YouTube is releasing a new mobile app for kids. It is expected to feature original episodes of popular TV shows for preschoolers, including 'Thomas the Tank Engine' and 'Sesame Street', as well as content from the many kid-safe channels already featured on YouTube, a person familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal. A screenshot of the app released 19 February showed those two titles as well as 'Reading Rainbow', 'Mother Goose Club' and others.
The app, called YouTube Kids, is expected to be free. It will feature kid-friendly design, with big, bulbous icons and minimal scrolling, the report said. The app is said to include features for parents as well, such as a timer they can use to limit how much video children are able to watch. At launch, the app will be available only for devices running Google’s Android OS. The company is planning to announce the new app on 23 February, when YouTube executive Malik Ducard is scheduled to give the keynote address at Kidscreen Summit, a conference for the children’s entertainment industry.
