your little one watches any of the shows (and how they like it!) by sending me an email at backtotheotherland@gmail.com or shoot me a DM on Instagram @backtotheotherland.
Picture: pexels-amina-filkins-5561157
