Kanopy for Kids: The Best Free Streaming Service You’re Not Using (Yet!)

Beth Emmons, Wickson Library’s Early Learning Specialist, is excited to introduce Kanopy for Kids—an incredible, on-demand streaming service designed for families, educators, and young learners. This week, I asked Beth to highlight some of her favorite features of Kanopy Kids.

Kanopy is a platform that offers films, TV shows, educational videos, and documentaries for public and academic library patrons. Best of all, it’s completely free. All you need is a library card and a solid Wi-Fi connection.

When patrons log into Kanopy, they’ll receive 25 tickets per month to access a vast collection of ad-free content, including over 30,000 movies and TV shows for all ages. But here’s the best part—when you enter the Kanopy Kids section, everything is entirely free – no tickets required! Kanopy is available on most devices, including Apple TV, Airplay, and Amazon Fire, making it easy to access anywhere.

To get started, simply create an account and click on the “Kids” icon in the top right corner. You’ll be taken to a dedicated “Kanopy Kids” page, where you’ll be greeted by none other than Pigeon from Mo Willems! Inside, you’ll find an amazing selection of educational and diverse collections, thanks to partnerships with PBS and Highlights Magazine, bringing beloved children’s books to life on screen.

In addition to our usual library patrons, Beth Emmons recommends Kanopy Kids as a wonderful resource for teachers. Animated children’s books are perfect for indoor recess, themed lessons, and story time activities. Kanopy for Kids would be an invaluable tool for teachers in both traditional classrooms and homeschooling environments.

For example, if you search for Where the Wild Things Are and hit play, you can see when the video was created (1988), how long it is, its rating, and a brief description. If you want to discover popular content, click on the “Browse” section in the top left corner and check out “Top Kids Picks,” which showcases frequently watched and well-loved videos.

Kanopy for Kids is a fantastic resource for parents, educators, and kids alike. And did you know that parents and educators can manage what children watch with built-in parental controls and age-based ratings from Common Sense Media? It’s a safe, enriching, and fun way for children to engage with educational content.

If you’re looking for some ideas to get you started, here are Beth Emmons’ Top 10 Reasons to Love Kanopy for Kids!

1.      Stories from Around the World – Watch favorites like Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears.

2. Beloved Stories – Enjoy classics like the I Stink! series and Eric Carle books.

3. Number Literacy – Learn math in a fun way with How Much is a Million?

4. Sing-Along Fun – Dance to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! and Dooby Dooby Moo!

5. Iconic Characters – Spend time with Arthur, Franklin, and more.

6. Classic Favorites – Enjoy Corduroy, Curious George, and other timeless tales.

7. Read-Along Videos – Follow along with beautifully narrated books like Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner.

8. Who Was? Biography Series – Discover inspiring stories of figures like MLK, Jr. and Jane Goodall.

9. Everything "Reading Rainbow" – A must for book lovers!

10. It’s FREE for all library patrons! – No device at home? No problem! Watch at the library.

    
    

Kanopy for Kids is a game-changer for families, educators, and young learners. Whether you’re looking for engaging read-along stories, classic animated tales, or educational videos, this platform has something for everyone. With free access through your local library, there’s no reason not to take advantage of this incredible resource. So grab your library card, log in, and start exploring all the amazing content Kanopy for Kids has to offer!