Can my 10-year-old have their own YouTube channel?

Not in their own name on YouTube's main site — the terms require a 13+ Google account. Under 13s can have a channel run by a parent on the parent's account. YouTube Kids does not allow uploading at all. Many UK parents use the parent-account route with comments off until the child is older.

Should I let them show their face?

Many UK parents say no until at least 13, sometimes older. Voice-overs, hands-only crafting videos, screen-recorded gaming, and avatar streams all work without showing the child. Once a face is online and tied to a real first name, it cannot be undone.

What about monetisation and sponsorships?

YouTube monetisation requires the account holder to be 18+, so for under-18s any revenue goes to a parent account. Treat sponsorship offers with extreme caution — many "sponsor" DMs to small child creators are scams or grooming attempts. Never agree to a product being sent to your home address without verifying the company first.

Important

Your Child Wants to Start a YouTube Channel

How to let your child make videos safely — privacy, comments, channel settings, and the rules to agree before they post.

What might be happening

Your child wants to be a YouTuber. Maybe they are making Minecraft videos, gymnastics clips, art tutorials, Roblox gameplay, or vlogs of their day. The desire is normal — most UK children watch creators every day and naturally want to try. The question is not really "should they" but "how do we do this without their school, address, friends' real names, or their face on the open internet for life."

How serious is it?

YouTube is not designed for under-13s — the main site requires a 13+ account in its terms. Under-13 channels must be run by a parent. The realistic risks are: revealing personal information in the background of videos (school uniform, street name, house number, gaming tags), receiving sexualised or grooming comments, attracting older audiences for child appearance content, and creating a permanent public footprint that follows them into teenage years and adulthood.

What to do first

Step 1

Decide whose account it is. For under-13s, the channel must be on a parent's account — YouTube's rules. You stay logged in and you control the upload button.

Step 2

Audit the room they film in. Walk through the frame: school logo on a jumper, post with the address on it, family photos with names, the view through the window. Move it all out of shot before filming.

Step 3

Set the channel to "Made for Kids" in YouTube Studio if the content is aimed at children. This automatically turns off comments, personalised ads, and notifications — required under COPPA-style child content rules YouTube applies globally.

Step 4

Turn comments off, or set them to "hold for review" so you read every one before it appears. This is the single most important setting for child creators.

Step 5

Agree the name and URL. No real surname, no school, no street, no birthday. A nickname or first-name-only is fine. Use a separate email address — not the family one.

What to say

Phrases that help

"This is a brilliant idea and I want to help you do it properly. The internet does not forget, so the rules are about your future you, not just today's you."
"We will not show your face on camera until [agreed age]. Until then we can do voice-over, hands only, or an avatar."
"If a comment ever feels weird, do not reply — show me. People who comment on kids' videos are not always who they look like."

What not to say

✗"You will never get famous so do not bother." — kills the conversation and pushes them to do it secretly.
✗"Sure, just do whatever, it is only YouTube." — this is a long-term public profile, not a sketchpad.
✗"Do not show your face" without explaining why — they need to understand the reasoning.

Settings to check

•YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Advanced settings: confirm "audience" is set correctly ("Made for Kids" if appropriate). This is YouTube's COPPA setting and disables risky features.
•Comments: Settings → Community → Defaults → set to "Hold all comments for review" or disable entirely.
•Channel URL/handle: use a pseudonym, not a real name or birthday.
•Location: do not turn on video location tags. Strip metadata from thumbnails if uploaded separately.
•Account: use 2-factor authentication on the parent Google account, and do not save the password on the child's device.
•Live streaming: keep this disabled. Live chat is the highest-risk feature for child creators.

When to escalate

If a commenter sends sexual messages, asks your child to meet, asks for images, or contacts them privately on another platform, screenshot everything and report to CEOP (https://www.ceop.police.uk). Report the user in YouTube as well. If the channel is being targeted by an organised group (mass dislikes, doxing attempts, threats), make the channel private, change the handle, and contact YouTube support. For wider help, the NSPCC helpline is 0808 800 5000 and the UK Safer Internet Centre runs a Professionals Online Safety Helpline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last reviewed: 2026-05-16 · This page is educational guidance, not a substitute for emergency services, safeguarding professionals, or legal advice.

This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.