Short, funny, non-violent videos for four year olds
February 20, 2020 7:36 AM Subscribe
Looking for some short (5 minutes is the target), good-natured videos to make my four-year old giggle.
We mostly watch "how it's made" videos or nature stuff. He of course loves to laugh, and seems to go into overdrive when something makes both of us laugh at the same time. But I don't want to show him a bunch of violent slapstick, and most of the stuff I see on youtube when I search for funny videos is just modern versions of Three Stooges--someone gets hit in the head/groin, falls down on butt, etc. Being youtube, randomly searching also seems to bring up lots of sexist/racist stuff that I'd like to avoid as well. Any recommendations, either on or off youtube? Particular videos, or playlists, artists or even search-terms all appreciated.
We mostly watch "how it's made" videos or nature stuff. He of course loves to laugh, and seems to go into overdrive when something makes both of us laugh at the same time. But I don't want to show him a bunch of violent slapstick, and most of the stuff I see on youtube when I search for funny videos is just modern versions of Three Stooges--someone gets hit in the head/groin, falls down on butt, etc. Being youtube, randomly searching also seems to bring up lots of sexist/racist stuff that I'd like to avoid as well. Any recommendations, either on or off youtube? Particular videos, or playlists, artists or even search-terms all appreciated.
For context, my four-year-old is also into documentary-type stuff! There are several families they enjoy who make almost
fantastically silly videos of, say, kids playing in an in-ground pool with an underwater trampoline that's so deep nobody can really get much momentum, and there are ballpit balls floating on top, and they're all just bouncing around being goofy kids, and that's the whole entire plot. Once you start down that path, YouTube will very much guide you.
posted by teremala at 7:48 AM on February 20, 2020
fantastically silly videos of, say, kids playing in an in-ground pool with an underwater trampoline that's so deep nobody can really get much momentum, and there are ballpit balls floating on top, and they're all just bouncing around being goofy kids, and that's the whole entire plot. Once you start down that path, YouTube will very much guide you.
posted by teremala at 7:48 AM on February 20, 2020
OK Go's Rube Goldberg machine video for This Too Shall Pass delights my inner four-year-old, as does the marching band version with the shaggy grass people.
posted by flabdablet at 7:53 AM on February 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by flabdablet at 7:53 AM on February 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
No video has been met with more universal glee in my experience than Teddy the Porcupine.
posted by Mizu at 8:04 AM on February 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Mizu at 8:04 AM on February 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
PythagoraSwitch!
There are a ton of them. Just do a YouTube search.
posted by bondcliff at 8:12 AM on February 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
There are a ton of them. Just do a YouTube search.
posted by bondcliff at 8:12 AM on February 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
My son is 7 and still loves the animated shorts from “Sendung mit der Maus.” They are clever, silly German cartoons about a mouse, elephant, and a duck - no German language knowledge needed. They have a bunch of different compilations on YouTube.
posted by Maarika at 8:12 AM on February 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Maarika at 8:12 AM on February 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
thekidshouldseethis. Maybe not giggle but all wholesome, mostly education, short videos for kids.
posted by beccaj at 8:27 AM on February 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by beccaj at 8:27 AM on February 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
Simon's Cat, especially the early ones. Great slapstick cartoons about cat ownership.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 8:38 AM on February 20, 2020
posted by I claim sanctuary at 8:38 AM on February 20, 2020
OK Go's Rube Goldberg machine video for This Too Shall Pass delights my inner four-year-old, as does the marching band version with the shaggy grass people.
OK Go is probably a rich vein in general, since you also have Here It Goes Again.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:42 AM on February 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
OK Go is probably a rich vein in general, since you also have Here It Goes Again.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:42 AM on February 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
Dog agility bloopers, focusing on the ones who just blow off the whole process like Kratu. (That article links to several notorious underperformers of the dog agility circuit.)
posted by praemunire at 9:32 AM on February 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by praemunire at 9:32 AM on February 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
Sean the Sheep episodes are six minutes long.
posted by RedEmma at 10:31 AM on February 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by RedEmma at 10:31 AM on February 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
At that age my son loved TroTro stories, they are a few minutes, some really funny about everday family life.
posted by 15L06 at 1:13 PM on February 20, 2020
posted by 15L06 at 1:13 PM on February 20, 2020
Maru! MARU! MAAARUUU!!!
