YouTube Kids Review: Google Thinks Of The Children

Today is a turning point for the Google-owned YouTube video environment. Today children are able to use YouTube Kids, an app made specifically for children, made to allow kids access to the ever-growing video environment without risking unwanted sights for young eyes. While Wu-Tang may be for the children, their music videos decidedly are not. The YouTube crew have taken care of this situation by creating this portal – one that's long overdue, as we discussed in brief at rumors of YouTube Kids last week.

YouTube Kids is an app you can hand to your child. Sort of. There's still a few kinks in the line that we're sure will be fixed by the time the second edition comes around. Or by the time everyone is updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop.

The biggest problem with this app is not inside the app itself, but around its edges. While the app's contents are secure, the app is not. When I open this app up on my Android 4.2 KitKat device – an HTC One M8, for example – I see the notifications bar and my home buttons.

They don't disappear as they should. Because of this, it's just as easy to escape from the app as it is to press any other button. A young child watching YouTube Kids won't be there for long if left alone with the app.

Once that bit is fixed, YouTube Kids is going to be great.

Your child will be working with a super simple user interface with big images and not a lot of messing about. This is just what the doctor ordered.

To access parental controls, you'll have to enter a password – the first time you to, you'll be entering a code that, if a child cannot yet read, they'd probably not be able to guess.

Once inside settings, you'll be able to place a timer on your child's use of the app. You'll be able to turn off search. You'll be able to do all sorts of things.

Beyond the easy escape hatch, this app is really awesome right off the bat. Having millions of videos to use for content certainly helps with that, we're sure.

Above you'll see our hands-on video with YouTube Kids. This hands-on was done with the Sony Xperia Z3v with its built-in screen record function.

• DreamWorks TV

• Jim Henson TV

• Mother Goose Club

• National Geographic Kids

• Reading Rainbow

• Thomas the Tank Engine

• Kid-safe Pop music videos

This is just a SMALL sampling of the high-quality content ready for rolling in the first release of this app. Toss it to your child immediately

The app YouTube Kids is available right now for Android and iOS. Find it in Google Play or in the iTunes app store for smartphones and tablets, iPhones and iPads, right this minute – it's all free, of course.

NOTE: This app will soon be available for Kurio and nabi kids' tablets as well!