(adorable cat jumps into boxes, is silly)
posted by wintersweet at 2:32 PM on February 20, 2020
(adorable cat jumps into boxes, is silly)
posted by wintersweet at 2:32 PM on February 20, 2020
There are several good kid-funny videos on the HiHo channel on Youtube, including
"Dinner Date with Dogs" (part of a series where kids plan weird dates for their parents)
"We Challenged Kids to Stay Completely Still" (part of a series where kids are challenged to not-react to a series of funny and/or desirable events, like not getting out of your chair to pet a fluffy cat or eat from a chocolate fountain)
"Kids share their favorite snacks with their grandparents" (part of a series of kids trying different kinds of foods)
(One caveat: HiHo also has a series called "Kids Meet" which is probably inappropriate for your age kid as it deals with politics and difficult issues. But most of its series are very little-kid friendly.)
posted by hungrytiger at 2:32 PM on February 20, 2020
"Dinner Date with Dogs" (part of a series where kids plan weird dates for their parents)
"We Challenged Kids to Stay Completely Still" (part of a series where kids are challenged to not-react to a series of funny and/or desirable events, like not getting out of your chair to pet a fluffy cat or eat from a chocolate fountain)
"Kids share their favorite snacks with their grandparents" (part of a series of kids trying different kinds of foods)
(One caveat: HiHo also has a series called "Kids Meet" which is probably inappropriate for your age kid as it deals with politics and difficult issues. But most of its series are very little-kid friendly.)
posted by hungrytiger at 2:32 PM on February 20, 2020
Also, speaking of Rube Goldberg, "Pass the Salt" and other videos by that creator are seriously some of the most amazing Rube Goldberg machines EVERRRRRR
posted by hungrytiger at 2:34 PM on February 20, 2020
posted by hungrytiger at 2:34 PM on February 20, 2020
The Kid Should See This, searching for funny. I still use this site when I cannot bear another minute of Youtube doll videos.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 3:43 PM on February 20, 2020
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 3:43 PM on February 20, 2020
At that age, my son loved videos of silly dogs, videos of happy babies, and especially videos of silly dogs interacting with happy babies. Luckily, the internet is full of compilations of these things.
posted by erst at 3:57 PM on February 20, 2020
posted by erst at 3:57 PM on February 20, 2020
Baman and Piderman is a bunch of very short animated videos that are silly and maybe a little surreal. The animation style is very goofy.
Strongbad Emails can be found on YouTube and are usually about that length. I don’t know too much about suitability for that age. Sample https://youtu.be/Az49aNuYeJs
posted by itesser at 4:45 PM on February 20, 2020
Strongbad Emails can be found on YouTube and are usually about that length. I don’t know too much about suitability for that age. Sample https://youtu.be/Az49aNuYeJs
posted by itesser at 4:45 PM on February 20, 2020
The old “Grover waiter” videos on YouTube are short and hilarious!
posted by sucre at 7:50 PM on February 20, 2020
posted by sucre at 7:50 PM on February 20, 2020
Pingu and Shaun the Sheep strongly seconded.
Wallace & Gromit Cracking Contraptions are shorter than full episodes and are also delightful.
Muppets shorts on Youtube we love include the Mahnamahna skit and Hugga Wugga, Elton John doing Crocodile Rock (with crocodile accompaniment!) and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. From Sesame St., Madeline Kahn and Grover singing together, and Lena Horne teaching Grover "How Do You Do."
posted by Lawn Beaver at 9:18 AM on February 21, 2020
Wallace & Gromit Cracking Contraptions are shorter than full episodes and are also delightful.
Muppets shorts on Youtube we love include the Mahnamahna skit and Hugga Wugga, Elton John doing Crocodile Rock (with crocodile accompaniment!) and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. From Sesame St., Madeline Kahn and Grover singing together, and Lena Horne teaching Grover "How Do You Do."
posted by Lawn Beaver at 9:18 AM on February 21, 2020
Om Nom, the little green candy-eating monster from the "cut the rope" game, has a series of short, cute, silly videos with his antics trying to get a piece of candy. Definitely appropriate for a 4yo.
posted by jillithd at 5:58 PM on February 22, 2020
posted by jillithd at 5:58 PM on February 22, 2020
« Older Seeking ideas for using up commuter benefits /... | What should my job title *~actually~* be? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Fuego at 7:46 AM on February 20, 2020